Truth is the sister of pain. Her kisses bring suffering. But Rick Omicron has come too far to back down. Now that he knows the plan of the Forerunners, there is only one thing left - to return home and complete the Jericho Protocol. Once in the third citadel, the Tower of Peace, Omicron fights for his life and the future of all humanity. Meanwhile, the craftworlds transform to merge into the Cradle and give birth to something for which a generation of survivors sacrificed their minds. The future belongs to the children. The children are ready to enter it, but they need help. They need Openers. People like Rick Omicron. Without room for error, without doubt and fear, Rick enters the final battle.