Synopsis: From the back cover of the Del Rey first edition: "The Imperium strikes back - Alexander Heflin, Imperator of North America, had his hands full: a war was brewing that could destroy the Imperium . Seeking to protect his wife, Lani, from their increasingly powerful enemies, Alex called on the one person he could trust: ex-war hero Rod Garvin. Babysitting an Imperatrix seemed too easy a job for an adventurer of Garvin's caliber. After all, it kept him on Mars, while the action was happening on Earth. Little did he know that Alex was embarking upon a desperate ploy to save his nation by destroying it - and it would be up to Garvin to pick up the pieces..."