Well, I think I know what’s going on, but there are so many players in this book, it’s hard to keep up, at least for me it is. The Republic has a big problem. A number of people are not pleased with the way things are ran and how things are going. And, there are a lot of ex-military guys and gals around that are looking for something to do and someone to follow. That’s not a good thing for the Republic and not good for the Legion. Yet, that’s the situation and now there appears someone who will led these former military people into the kind of fighting they are used to.
I don’t know exactly what Goth Sullus is, but he’s not totally human. He has some how amassed a fleet of three huge battleship (starships) and is preparing to take over the Tarrago Prime which included the huge Republic shipyards stationed in orbit over that planet. If he can do that, then his Black Fleet can grow to unimaginable size. The Republic has seen fit to forget it’s past and thinks it’s so large that no one would dare attack any Republic facility. Yet, the Republic has failed its citizens, letting political corruption run rampant while the average citizen struggles for mere existence. There are a lot of disgruntled people and when those disgruntled happen to be formerly well-trained Legionnaires, that’s bad news for everyone. Goth Sullus has provided a refuge for these forgotten and displaced Republic veterans. He’s placed them back in the environment that are so comfortable with and has trained them up to razor sharp standards. Tusca was about two days away from Tarrago Prime, but they had left that place of training and are now at the doorstep of war with the Republic.
The Republic doesn’t know what’s coming. They have their usual contingent of ships coming and going from the docks at Tarrago Prime and everything is as peaceful as always. The orbital defense of Fortress Omicron stands ready to defeat any who would consider striking at the Republics assets. Yet something is already wrong. A lone Captain finds two of his technicians that should have been doing long range reconnaissance scanning, dead at their posts. With unusual actions, he sets off the alarms and begins to wonder what was out there that Fortress Omicron wasn’t supposed to see. Shortly, he’s wondering is gone as the three gigantic battleships of the Black Fleet appear in the heavens! They know to stay just out of range of the deadly guns on this mighty fortress, but that doesn’t mean they can start sending troops to do the work of capturing the planet and everything on it. With their already inserted spies, they are now slowly taking the fortress cannons out of the picture. The young Captain must find who is working for the wrong side and kill them before he is killed himself. That’s going to be a tough job since everything now erupts in war!
So, now the Legion is fighting the Legion! Yes, the Republic Legionnaires are now fighting against some of their own veterans who for one reason or another were found unfit for further duty with the Legion. Most were out for good reasons, but some were thrown out under trumped charges and very angry with the system that basically took their life away. While these were now called shock troops, they vaguely knew they were working for someone called Goth Sullus and even his Admirals were afraid of speaking his name out in public! It’s a fight like none other. Legionnaires don’t usually surrender, but they also don’t normally have their own turning on them. Even the fleet is now showing signs of not being as true to the Republic as it should. The Third fleet which should have jumped in and help out with the defenses, held back looking like it would wait to see who one and then come join that side. I don’t know if this was going to work or no.
What happens if the Republic loses this battle? Can the Legion actually be defeated? Will the starship yards become manufacturing sites for the dreaded Black Fleet? All these and more are answered in this three part book which is pretty exciting all the way through. Not sure what’s going to happen in the future, but this story is turning out much different than I thought it would.