Book excerpt: Koutarou at last makes his return to Forthorthe, although it’s not in a very glorious fashion. Stranded on Planet Alaia with Theia and Yurika, he’ll have to figure out a way to use the limited resources they have to get past the imperial troops everywhere if he ever hopes to make it back to safety and the rest of their friends. Fate has a few familiar twists in store, however, as the coup d’état gets off to an ugly start and their enemies show their true colors.