Beyond the Gates of Antares: Sword and Cipher

The third novel in the Gates of Antares series of books. Captain of the Carmine Canotila, Nacen Byzantia, arrives in what he believes to be friendly Freeborn space only to find his homefleet in ruins. Captain of the Carmine Canotila, Nacen Byzantia, arrives in what he believes to be friendly Freeborn space only to find his homefleet in ruins. His family’s ships have been annihilated by the Concord Combined Command, suspecting they harbor a secret weapon acquired from the unknown reaches of the gates. However, hope remains as a small segment of the fleet drives deep into Concord space to escape the clutches of the enemy navy. Meanwhile, Nacen and his crew must make unexpected allies and undertake desperate gambits to locate the endangered survivors. When they finally reunite in the crucible of battle, Nacen discovers the situation has changed drastically, with the fate of family and worlds in the balance.