Captured, alone, and deep inside enemy territory, Alu'a must escape. Her enemy, her captors, aliens her people call the Apak; they are ruthless, relentless, and bent on dominating all life. Alu'a is at their mercy and has been for years. The Apak interrogations challenge everything she believes in. Unbeknownst to the Apak she has learned a great many things that may aid her people in the war. The only problem is she doesn't know if she can escape; no one ever has. She doesn't know if she will die; the Apak kill prisoners every day. She doesn't even know if her people are looking for her; after all she was a only soldier and could be replaced.

There is never a right moment to escape. Alu'a succeeds at breaking free of her cell, stowing away on a transport, and crashing on a new world barely terriformed and hostile. After days of wondering, barely able to stay alive, her fleet arrives and battles the Apak in orbit. When rescued and returned to her homeworld, Alu'a is honored by the queen to lead her people in a full on assault of Apak space.

War takes its toll on Alu'a. She watches hundreds of her people die to defeat the Apak. During key battles, Alu'a's operatives glean new intelligence of the enemy and their capability. Armed with knowledge of the Apak's homeworld, they launch their attack. With all the alleys they can gather, Alu'a places herself between the worst threat in the galaxy and the very center of her people's ethical standard.