Lieutenant Syreen thinks of herself as a skilled spaceship pilot in the Duchy Fleet. When another stellar nation invades her home system, her skills are put to the ultimate test. Before long, all her wingmates are shot dead, all their other spaceships are destroyed, and she soon she finds herself as Fleet's only survivor on active duty. How is she supposed to fight the already victorious enemy battleships all alone?Giving up is not an option, at least not for her. Forced to withdraw and find new answers, she must also keep control of her own body that begins to demand warm blood.After her escape, she starts looking for support for her cause. However, no other nation wants to become the invaders' next target. Instead of support, she only finds a few lucky survivors, and a researcher who will at least fund her while following his own goals. His mention of the remnants of an ancient race triggers her curiosity-because the invaders were also looking for a relic of an ancient race. Could these two goals be related?