Evil sleeps until the unwary disturb it.

On an underdeveloped desert planet, a prospecting expedition unwittingly unearths something that should have stayed buried – something as ancient as it is malevolent.

Meanwhile, Colonel Gabriel Thorn has his own demons to wrestle with. The DNI insists on keeping their most capable operative on a tight leash. They already control his past and his present, and it seems they also have a hand in his future.

His wife Aster is growing frustrated with the control that the DNI has over their family. Their children are now well aware that they share their unique genetic gifts with their father and no one else, and they wonder what his superiors have in store for them.

But all of that pales in comparison to the peril emerging within Humanity's borders. When a distress call from a desert colony world is received, the DNI dispatches Gabriel to confront a threat that only he can face.

If he fails, the Swarm will devour them all.