An elite Space Ranger battalion uncovers technology that could turn the tide of intergalactic war in the third adventure of this military SF series. Capt. Ben Dailey's Nova Rangers rush into situations in which angels fear to tread. Soldiers without peer, combat ready at all times, they achieve victories on behalf of the Federation at any cost. That makes them the perfect team to investigate Teras, a toxic world in the far reaches of the galaxy that's been devastated by an unknown force. It appears they were sent there by accident--but maybe not . . . With the USF Murphy in orbit, its crew racing to figure out a way home, Dailey leads a detachment onto the planet. There, they find the human survivors of a military outpost and civilization striking an ominous resemblance to twentieth-century America. Teras's remaining inhabitants are the descendants of the people who moved underground after the surface was poisoned long ago by a strange, lingering fog. Generations have come and gone,