No one knew where the mysterious space-black ships came from. Only a handful of survivors reported how they brought swift and merciless vicious death to entire human-populated worlds.
Penum IV was the first target for the alien death fleet after it slipped into the system and assumed orbit around the planet. From this high frontier came rainbow-hued death rays that scoured the world below, killing only humans and leaving behind the fruits of an entire planet for plundering. The world dead and the usable food and material stowed on black-hulled transport ships, the aliens move on to their next victim world.
Sub-lieutenant Pier Norlin is on deep space watch hunting for errant space debris, wanting only to be with on-planet with his girlfriend, watches as the alien death fleet obliterates his world--and his lover. Taking command of the warship Preceptor is not the path to retribution he hoped. The warship's crew is mismatched and rebellious, but Norlin is determined.
The Preceptor tracks the alien fleet, finding only a pitiful few survivors at every stop. Needing supplies, the warship ports at a rebel planet disloyal to the Emperor Arian ruling his empire from distant Earth. The quest for revenge becomes even more frustrating for Norlin when command of the
Preceptor is given to a genetically enhanced cousin of the Emperor. Pavel Pensky proves his brilliance as a commander in skirmishes against the alien death fleet, and then crosses the thin partition between genius and insanity, jeopardizing not only Norlin's quest for vengeance but the Preceptor and its crew as well.
