Synopsis: From the back cover of the Ace first edition: "Lon Nolan has risen through the ranks of the DMC like none before him, consistently showing his courage under fire - and making his mark as a leader of men. Now, with a growing family of his own, Lon has begun to grasp the higher responsibility that comes with higher rank - and not all of it is welcome. But even as he begins to reconsider the path he has take, duty calls once more. On a contract to the remote mining planet of Bancroft, a by-the-book training mission turns into a fight for survival when the outlying settlements are mercilessly raided by an unknown enemy. Lon and his men go into battle, only to find that the raiders are no mere bandits, but a well-trained force bent on completing their job - no matter who has to die..."