The Alliance fleet fights a desperate battle against the encroaching aliens known only as the Creeps, who swarm across the emptiness in their thousands, destroying everything in their path, and edging ever closer to the civilizations that the Alliance navy seeks to protect. Deep inside the Void, three thousand light-years across, the cruiser Bulwark is forced to remain distant as Commander Trenn’s ‘Dog Squad’ of misfit Marines engage on a vital mission, to discover what their enemy is producing on the planet Nex. With endless convoys shipping away material vital to the Creep’s war effort, Trenn must uncover the nature of the supplies, establish a way to destroy the six mines, and if possible, rescue the Alliance slaves trapped deep underground. But when their pilot fails to respond to her summons, Trenn’s squad sees their chances of extraction dramatically reduced.