The Republic is losing a war, running out of power, and being run by idiots. Mē'pai had a plan; getting shot at in an alien parliament wasn't part of it.Now he's juggling an incompetent Consul, a dying war effort, and a family who escalate every problem with maximum enthusiasm.From set-piece battles to knife-edge politics, Mē'pai must seize power before his enemies-or his allies-get him killed.