After a series of fierce battles with a lone, anonymous, and seemingly invincible ship dubbed "The Intruder," the Core Empire cobbles together a new fleet from the remaining survivors and surges out to reclaim the "Outworld" possessions it had lost in the conflict. Under FleetCommander Bretna Rathskald, on a mission of both vengeance and conquest, the fleet strikes at the first and most important target on its agenda, seeking to destroy the renegade fleet of FleetCommander Paulu Guideran along with the artifact site that might summon yet another disaster. The outcome of the vicious skirmishes that follow seems to be a forgone conclusion, until the Overlord of the Core Empire ultimately must stand for judgment, and by a most unexpected person.