This book seems to wrap-up the series. There’s a lot of fighting between the New Earth Colony Defense Forces and the Vemus. The Vemus are infected humans from Earth that some how managed to wipeout all normal humans in a very short period of time after the viral infection started to spread. It now seems that Earth scientist are responsible for make some genetic changes to certain viruses and that caused a further mutation to where ti started taking over humans exclusively. The Vemus have to feed on humans to stay alive and since the New Earth colony is the only human colony not infected, the Vemus naturally started a mission to find this colony.
Only thing was, the New Earth colony was 200 light-years away from Earth. They thought they were protected by the vast distances between Earth and New Earth, but have recently found out that’s not the case. General Connor Gates is a former Marine “Ghost Recon” member who was placed on the original colony ship without his knowledge. His entire team were duped into being rescued by Fleet Admiral Mitch Wilkinson and then knocked unconscious and stuffed into cryotubes for the trip to the new colony. The new colony was supposed to be a peaceful settlement with minor provisions for law enforcement and certainly no need for a standing military.
Well after then Colonel Gates was awoken at the new colony, they received a message from Fleet Admiral Wilkinson warning them that the Vemus were coming. Not knowing who or what the Vemus were, the colony didn’t believe that they threat was real. They believed they had the only interstellar spacecraft and that it would take over 200 years to reach their colony should the Vemus even start that trip. That just didn’t understand the threat.
Colonel Gates did and he repeatedly warned the colonist that they needed to prepare. They grudgingly did so until the years wore out their interest in a threat that seemed to be non-existant. New Earth spent a lot of resources which they could ill afford to build a space station and a missile defense system. They thought that would be enough even if the Vemus actually did show up some day.
That day came and the colony regretted not listening better to now General Gates. They barely survived an attack by the Vemus scouting party. It destroyed the space station as though it wasn’t there and the missiles were only an annoyance until someone figured out how to modify their targeting systems so they would stay on target. The colony did win this battle, but the huge Vemus fleet was some where behind their scouts and would eventually reach New Earth.
General Gates finally got the resources he needed to begin rebuilding their defenses, but he felt it was going to be too little, too late. This book describes New Earth’s attempt to protect itself while trying to figure out who and what the Vemus really were. They have to find out how to defeat this enemy or humanity would be wiped out forever and this genetically altered species would rule everything.
I won’t reveal the story, but just know that the Vemus can’t be stopped. They will reach New Earth and start an invasion. How the colony defends itself in the end is a pretty good story. A lot of new heroes emerge and some others die. A very good and entertaining read as was the entire series. I think it’s over, but you never know with science fictioin writers.