Book excerpt: This prequel to BioWare's science fantasy Action RPG introduces two gifted siblings struggling for survival in a world full of danger. From the video game developer that has defined roleplaying games with seminal franchises such as Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Baldur's Gate, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic comes a world brimming with new heroes, new threats, and new stories. Yarrow--one of the brave warriors known as Freelancers who pilot powerful Javelin exosuits--rescues a lone boy, Kismet, from an ambush. With no family left alive, Kismet is placed with a family in Fort Tarsis, a human outpost surrounded by untamed wilderness. His adoptive sister, Jani, struggles with Kismet's withdrawn personality at first, but over the years, the two become close friends. As they grow, Jani learns to fly and fight in Javelin armor, while Kismet trains to join the ranks of the mysterious Cyphers. The pair find themselves split, each pursuing their own craft of war, until an enemy force--large and vicious--appears on the horizon, bringing them together to face their ultimate test. They vowed to defend humanity, but can they protect each other?