The Konstantinov is dispatched to help quell the uprising in the province of Nokgorka, and Skymarshall Urik Antares is ordered to send ground troops into the city of Bahamut over his objections. The skymarshall's concerns prove well-founded, as the Nokgorkan resistance does heavy damage to the invading krawl units. When her friend Alexandra is killed in action, Sorceress-Major Maya Antares enters Bahamut to find the body - and perhaps be reunited with her friend and with her long lost husband, Marcus. But at Alexandra's grave, Maya finds an opportunity for rebirth, not merely for herself, but for her country.