When explorers from Earth found the planet Eos, named after the Greek goddess of the Dawn, they found a perfect world. Thousands of light years from Earth, it possessed a nitrogen-oxygen almost exactly like Earth's atmosphere. Twenty percent larger than Earth, it was pristine. Full of plants and animals, no species had evolved self-awareness. There were no native people. So, over the next two hundred years, humanity settled on Eos, planting millions of Earth trees, and introducing thousands of animal. Humanity settled in the norther hemisphere, imagining they were all alone. But at the same time as humans explored Eos, another species, the Gorgons, who resemble the Medusa of Greek mythology, settled the southern hemisphere. When the two alien races first encountered each other, they were each so horrified at the other, that warfare broke out. The first war lasted years, until they brokered a peace treaty, with each race keeping to their hemisphere. But smaller wars and incursions continued. However, now the Gorgons have decided they want all of Eos and humanity must go. And if they won't leave, then humanity must die. Humans in the north have been preparing for such a war for almost a hundred years. They have advanced weaponry and an army of more than four millions soldiers, with reserves and auxiliaries as well. However, the Gorgons have similar technologies. Worse yet, they have twelve million soldiers, with more arriving all the time. The Gorgon Federation's nearest world is only twenty light years away, while the closest human world is more than a thousand light years. Overwhelmed and out fought in every battle, Eos requests help from the Inter Stellar Association, humanity's great galactic empire. Hundreds of warships and more than a hundred thousand Marines arrive to assist humanity's fight for life. Sergeant Lion Biyela and squad of Marines fight for humanity. However, after more than two years of fighting, they are worn down. Tasked with protecting an unfinished underground bunker, while a new lieutenant takes the rest of their platoon deep into enemy lines in search of a mission allied battalion, Lion and his Marines find themselves surrounded by thousands of enemy soldiers. Feeling secure in their bunker, they are startled and terrified when the Gorgons attack the bunker, seeking to get at them. Now, Lion needs to find a safe way out, without the hordes of Gorgons chasing after them. Moreover, all routes back to friendly forces are covered by the enemy. The only chance they have is to escape the bunker, find a better place to hide, then if and when the Gorgons thin out as they attack the Marines main forces, they have to moved deep into the Gorgons rear lines, seeking their platoon. While Lion is a skilled veteran, as are some of his people, most of his Marines have no experience in combat and want to get home as directly as possible. Most don't want to obey him, while some even consider killing Lion so they cane run away from their duty. With the enemy all around Lion and his veterans, even among their ranks, escape seems more and more impossible.