A thrilling Star Trek: Enterprise novel that follows Starfleet in a race against time to save Earth. Without warning or provocation an alien weapon appears above Earth and unleashes a blast that kills millions across two continents. In a desperate bid to save Earth and its people, Starfleet must change its mission from one of peaceful exploration to one of military service. Only the USS Enterprise is fast enough to stop the production of a second weapon. But the crew cannot do it alone, and Captain Jonathan Archer accepts a contingent of Military Assault Command Operations personnel—battle-hardened soldiers known as MACOs—on board his ship. Starfleet and the MACOs are two very different services sharing a common goal but are divided in their views of how to attain it. It is a culture clash that echoes across centuries of military service. The men and women on board the Enterprise understand that somehow they must succeed in working together or the price will be paid in blood. Failure is not an option.