Since appearing in the Inner Sphere, the frenzied Clans have overwhelmed every planet they've invaded, brutally crushing any opposing force. Their race is selectively bred for combat. Their technology is superior to anything the Inner Sphere possesses. Nothing the Great Houses have can stop them. Humanity's only hope"”an alliance of mortal enemies"”may be doomed. The Clan invaders have chosen their next objective"”Luthien, capital of the Draconis Combine. House Kurita must now fight for survival on its homeworld. Hanse Davion is presented with a situation undreamt of...the final defeat of the Dragon itself. Should he attack his distracted foe and destroy the enemy his family has battled for over 300 years? Or should he reinforce a fellow House of the Inner Sphere against a force that Davion and the Federated Commonwealth might not otherwise defeat when their time comes? And even if the Houses should somehow agree to stand together against the Clan menace, another just as dangerous threat lurks within their very midst. ComStar, the semi-mystic sect that controls interstellar communication, schemes to hurl House Davion, House Kurita, and the Clans into a devastating war that will leave ComStar in a position to dominate the Inner Sphere...