The planet Centauri Prime has been bombed to the brink of oblivion and is now beginning the slow and painful process of rebuilding under the watchful eye of Emperor Londo Mollari. But Londo, for his part, is being watched – and manipulated – by the conquering Drakh. The malevolent beings are in the process of remodelling the Centauri Republic into a secret centre of power from which they can attack their enemies – particularly the Interstellar Alliance. Londo, barely able to defend himself, has to watch his beloved homeworld being turned into a ruthless police state. And the Drakh have willing allies, including one of Londo’s own countrymen – Durla, a powerful official with his own sinister agenda. As the ills of the repressive New Republic escalate, the Drakh’s double-edged master plan begins to unfold. Their goal is to shatter the Interstellar Alliance by assassinating its president, John Sheridan, and wipe out Earth with a fabled, monstrous shadow weapon, the Planet Killer…