We barely recovered from the first Swarm invasion. Now, the bugs have become methodical, sending science fleets to study us. Back home, the Hive Masters are gathering hundreds of thousands of starships to hit us with an avalanche invasion. This time, not even exploding stars will stop them.The egocentric but brilliant Professor Ludendorff, who has a bitter grudge against Captain Maddox, claims he has a plan to outmaneuver the Swarm. But he’s not going to tell Star Watch unless Brigadier Mary O’Hara—one of Maddox’s closest friends—comes alone to listen in person.In desperation and knowing that Methuselah Man Ludendorff often has fantastic plans, O’Hara goes, and thus begins a chain-reaction of events that will embroil Maddox and the crew of Victory in a harrowing mission into the Great Beyond. They must risk everything at a Builder star gate if they hope to stave off the annihilating Swarm fleets from reaching Human Space and killing everyone.