Twenty years after the ending of book 8 finds Admiral Bright and Ruth in a new life. They've done what they threatened to do, they've run away with a large following to start a new life, on a new planet in a new system one the Admiral and Ruth do everything they know how to protect it from outsiders, anyone not invited can't locate them.
The Admiral and Ruth have a son, one who is following in their footsteps. Most who knew the Admiral didn't think it was possible for him to stop fighting, he resigned his commission and became a senior advisor to his new home, that is until the worst thing possible happens. An alien of unimaginable power is coming, it's coming for Soark's system and Soark knows its coming.
The alien alien ship is the size of a small planet and its coming towards them, the ship is traveling at high a subl-ight speed. Every probe sent towards the alien is destroyed. Every ship Soark sends is destroyed. Michael sent a fleet to stop the Alien only to lose their entire fleet, the universe's last hope is the one man who said he retired, Admiral Bright. The Admiral is a man who can't resist a challenge and a good fight, he pulls his closest friends and his fleet to do everything in his power to stop the alien, only the alien doesn't care who he is, they are on a mission, a mission to take over Soark's planet and remake it into their new home. The Admiral enters the battle, only to begin losing, the officer who'd never lost a battle was losing. The Admiral dispatched ground forces to fight the aliens on Soark's planet, only they're learning these aliens are fighting for their homes too.
Book 9 has large scale space battles and ground forces fighting aliens on Soark's planet.