Family, duty, honor. All were running through Darian Tor's mind when he followed in his father's footsteps and enlisted in the Imperial Army. But the grueling training program all Imperial soldiers are forced to endure is only beginning of his struggles. With the dwarves in open rebellion against the Empire, soldiers willing to fight and die in service to their people are in high demand. With a close-knit group of friends at his side, Darian soon finds himself on the front lines, at the siege of the dwarven capital city of Muog.

General Alexander Sylvester wants to win this war at all costs, though the safety of the Empire is far from his only goal. For a cunning man such as himself, war is an opportunity to seize more power and influence. Empowered by an army unwilling to battle its own corruption, he devises a scheme to seize control of the entire Imperial Army. Using his role as the lead negotiator to manipulate both sides of the bitter conflict, his power begins to grow. When Private Darian Tor receives a top-secret mission, he knows he will face danger. But he might not discover the true peril is coming from within the Imperial Army until it is too late to save himself and his friends.