Fresh from the war in the Balkans, Aleksey Rybinski returns home to find his homeland on the brink of secession from the increasingly oppressive Slavic Federation. Caring little for politics, he wants nothing more than to enjoy a well-deserved month of leave from the military. However, when he returns home, he finds his apartment vacant, his life turning upside down, and his plan to leave the service in question.Torn between a lust for freedom and duty to his nation, Aleksey finds himself caught in the middle of a civil war brewing within his own family. While his father holds a top cabinet position, his uncle is leading the secessionist charge from the Senate floor. Despite his apparent neutrality, both seek to use Aleksey for their own aims.Cornered, Aleksey must decide which side of the political divide he stands on. Does he stand by his father and the Federation, or does he boldly take a stand alongside his countrymen? Whatever side Aleksey chooses, the price of his decision will be steep, and the rewards uncertain as both sides pursue victory at all costs.