The enemy wants to kill them. Their own country wants to make sure they never rise above slaves. Humans created them to be the perfect soldiers, but iliri will never be equals. They’re animals, vicious enough to be the perfect killers, but unable to be trusted.
So why are the Black Blades the unit chosen to stop the Emperor’s bribe of steel on its way to Anglia? One of the rareest materials on the planet, metal could change the tide of the war. It cuts better, stays sharper, and is stronger than the resin armor soldiers wear. In the hands of the largest army on the continent, it would give Anglia an unparalleled advantage. Their government might be antiquated and their military is archaic, but not even the Conglomerate can stand against the number of bodies Anglia can throw at a war.
If a few thousand kilos of steel reach the Anglian king, Terric will rule the Conglomerate. The iliri will be exterminated. Sal’s head will be preserved and hung on a wall somewhere as an example of human superiority. But the only way to stop this threat is to trust the very people who made it happen. Without humans, the Black Blades will lose everything.
While Sal struggles to learn everything she missed being raised as a human’s pet, the Black Blades try to protect their secret weapon. The elite units are gathering in the base, but in the slums of the capital city, iliri mongrels are starting to smell hope.