The war is over but our problems have only just begun. The Sarcodinay were humanity's benevolent masters, galactic guardians who saved us from apocalypse and claimed us as their long-lost children-and like any stern parent, they expected their children to behave. We didn't. A century of violence and conflict followed as humanity tried to overthrow its rulers, but when the Sarcodinay suddenly and without warning announce their surrender, the rebellion is left scrambling for a way to deal with an outcome no one could have predicted: victory. Brash, unorthodox, and brilliant, Lieutenant Mallory MacLain has always been tolerated because of her successes against the enemy, but now faces an uncertain future with a government that no longer has a place for rebels. When Mallory witnesses the assassination of an important Sarcodinay official, she finds herself chasing a murderer that no one seems to want her to stop, and uncovering a truth about the war that could jeopardize the lives of thousands of people...including her own.