Now that the Combined Army has reached the Human Sphere, a terrible decision is at hand. Will humanity kneel before the all-mighty power of the EI or will it risk extinction against the mightiest military force in existence? From the darkest reaches of the galaxy, an implacable tyrant looms slowly and inexorably, searching for intelligent races, studying them, contacting them, and ultimately absorbing them. Behold the Evolved Intelligence, an alien virtual entity bent on achieving the godlike state known as Transcendence. To reach its objective, the EI will use every tactic and strategy necessary to increase its almost infinite knowledge of the universe. This includes shrewd political alliances, peaceful unification, and where necessary, all-out war. The Combined Army is the clenched fist of the Evolved Intelligence. Made up of its most brutal and cruel client races, the Evolved Intelligence turns its monstrous forces upon those to stubborn or stupid to aid it in the search for the universe’s secrets. The resources of the Combined Army are terrifyingly diverse, adequate for any task at hand. The efficient Exrah guide its fleets, the insidious Shasvastii infiltrate its enemies, the Morat crush any resistance, and even more cruel henchmen wait for their master’s orders to rain death on its victims.