Now what do we do? Eight recent high school graduates, while vacationing with family and friends, learn that a massive alien invasion force is heading for Earth. A highly advanced civilization in the Aquaria System, 86 light years distant has already succumbed to the invasion, but nor before sending a gift to eEarth to enable a counter to the threat. The gift is in the form of a genetic enhancement that enables a recipient to utilize capabilities that effectively makes the person a weapon against the invaders. Because of the potential for abuse, the gift cannot be given to just anyone. The gift representative takes nearly a year to select suitable recipients. Once the selections are made, the recipients must learn how to effectively use the gift when it is needed. Clearly a period of training and adjustment will be required if they are to be ready in time to counter the invasion. Add to that, the governments and power brokers on Earth would live to learn the identities of those to whom the gift has been applied, so they can be leveraged or blackmailed into work against their will and not in the best interests of Earth. The form the training takes is surprising as are the steps taken to conceal their identity.

Henry (Hank) Stone was recruited to establish and command a military organization to counter a pending invasion of Earth and other planets in the stellar neighborhood. In that process he had to meet invasion fleets from two different species each of whom was being controlled by Arber General Artus Brondin. (See Book 1: "Stone Genesis") Just when Hank thinks that things are substantially resolved and that peace and calm might be the order of the day, strange things happen on Saark that come to his attention. Saark is a planet in its iron age and is under surveillance by a cloaked station. A telepath on Saark attempts to contact the station and its commander by name and that was not though to be possible. After addressing that issue, Hank attempts to bring closure to the Brondin matter only to find that General Brondin has another curve to throw his way. During an interview with Brondin acknowledges that he is not from Arber and that his family rules the system in which he was born, some 4400 light years distant. He brags that his family will avenge his death when he is likely executed for his crimes and mass murders. He notes that his family controls a weapon capable of causing a star to go nova. This is not a threat that Hank can take lightly as too many lives are at stake. Now Hank and his staff have to find Brondin's family and the Starkiller weapon before it can be deployed. There is evidence that the Brondin Family had already deployed such a weapon in the past killing billions. The use of the weapon must be prevented. Hank has a valuable tool in his toolbox that could bring about just the events necessary to foil the Brondin's evil. His T-Raptor teams are becoming proficient at a new kind of combat utilizing telepathic capabilities. This capability has been substantially enhanced by multi-species application of telepathic talents. He also finds that there are surprises awaiting him in the Brondin's home system that could well make the difference.

Earth is facing an interstellar invasion that it does not know is coming and for which it can't provide a defense. The Antoran people were able to escape from the invasion since they had adequate warning and an advanced technology to allow it. Antorans were able to travel considerably faster than the invaders so they used that to put some distance between themselves and the invaders. This occurred some 500 years ago but now the invaders are coming toward Earth. The Antorans have the equipment to withstand the invasion but they are incapable of firing defensive or offensive weapons. They can build the equipment but can't use it, so they are looking for someone who can. The Antorans have had Earth under surveillance for more than 400 years with part of its cloaked (invisible) fleet of spaceship/stations. The spaceship/stations are immense constructs, the prototype is 260 miles long by 60 miles in diameter. Smaller vessels are either 200 miles by 60 miles or 90 miles by 60 miles. They each carry a large fleet of warships. They have been looking for the right person to command their fleet and lead an effort to counter the coming invasion. They have determined that Henry (Hank) P. Stone is their best candidate and they proceed to recruit him. He must now build and train a force sufficient to man the Antoran ships and do it in time to meet the invasion force expected to arrive in 25 years. The necessary force will require tens of millions of persons so the task at hand is not an easy one. The Antoran technology is at least a thousand years more advanced than that of Earth but the Earth forces recruited must learn how best to use it. This is substantially supplemented by a growing telepathic capability. The question becomes, what happens when the technological difference in capability is so divergent that the choice of "kill or be killed" is no longer the only option on the table. Four other civilizations are located within 20 light years of Earth and these too are considered as potential sources of manpower to meet the invaders.