Dark Age

How it opens

On Mercury, Darrow walks among soldiers blinded in the Fear Knight's ambush and finds Dago of Gamma, the old Helldiver of Lykos, who presses a handful of Lykos soil into his hand. With Atalantia's warships in orbit and the Fear Knight's guerrillas in the mountains, Darrow has his Howlers drive the Fear Knight toward a trap at the mining city of Eleusis. His fleet commander, Orion, scarred by the Fear Knight's torture, openly doubts that the Republic will ever send its fleet. Above the planet, the heir of House Lune arrives with Diomedes and Seraphina, envoys of the Rim, to make peace with Atalantia, though Diomedes expects her to turn on them once she has the upper hand.

Who you meet early

• Darrow O'LykosDarrow commands an army under siege on Mercury, far from his wife on Luna, and the Senate calls him a traitor. Atalantia's fleet holds the orbit above, and the Fear Knight's guerrillas wear his legions down on the ground.
• Rhonna O'LykosRhonna, the daughter of Darrow's brother Kieran, serves as Darrow's lancer on Mercury. She chose to join him when Sevro left, and she helped rescue Orion.
• Orion xe AquariiOrion xe Aquarii, the Blue who commands Darrow's fleet, saved its flagship from Atalantia's ambush. She was taken and tortured by Atlas au Raa, and since her rescue she has been cold and withdrawn.
• Diomedes au RaaDiomedes au Raa, the eldest son of Romulus au Raa, has been chosen by the Rim's council as its ambassador to Atalantia. He is traveling to meet her with his sister Seraphina.
• Seraphina au RaaSeraphina, the sister of Diomedes au Raa, travels with him on the Rim's embassy to Atalantia. She would rather be with the forward commandos and expects the envoys to end up as hostages.
• Lysander au LuneLysander au Lune, grandson of Octavia and heir of House Lune, travels with the Rim's envoys to Atalantia. He hopes to heal the split between the Rim and the Core so that Gold can defeat Darrow.