In humanity's distant future, two interstellar states—the monarchic Galactic Empire and the democratic Free Planets Alliance—are embroiled in a never-ending war. The story focuses on the exploits of rivals Reinhard von Müsel and Yang Wen Li as they rise to power and fame in the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance.

Schönkopf and his subordinates from the Rosen Ritter successfully infiltrate Iserlohn Fortress by disguising themselves as Imperial soldiers on the run from the Alliance. He requests an audience with the fortress's commander, saying he wants to relay some vital information acquired during an espionage mission. The commander, Admiral Stockhausen, gives permission, but the captain of the control room guard grows suspicious.

Kircheis suppresses the Castrop Rebellion in only two days of combat, earning a promotion to vice admiral. Meanwhile, Captain Oberstein, having abandoned the commanders at Iserlohn to flee on his own, seeks an audience with Reinhard. Despite Kircheis's misgivings, Reinhard recognizes Obersteins talent as a tactician and takes him on as a subordinate.

The Free Planets Alliance Navy Expeditionary Fleet encounters a grave shortage of food during its advance into Imperial territory. The 5th Fleet commander, Admiral Bewcock, conveys Yang's proposed escape plan to Supreme Commander Lobos, but Lobos fails to comprehend the situation and won't allow them to flee. Meanwhile, Reinhard has already given orders to Kircheis to strike the Alliance Navy's supply convoy. The Imperial Navy's counterattack has begun!

The Lippstadt Nobles Coalition devises a plan to lure Reinhard's forces away from the Imperial capital, Odin, and capture the emperor while Imperial defenses are spread thin. While the nobles fight among themselves over who gets to lead this strike, the Mittermeyer Fleet lays a minefield that forces the rebels off-course, and then strikes them from behind. The defeated rebels flee to Rentenberg Fortress. Reinhard sends Reuenthal and Mittermeyer to occupy the fortress, but upon arriving, they are forced into close-quarters combat with the notoriously barbaric High Admiral Ovlesser.

After defeating Legrange at the Doria Starzone, Yang's fleet heads to the capital planet Heinessen, which has been taken over by the National Salvation Military Council. Though the council's chairman, Greenhill, understands the severity of the situation, he still believes there's no way Yang's fleet can even penetrate Heinessen's gravitational field because of its specialized defense system, Artemis's Necklace. But Yang had a plan to disable Artemis's Necklace...

Kircheis returns to Reinhard after subjugating a frontier starzone. He wastes no time in asking Reinhard if there's truth in the rumor that he knew of the plans for the nuclear attack on Westerland, but let it happen anyway. With the final battle against the coalition of nobles looming before them, the pair's relationship begins to take a turn like none they have experienced before. Meanwhile, the Lippstadt Nobles Coalition, which had barricaded itself in Geiersburg Fortress, prepares to launch all of its forces in the final battle against Reinhard.

The battle against the Lippstadt Nobles Coalition has ended, and a victory celebration and audience with the war prisoners is being held at Geiersburg Fortress. The guards forbid Kircheis from carrying his firearm inside, even though he always had permission to keep his weapons in Reinhard's presence before. As the war prisoners face Reinhard one by one, Braunschweig's adjutant, Ansbach, enters with his leader's body in a coffin...