<p><em>'Military science fiction [concentrating] on the psychology and politics of societies in conflict.'-Analog, on the Confederated Worlds series</em></p><p><strong>The Confederated Worlds lost the war. Can Lt. Tomas Neumann win the peace?</strong></p><p>By the terms of the peace treaty, the citizens of the planet Arden will vote to stay in the Confederated Worlds or join the victorious Progressive Republic.</p><p>Newly-minted Lieutenant Tomas Neumann leads his overstretched and demoralized Confederated Worlds Ground Force platoon in a mission that pushes men and machines to their limits, against elusive, deceptive foes out to tilt Arden to the Progressive Republic-and turn the Confederated Worlds against itself.</p>