Phoenix Conspiracy

On the surface, the galaxy seems peaceful. Humankind prospers from the Capital World to the far reaches of The Corridor. But to those who can see the signs, it's clear something is wrong. Long, dark fingers are pulling strings inside the military, making clandestine deals with enemy states, and fulfilling some dark design. Calvin is an intelligence agent working for the Imperial government. He's young, his methods are unorthodox, but he gets results. So when a former military hero steals a warship and goes rogue, threatening to start a war, Calvin is sent to eliminate him. But as he chases his prey across the stars, he realizes they are both pawns in a shadowy chess game that shakes kingdoms, divides empires, and threatens civilization everywhere. And if he is to uncover the mystery and expose the conspiracy he must confront, and embrace, the darkest elements of the galaxy and throw himself, his career, and everyone he loves into the line of fire.

As the most serious threat ever facing the galaxy now looms over them-weapons able to destroy stars-Calvin and his enterprising crew continue their mission to expose and eliminate the dark conspiracy that has taken root inside the Empire. Now a fugitive on the run, Calvin has no choice but to work alongside Raidan's mysterious Organization. And accept help from the unlikeliest band of fair-weather friends, including a mysterious squad of Polarian soldiers, an ex-intelligence-operative from the Rotham Republic, and the ever elusive Tristan-whose truest motives are a closely guarded secret. To make matters worse, Calvin is hunted mercilessly across the stars by Intel Wing's top operative, Lafayette Nimoux, who is aided by a double-agent on Calvin's own ship. Meanwhile the sands of fortune are shifting within the Empire, upsetting the delicate political climate. Warships and civilian transports are vanishing without a trace and murders in the dark are going unnoticed. All eyes are fixed on Renora-a human colony that has been savagely attacked and thrown into civil war. The prime suspect behind the attack is none other than Princess Kalila Akira. All the dark signs are pointing to what could be the death of the Empire, and the end of human dominance in the galaxy.

A storm is brewing. Eager war fleets patrol the edges of human space, waiting. The leaders of the Phoenix Conspiracy are poised to usher in The Hour of Ascension. And it is up to Calvin to expose the conspiracy before the Empire collapses in a firestorm of civil war. Deadly isotome weapons remain at large, forces across every border are arming for war, and now even the monarchy itself is threatened by the chaos. From the blood-soaked soil of Renora, where the very strength of the Empire is tested, to the political maneuverings of the Imperial Assembly, the stability that once safeguarded human-kind is now merely a memory. Meanwhile the deadliest assassin in the galaxy lurks in the shadows, ready to change the course of history-if his god wills it. And Shen's life hangs by a thread. The Organization, the Akiras, CERKO, the Advent, the Phoenix Ring... it all comes down to this moment. And the question on everyone's mind is, can the Empire survive? Or will it be lost to the tempest.

A fearful Empire anticipates King Akira's next move: will he abandon them to the corrupt hands of Caerwyn Martel or doom them to bloody civil war, leaving them defenseless against an imminent alien invasion? Just beyond human space, the crows are circling. Across the DMZ, the Rotham Republic prepares its war fleets with hungry eyes fixed on the weakened Empire. Spurred on to war by the pervasive Rahajiim, a shadowy organization that has struck a dark deal with the nightmarish Enclave. Meanwhile Summers races to destroy the rest of the isotome weapons before they are used, Nimoux struggles to escape an unlikely prison planet, Shen copes with his strange new life, and Calvin hunts for the true puppetmaster. Desperate to discover the deepest layer of the conspiracy before it's too late. And in the shadows behind it all, Blackmoth brews a storm of chaos, hell-bent on subjecting the galaxy to the dark design of his One-True-God.

The hour is grim for the Empire, which has split into opposing sides. Civil War rages between Queen Kalila Akira and Steward Caerwyn Martel. As all Imperial forces are dragged into the conflict, threatening to destroy the once mighty Imperial fleet, enemies abroad have their sights set on the juicy, and ever more defenseless, human worlds. Rotham invasion seems imminent and unstoppable. Summers and the Nighthawk race against Blackmoth and Tristan, each hoping to reach Zander first, and get to his stockpile of isotome weapons. Meanwhile Raidan has underhanded plans. Calvin and his team venture into Rotham space to spy on the enemy. It is vital that they collect intelligence on the Rotham fleet and get it back to the queen so she can stop any Rotham invasion. But, unbeknownst to them, one member of the team is a traitor, and has put them all in grave danger. In the deepest regions of Forbidden Space, whispers abound that the Dread Fleet has awoken, charged with the purpose of purging the galaxy, and bringing to pass the Final Darkness.

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.