Prophet and Deadman's Dogs — Marshall S. Thomas

The Dark Cloud War is an endless nightmare for Exploitation recon trooper Prophet and his squadies. The alien Choakar are wreaking havoc on Berichros, joined by the Realm, slaughtering millions with GX bioweapons. Strange new aliens suddenly appear in the war zone and Prophet and Exploitation must resolve the problem.

As more allies join ConFree to battle the aliens, Prophet meets his comrades from the past â€" Biogens, Assidics, free Tribal Demons, AI Indies and Brights. They find themselves marching with the dead, distant thunder moving closer, metal rain showering them all as rival spirit armies fight to the death.

As the war moves to resolution, Prophet's exhausted comrades are dropping out of their old fellowship. Word comes that the Realm and the Brights are planning peace negotiations on Earth, but the revolutionaries Terra Rising have their own ideas. Earth is Prophet's private Hell and he knows he cannot avoid it.

Returning to civilian life at last, Prophet learns of a shadowy effort to destroy ConFree with ancient alien doomsday weapons of cosmic annihilation. Nobody believes him so he is on his own. He reaches out to his closest comrade and it is an army of two against the Realm.