Declassified from human to cyborg and accused of crimes against humanity, Colonel Vladia Robespierre is on the run from Terran officials. But when Mars refuses her sanctuary, Vladia and her allies must trek to the outskirts of civilization: The Barbarous Outer Moons. Only at the edge of the solar system, can she rally an army and come to terms with her new identity. But can one who is no longer a part of humanity really be the one to save it? With his biggest obstacle now exiled from Earth, nothing should stand in Malthus' way of unifying the solar system under his rule. Yet he, too, is expelled from Earth, cast out to play watch dog on Luna. There, old enemies emerge from the shadows, and a new foe arises to threaten his omnipotence and destroy all of civilization.