Agrin has found himself lacking.  Despite his power and prestige, he is haunted by a traumatic event that while not his fault, he believes he should have stopped.  To deal with this, he disguises himself and joins his country’s military to follow the advice of an ancestor who found self-fulfillment the same way. His desire to remain unnoticed, and keep from going home, is countered by his squad leader’s ambition.  Uhbras has crawled from the bottom of their society and sees her chance to finally find purpose using the hidden gems of her squad, including Agrin.   Their clash of wills is interrupted when political machinations and schemes far above their station sets a deadline for proving their worth.  The two must make amends, and resolve quickly.  If they do not aid each other their unit of underachievers will be cast out of the army, bringing shame to themselves and their families.