THE ANCOR GAMBIT FAILED. And so CPC4K3 emerges from infraspace towing Taiberos and his fleet. This means that she did not help the Renegades win the Battle of Solace Sunrise. She has only delayed it. And now fate will have its reckoning. Taiberos, his mind unhinged by his stint in infraspace, is driven by one thought-get revenge on Starchild-and he will hold nothing back as he unleashes his fury on Solace. But Nak lies defenseless, unaware of the return of Taiberos and unable to defend himself. For two percents (roughly two Earth years), he has lain still, as if in death, the coma having taken all but his breathing, and there are no signs that he will ever wake. Meanwhile, Kalh is marooned on distant Karmize. She lost Nak's medallion, and with it she lost her passage off planet. Yet when news of Nak reaches her, she believes she may have the solution, the power through the Song to heal his wounds and wake him. Only, to return to Solace would mean revealing her location to her enemies. Including Dray. The fallen general wants to break free of his enslavement to Lethos, yet if he doesn't soon fulfill his unholy bargain, which is long overdue, his own life will be forfeit. So he maintains his deadly pursuit of Kalh, an effort spearheaded by Shauu, the five-armed assassin with a longstanding grudge against her. He will not let up until she is lying dead alongside her offspring-the twins, Lysia and Link, who are now toddlers. STARCHILD: HERETIC is the final book in the first Starchild trilogy. It is the dark conclusion to act one and the launch of a much larger epic, one that will leave you breathless. Will these relentless villains catch up to our heroes? Will Kalh bring her children safely home to Solace in time to save Nak? And if she does, what chain reaction could that cause? Find out in the next episode of the STARCHILD saga!