It had been many years since Grace Reynolds last met her old classmate, Daven Adams. When Adams appears as a prospective candidate to fill a hole in her squadron, old emotions stir within Reynolds. Such thoughts are quickly forced aside however as they are drawn into a race to save Earth. In the process, Reynolds finds that to her, Adams is more than just a wingman or a friend.

Faced with the real threat of imminent defeat, the colonials makes a fateful choice to risk it all by using a mysterious alien relic in one final gasp for victory. The cost will be high, but desperation can drive even those with the best of intentions onto the road to hell. But the forces of Earth will not be idle either, and the final price may be higher than anyone anticipated.