The mission that was supposed to save humanity just doomed it.

Sergeant Ned Bresto thought he'd seen the worst when his spec ops team accidentally awakened a derelict Concordat ship at the edge of the Cradle Nebula. But nothing prepared him for this: humanity’s ancient enemy has followed him home, and their massive war fleet is bearing down on his colony of Aegia—with his wife and children directly in the crosshairs.

Torn between classified orders from his Spec Ops commander and desperate messages from his wife on the planet below, Bresto faces an impossible choice. His next mission could end the war before it can spread. But his children are trapped in the invasion zone, and every minute he delays brings them closer to a fate worse than death: conversion into cybernetic horrors known as the Lost.

As Concordat forces grind through Aegia's defenses, Bresto must decide: follow orders that could save humanity, or abandon his post to save the family he's already sacrificed too much to protect.

One Marine's choice will determine whether the Colonial Defense Forces can hold the line, or if the Three Colonies will share the fate of Dead Earth.

Hard Drop is the explosive first novel in the COLONIAL DEFENSE MARINES trilogy, continuing the universe established in B.R. Keid's AUTONOMOUS WEAPONS DIVISION series. Perfect for fans of military science fiction, space marines, and impossible choices under fire.