THE ALIEN CHALLENGE…

The Forbidden Borders - an unassailable gravity-powered barrier - confines rival human empires to a few star systems, leaving them to strive endlessly against one another for domination. Now the long-dreaded final war between Rega and Sassa, the last surviving empires, has been fought, and Staffa kar Therma, Lord Commander of the Companions, the finest of mercenary soldiers, is struggling to keep what remains of human civilization alive long enough to find a way to break free of the alien-created Forbidden Borders.

But Staffa's own son and former enemy hasn't decided whether to stand against the Lord Commander or to rally to Staffa's cause. And the only two women Staffa has ever loved may soon become his unwitting betrayers as pawns of the one opponent who will stop at nothing to destroy the Lord Commander.

Yet beyond all these dangers waits the greatest challenge of Staffa's career - the Mag Comm, the alien-created computer that has spread its net through all of human-inhabited space. The Mag Comm, which could make Staffa its unwilling slave - or free all of humankind from this alien prison….

THE MAG COMM WAITED …

The machine knew that Staffa kar Therma would come. The Lord Commander had no other choice. How clever would Staffa be? A great many brilliant human minds had interfaced with the machine. Some had defied the machine's ability to probe their depths. Others had left indelible impressions of greed, egocentrism, and power. All had acted to hide their true purpose from the Mag Comm.

Humans, through time, had proven themselves a poor lot. Perhaps, in the long run, the Others' demand for humankind's destruction might be best. After all, who but humans would complain?

With that in mind, the Mag Comm prepared to duel with a man who might ultimately prove to be the greatest of adversaries.

Come, Staffa kar Therma. You and I will battle for humanity. And in the end I will own you, as I have owned so many before you. For this time, you do not face the same simple machine Bruen faced. This time, you will do my bidding….