Humanity rallies as they cultivate their alliance with the warlike Zitha. They establish a base of operations as a hub for their activities, and to keep their civilian population safe. Captain Kensington must find a way to work with Minister Bracknel. Without his spy to state otherwise, a grudging trust must be established for the good of the EDF and humanity as a whole. Meanwhile, the crew of the Pytheas struggle to survive the attempt to rescue Chelsea Weston from her former employers. With some of their people trapped on the surface with natural disasters and hunters after them, and others in space, they face an enemy without self-preservation or morality. One willing to commit suicide to defeat their enemies. Ambassador Chance and his small delegation find themselves thrown through space to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. Their ship crashes on a planet that has become a war zone, a prison for a dozen factions all vying for escape. With dozens of desperate souls coming down upon them to steal their vessel, they must find a way to fend them off or be marooned there forever.