ARC-01, the Alliance's first deep-space fortress, rises unfinished as war shadows gather in the old lanes. Now, a young Prince Derek must hold the alliance together before the darkness strikes again.When a Rift-born monster assaults ARC during construction, Commander Maverick and Starforce fight for survival, only to discover the attack was never meant to destroy the station… but to measure it.As ARC-01 finally is activated, a deeper storm rises beyond the stars, ancient and merciless."e;Unity is not inherited,"e; Derek declares. "e;It's built, especially when the galaxy wants it broken."e;