David McCarthy returns to Kathil a hero--one of the few surviving members of the First Kathil Uhlans, who fought so fiercely in the war to defeat the Clans. But David returns from Clan space with haunting memories of the cost of victory…With the Federated Commonwealth on the brink of civil war, David joins the planetary militia on Kathil--and steps into a powder keg. Opposing forces wrangle for control of the planet and its orbital shipyards, which berths a portion of FedCom’s mighty WarShip fleet. The Eighth Regimental Combat Team--loyal to Archon Katrina--refuses to turn over control of the planet to the militia. Caught in the power struggle between supporters of Katrina and those of her brother Victor, McCarthy vows that he won’t fail the people of his homeworld, even if that means leading his untested MechWarriors against the Eighth’s superior firepower--and dredging up a past he’d rather forget…