After the harrowing raid on occupied Earth, the survivors struggle to cope with what they have learned and to devise a strategy. The Accipiter empire spans the galaxy, and while the remaining humans are safe, for now, the clock is ticking. The Accipiters are turning over every leaf to find them – and they have the millions of ships to do it with. The humans have one cobbled together hybrid. Secrets are revealed and desperate work begins to build defenses. Meanwhile, the true conspirators behind the homegrown attack remain at large. All the while, mysterious craters and fires begin to erupt closer and closer to town, and Phoenix is sent off on a secretive mission to parts unknown.