The star system of Apollo has fallen! Her fleets are scattered and her enemies victorious. Apollo's last hope: an exile mercenary coming home at last! Ace pilot Kira Demirci fled her home system of Apollo five years ago. Betrayed by her own government and one step ahead of enemy assassins, she smuggled a squadron of star fighters into the Outer Rim and forged a mercenary fleet of old friends and new alike. Many of the aces of Apollo's war against Brisingr weren't as lucky. Kira has a new home, but a scheme hatched by her enemies has brought her to the edge of her old stomping grounds. This close to Apollo, she's one of the first to hear the devastating news: Brisingr has achieved its ultimate victory and captured her home. To take a star system should be impossible, but the reality is clear. With family, friends and old comrades in the hands of the Brisingr Kaiserreich, Kira mobilizes her mercenary fleet to seek out the scattered remains of Apollo's fleets and allies. Even if she can manage the merely difficult and bring the broken factions together, the hard truth remains: Brisingr's victory was impossible. To undo it, Kira will have to duplicate it...