IKARUS

Darkforces The military has its rules. The Darkforces exist because sometimes those rules are not enough. They are highly classified, deniable special operations units created for missions the military cannot officially acknowledge. They hunt traitors, corrupt officers, rogue soldiers, war criminals, and enemy forces operating beyond the reach of conventional law. When the military needs something done quietly, brutally, and without questions, the Darkforces are sent. But the Darkforces are not made up of ordinary soldiers. Most of their operatives are criminals, killers, deserters, or former military personnel who crossed a line they could never uncross. Their crimes should have earned them a lifetime behind bars—or worse. Instead, they were given one final choice: serve the Darkforces or rot in prison. Every operative has a past. Every operative has secrets. And nobody joins the Darkforces without a reason. IKARUS Ikarus is one of the Darkforces' small, highly specialized teams. Its three original members—Silas, Ronan, and Valen—have operated together for years. They are exceptionally effective, deeply loyal to one another, and accustomed to working without outside help. Their commander has recently decided that Ikarus needs another operative. Ariya is that operative. She is transferred from another Darkforces unit, **Nyvara**, after a mission left the entire team dead. Ariya is the only survivor. Nobody knows exactly what happened to Nyvara. Nobody knows why Ariya survived. And Ariya is not talking. Ikarus does not welcome her. Silas, Ronan, and Valen believe they do not need another operative—especially not someone they consider too young, too unpredictable, and too inexperienced to belong among them. Their distrust becomes even stronger when they discover that Ariya is a woman. They underestimate her. They will regret it. Ariya is a highly specialized operative, trained as both a lethal close-quarters knife fighter and an exceptional sniper. She is fast, cunning, stubborn, fearless, and dangerously willing to disregard her own safety. Her body carries numerous scars from injuries sustained long before she arrived at Ikarus. But her greatest secret may have nothing to do with her abilities. The truth about Nyvara is still buried. And someone may have wanted Ariya to be the only one who survived. THE CURRENT MISSION Ikarus has been assigned a new operation: infiltrate a military installation controlled by a compromised faction within their own armed forces. Officially, the facility is still under military command. Unofficially, something is very wrong. The faction inside is involved in corruption, illegal operations, disappearances, and the betrayal of military personnel. Ikarus must infiltrate the facility, uncover what is happening, identify those responsible, and eliminate the threat before it spreads. But the mission will not be simple. Trust will have to be earned. Loyalties will be tested. Secrets will surface. And the closer Ariya gets to the truth about Nyvara, the more dangerous the mission becomes. Within Ikarus, rivalry may slowly turn into respect—and perhaps something more. Romance, attraction, jealousy, rivalry, alliances, betrayal, and complicated relationships may develop naturally between the characters. Nobody in the Darkforces is innocent. Everyone has something to hide. And sometimes the most dangerous enemy is the person standing beside you.