In the aftermath of battle... Captain Kim Morden and the crew of the RAS Verdun have triumphed over the Frontin in Derek's Triangle, but at a heavy cost. They limp toward Kensington Station, a run-down supply outpost on a remote planet in Alliance space, to repair their battered ship and mourn their dead in safety. After all, what danger could lurk on a dump like Kensington? A new threat rises... But the thick forests of this sun-drenched backwater world hide more than just an Alliance supply depot. A new and nameless enemy lies in wait, its objectives inscrutable, its intent lethal. When a surprise attack forces Morden to leave the planet, she makes the agonizing choice to abandon Lt. Commander Jack Wilcox and the rest of the Verdun landing party on Kensington. Morden vows to return, but will Wilcox and his people survive? And victory will demand the ultimate sacrifice. Outnumbered, Wilcox's party must join forces with the planet's garrison, a small, elite unit of Alliance Rangers. They can only wait for the Verdun to rescue them, fighting the harsh terrain and a relentless foe in a ruthless battle for survival. But when the enemy gains control of a powerful weapon, it's a race against time for Wilcox and his rag-tag team to strike back and disable it - or watch the Verdun's rescue attempt end in a fiery massacre!