Admiral John “Black Jack” Geary embarks on a brand-new mission—to defend the Alliance from itself—in New York Times bestselling author Jack Campbell’s latest action-packed novel… Two Syndicate Worlds star systems have fallen prey to a mysterious fleet of warships—a fleet controlled entirely by artificial intelligence—that is now targeting Alliance space. The warships are no mystery to Admiral John “Black Jack” Geary. They were developed by his government to ensure security, but malfunctioned. If the Syndics learn the truth, the war with the Alliance will resume with a vengeance.   As the government attempts to conceal the existence of the AI warships—and its role in their creation—Geary pursues them, treading a fine line between mutiny and obedience. But it soon becomes clear that his fleet is no match for the firepower of the machine-piloted armada.   With the help of the Dancer species of aliens, Geary has tracked the AI ships to their secret base in the supposedly mythical Unity Alternate star system, where his fleet, the last hope for the Alliance’s future, will end the conflict at any cost… “Campbell combines the best parts of military SF and grand space opera…Geary’s Star Trek –like mission of exploration sets the fleet up for plenty of exciting discoveries and escapades.”— Publishers Weekly   “Rousing military-SF action.”— Sci Fi Weekly   “This series is the best military SF I’ve read in some time.”—GeekDad “Jack Campbell” is the pen name of John G. Hemry, a retired naval officer who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis before serving with the surface fleet and in a variety of other assignments. He is the author of The Lost Fleet series and the spin-off Lost Stars series, as well as the Stark’s War series and the Paul Sinclair series. His short fiction appears frequently in Analog magazine. He lives with his indomitable wife and three children in Maryland. For S., as always. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS THE FIRST FLEET OF THE ALLIANCE ADMIRAL JOHN GEARY, COMMANDING SECOND BATTLESHIP DIVISION Gallant Indomitable Glorious Magnificent THIRD BATTLESHIP DIVISION Dreadnaught Orion (lost at Sobek) Dependable Conqueror FOURTH BATTLESHIP DIVISION Warspite Vengeance Revenge Guardian FIFTH BATTLESHIP DIVISION Fearless Resolution Redoubtable SEVENTH BATTLESHIP DIVISION Colossus Encroach Amazon Spartan EIGHTH BATTLESHIP DIVISION Relentless Reprisal (returned to Callas Republic) Superb Splendid FIRST BATTLE CRUISER DIVISION Inspire Formidable Brilliant (lost at Honor) Implacable SECOND BATTLE CRUISER DIVISION Leviathan Dragon Steadfast Valiant FOURTH BATTLE CRUISER DIVISION Dauntless (flagship) Daring Victorious Intemperate FIFTH BATTLE CRUISER DIVISION Adroit (lost at Atalia) SIXTH BATTLE CRUISER DIVISION Illustrious Incredible Invincible (lost at Pandora) FIFTH ASSAULT TRANSPORT DIVISION Tsunami Typhoon Mistral Haboob FIRST AUXILIARIES DIVISION Titan Tanuki Kupua Domovoi SECOND AUXILIARIES DIVISION Witch Jinn Alchemist Cyclops THIRTY-ONE HEAVY CRUISERS IN SIX DIVISIONS First Heavy Cruiser Division Third Heavy Cruiser Division Fourth Heavy Cruiser Division Fifth Heavy Cruiser Division Eighth Heavy Cruiser Division Tenth Heavy Cruiser Division Emerald and Hoplon lost at Honor FIFTY-FIVE LIGHT CRUISERS IN TEN SQUADRONS First Light Cruiser Squadron Second Light Cruiser Squadron Third Light Cruiser Squadron Fifth Light Cruiser Squadron Sixth Light Cruiser Squadron Eighth Light Cruiser Squadron Ninth Light Cruiser Squadron Tenth Light Cruiser Squadron Eleventh Light Cruiser Squadron Fourteenth Light Cruiser Squadron Balestra lost at Honor Lancer lost at Atalia ONE HUNDRED SIXTY DESTROYERS IN EIGHTEEN SQUADRONS First Destroyer Squadron Second Destroyer Squadron Third Destroyer Squadron Fourth Destroyer Squadron Sixth Destroyer Squadron Seventh Destroyer Squadron Ninth Destroyer Squadron Tenth Destroyer Squadron Twelfth Destroyer Squadron Fourteenth Destroyer Squadron Sixteenth Destroyer Squadron Seventeenth Destroyer Squadron Twentieth Destroyer Squadron Twenty-first Destroyer Squadron Twenty-third Destroyer Squadron Twenty-seventh Destroyer Squadron Twenty-eighth Destroyer Squadron Thirty-second Destroyer Squadron Zaghnal lost at Pandora Plumbatae, Bolo, Bangalore, and Morningstar lost at Honor Musket lost at Midway Kururi and Sabar lost at Atalia FIRST FLEET MARINE FORCE Major General Carabali, commanding 3,000 Marines on assault transports and divided into detachments on battle cruisers and battleships ONE “FIVE minutes to exit from jump space,” Captain Tanya Desjani said from her seat next to Admiral John “Black Jack” Geary on the bridge of the Alliance battle cruiser Dauntless . “All systems at maximum combat readiness.” The warships commanded by Geary had left the blood and fire of Atalia Star System in pursuit of the dark ships that had carried out the destruction there. Geary and the others called them “dark ships” because their hulls were a duskier shade than most warships’, perhaps