The year is 2804 AD. Humanity has colonized the universe. But the authority of the Confederation of Human Worlds is spread thin. Where the Army of planet Earth cannot reach, mercenaries must keep the peace--and the Dirigent Mercenary Corps are the best of the best.

Lon Nolan has distinguished himself at the DMC, and he has the battle scars to prove it. Now, the governor of the isolated mining planet of Bancroft again needs Lon’s help. The Colonial Mining Cartel is terrorizing the planet, and Lon is the only person who can stop it. He’d never thought he’d have to return, and now he’s going back to face a more disciplined adversary than ever before. This time, the responsibility for the Second Battalion falls on him.

So join he does, going from top of his class to bottom rung in the DMC. To become an officer, he’ll have to survive his first taste of combat with his new army, and if he fails, he won’t lose just his honor, but his life.

The Dirigent Mercenary Corps books are classics of military science fiction. Rick Shelley was himself a veteran of the U.S. Army, and his experience and knowledge shine through on every page.