As Alsea's space elevator nears completion, an unsettling rumor arrives: the Voloth are stirring once more.

Lancer Andira Tal has been preparing for this since the Battle of Alsea, determined that her people will never again pay such a price. She will use every weapon at her disposal, including her own bondmate.

In orbit, Captain Ekatya Serrado is fighting her own battle, reporting to a hostile admiral and under suspicion for her divine tyree bond. She dares not reveal that her bond is changing in ways even the Alseans could not foresee.

Amidst the mobilization for war, romance blossoms, familiar faces return, and a warrior's honor is restored. Life and love will endure, even in a gathering storm.