Continuing the story began in Shadows of Valor, Edwin is stuck back at SAC headquarters reeling from the effects of his first mission. Haunted by nightmares and recovering from a training injury, Edwin desperately seeks a solution to the horrors that blast him awake each night without fail. At the same time, war waits for no man, and the Commander assigns him a new mission, one that will take him into the heart of Veracka. Meanwhile, Peggy is offered an ultimatum: accept enhancement or watch as Edwin is sent alone on a mission he may not survive without her. Disillusioned and suspecting her superiors intended this outcome from the beginning, Peggy must face the most difficult decision she's ever had to make. And, even if she takes the plunge, the effort may be too little, too late.

Four years ago, Edwin's father was slain by Verackan raiders, intent on plundering the Orescan heartland to supplement their own waning resources. Now seventeen and intent on vengeance, Edwin runs away from home to join the Orescan Army. Soon, he finds himself a Probationary Recruit, not in the Army, but in the Special Air Corps. Through a combination of natural and technologically enhanced gifts, this elite and secretive organization battles the Verackans from the shadows. As Edwin explores the full potential of his gift, a new objective begins to take hold. . . ending the Verackan threat for all time.