Enemy in the Dark

Having returned the abducted Astra Lucerne to her father, Blackhawk gives his crew some time to rest and enjoy the luxuries of Celtiboria. Meanwhile, Marshal Lucerne attempts to recruit Blackhawk to his crusade to form a united power bloc in the Far Stars to resist imperial encroachment. Blackhawk rebuffs him, afraid he will revert to his old ways if he has too much power.

But when Lucerne comes to him with evidence that the imperial governor has been manipulating the conflicts in the Far Stars, he finally relents and agrees to investigate. He and his crew go to the Far Stars, where they discover that the governor's machinations are far more extensive than they first appeared, and they threaten the independence of every world in the Far Stars. After escaping pursuit by forces controlled by the governor and returning to Celtiboria, Blackhawk he begins to realize he cannot just sit on the sidelines while the Far Stars sector fights for its freedom.