Tangel is still reeling from her struggle with the ascended AI, but she even now needs to complete her discussions with the Little league of Sentients and bring them in to the Alliance. Once that contract is in place, the Alliance will be in a situation to hit the Hegemony on multiple fronts, starting the procedure of defeating humanity’s oldest empire. But unbeknownst to Tangel, a power of Widows is present on Lunic station, eager for the chance to derail that contract though Tangel’s death.

Three about Airthan Ascendancy thousand light years toward the galactic core, Sera is finding your way through her assault on Airtha, a deadly mission that will take the very best the Alliance can muster and pit it against the ascended AI in an effort to end the civil war wracking the Transcend. But Lisa Wrentham’s Widows are getting into Airthan space aswell, fully ready to destroy the complete ring if it’ll mean the damage of the ascended AI that guidelines it.

Both of those missions are in peril from a lot more than just the risk of the Widows; the core AI Epsilon is usually moving against Tangel’s forces, and Cary will face a threat far more insidious than she’d ever anticipated. One which might take her with their enemy’s chair of power. But Bob and Tangel can only be in one place at the same time, and someone is likely to be independently.