"The universe has shattered into chaos and monsters. Jon, the Leader, is dedicating his life to reuniting the scattered hamlets into a Commonwealth where all humans can live protected against the darkness. But no man can reshape the universe by himself. Jon has Makers to build weapons and clerks to handle the business of government--but he also needs Champions to face the powers of chaos which will not listen to any argument but force. Lord Pal of...

A mercenary team enters a civil war on the planet Cantilucca.

"The Cutter Stream colonies were at peace. If everyone behaved reasonably, that peace could last a thousand years. Allen Allenson had known war; it had made him peaceful and reasonable. He was far too experienced to believe the same of all his fellow colonists, let alone the government of the distant homeworld. War was coming, a war the colonies had to win if they were ever to be more than prison camps and a dumping ground for incompetent noblemen....