Synopsis: Despite sturdy pioneers, rich resources, fertile plains, and excellent prospects, the frontier province of the New Empire, increasingly plagued by banditry, separatism, and the old threat of the northern barbarians, may need some professional assistance to survive and prosper. The first three volumes of the Mercenaries series are a trilogy not only because of their number but because the story is a continuous tale. This book, Part Four, is a stand-alone volume. Events occur in a region barely mentioned in the trilogy and the story is complete. Many characters are new; many old characters are not present.