Publisher's Synopsis
Henry (Hank) Stone has built a military structure for the Antoran Fleet that has been successful in preventing two invasion fleets from reaching Earth and identified the culprit behind the invasions. He then sent out exploration units from the fleet to see what was out there and if the Fleet had a role in what they found. One of his exploration units discovered a despot in a hegemony about 9,000 light years from Sol, who was willing to kill billions to further his aims and had in fact done just that. The despot had control of a Starkiller weapon and was about to use it in three different systems. The Fleet was able to prevent the use of the weapon, depose the despot and then prevent yet another despot from attacking other systems and destroying his own people in the process.Whether they liked it or not, the Fleet seems to find trouble even when they are not looking for it. The second group of exploration Stations has found conflict in the course of their exploration in the opposite direction, some 6,200 light years from Sol. This time, a portion of the trouble is being handled by another party from the Malone System and they are doing it well. However, they have an unexpected foe and the exploration unit from the Fleet has spotted them and advised Hank of the circumstances. He has ordered an intervention and dispatches additional Stations to the area to keep a lid on the conflict. The challenge is that someone out there has planet busters in their inventory and is not hesitant to use them. This is a situation that Hank can't allow to progress any further.The telepathic capacity is given a major boost when a new means to detect the talent is found and used. The question is, will it be enough? He has a few other surprises coming his way, some more pleasant than others.He then finds that there are other more conflicts at work and all are related. He must determine how to unravel the causes and contain the situation so that more lives are not unnecessarily lost. He must also face the need for additional resources and how to better utilize the resources available to him. One big problem is the very structure of the Fleet. It is one thing to sent a warship into a potential conflict when 24 lives are at stake on that vessel. It is quite another to expose 182 million people in that same conflict. He will have to better determine how to provide the protections they have promised to provide without exposing his own personnel to a potential catastrophe.
