With new, more lethal weapons being added at every turn, the Forge goes into motion, advancing across the galactic arm in furious combat, leaving wreckage in the wake. But that wreckage has a purpose, and so does Dash. Until now, the war has been Golden allies throwing themselves in front of the Realm weapons, but that's all about to change. When the Realm captures an alien ship, the pilot is not an enemy; it's an ally, if Dash can build a bond with the race known as the Rin-ti. Ancient enemies of the Golden, the Rin-ti have only one favor to ask: free their people from Golden control, and reduce the local Golden fleets to rubble. If Dash can do that, he'll have everything he needs to build a fleet that can challenge the Golden in their own territory. But first, he'll need to win, and to do so, he'll need all hands on deck for a fight that will change history.