Senseless butchery on a colossal scale. That's the hallmark of the Dread Fleet wherever it goes. No force has ever been able to stop it, and now it threatens the Empire, the Queen, and humanity itself. Queen Kalila must organize a defense against it, calling on friends and foes alike. Meanwhile, Calvin and his crew venture urgently into the untold, unknown dangers of Forbidden Space, hoping to get answers from the deadliest and strangest Polarians of all. Answers that could help the humans save their Empire—and themselves—before it's too late. And all is lost forever. It's a desperate move, Calvin knows, and one that very likely will kill him and all his friends.