Ousted from their lands by a seemingly inexhaustible foe, the Crab have not wavered in their battle against the Destroyers. For perhaps the first time in their history, the sons of Hida have the complete and unfailing support of both the Empress and the other Great Clans. Despite this, many among them are forced to wonder: has the appreciation of their duty come at last, only to come at the end of the Empire itself?