The Jesters need a break – they're not going to get one. Depleted by casualties, marred by personal loss, and driven to the brink of exhaustion, the galaxy's most-feared partisans have fled to the furthest corner of the stars to lick their wounds. But the war isn't done with them. Driven to desperation by a shortage of the hyper fuels needed to power their interstellar empire, the Grand Galactic Alliance launches a frenzy of attacks. Invading every world suspected of harboring even a thimbleful of resources, they'll accept any loss, so long as they can keep feeding their war machine. The Union of Free Stars, perennially short of manpower and firepower, buckles before the savagery. They send out the call for all their allies to muster in defense. This time they're not asking the Jesters to come in – they're ordering them. It seems the only way out of the fire is to go through it.

Anzo "the Weasel" Severnus, agent of the Aurridian Courier Service – or what is more commonly known as a spy – has been looking to retire. But with the dysfunctional Empire threatened from within as well as without, that's wishful thinking. And now a mysterious threat from beyond the bulwarks of civilization looms large and the Aurids need their Weasel, once more. It's more than just a job, this time. Anzo shares blood with the barbarians threatening the Imperial border, his mother's folk, long chafing at the Empire's brutal games of conquest and cruelty. And confronted by a upstart chieftain of almost preternatural charisma, aided by ancient, eldritch powers, Anzo will have to contend with more than just another outland cult leader. He'll question the righteousness of his own cause.