A celebrated sniper of the Astra Militarum must shift her focus to commanding troops, and dealing with the complications that arise from hard decisions. During the Cadian 217th’s assault on the manufactorum world of Attruso, Darya finds herself out of her depth, in a war that is fought with words as much as with weapons. As a fearsome winter closes in and her men begin to die around her, she will be forced to confront her doubts and make an impossible choice – to become the figurehead her soldiers need, or to believe the unimaginable promises of the mysterious T’au.