The Syndic worlds are collapsing under Geary’s onslaught. At the next system, the occupied Syndic planets start an impromptu civil war, with a few loyalists launching suicide attacks on the Lost Fleet. Geary manages to free the Alliance POW’s, retrieve some supplies and get out relatively unscathed. He also learns of a Syndic reserve flotilla, kept aside to defend against the aliens, but which has now been ordered to intercept him.
Geary heads towards Alliance space, but more sabotage attempts, this time nearly ending his own flagship. With some vital information from an informant, the saboteurs and unmasked and arrested. The leader commits suicide before he could bring her to justice, though. At the next system, he discovers the aftermath of a battle between the reserve flotilla and an Alliance fleet, and rescues a defecting Syndic CEO who tells all he knows of the aliens. He also learns of a hypernet gate which spontaneously exploded destroying an entire system.
From there, Geary jumps to Alliance space, with his fleet almost completely drained of ammo, fuel, food, and overloaded with POWs. He puts in the fleet for refitting and repair and takes a long overdue breather.
Another stop-gap book, with the unmasking of the saboteurs providing the only excitement. Otherwise, the action is a repetitive, the only saving grace being that Geary is now in safe, alliance territory. Also interesting is that his actions have wreaked havoc in the syndic worlds, which have risen up in rebellion.