It has been fifty-six hard years since the events of The Machine Crusade. Following the death of Serena Butler, the Synchronized Worlds and Unallied Planets are liberated one by one, and at long last, the human worlds begin to hope that the end of the centuries-long conflict is finally in sight. Unfortunately, Omnius has one last, deadly card to play. Virulent plagues are let loose throughout the galaxy, decimating the populations of whole planets...and once again, the tide of the titanic struggle shifts against humanity. At last, the war that has lasted lifetimes will be decided in the apocalyptic Battle of Corrin.