The great debate is over. The human race has rejected the idea of pulling back from the stars and hiding on Earth in the hope the Broa will overlook us for a few more generations. Instead, the World Parliament, by a 60-40 vote, has decided to throw the dice and go for a win. Parliament Hall resounds with brave words as members declare victory inevitable. With the balance of forces a million to one against Homo sapiens Terra, those who must turn patriotic speeches into hard-won reality have their work cut out for them. They must expand humanity’s foothold in Broan space while contending with a supply line that is 7000 light-years long. If the sheer magnitude of the task isn’t enough, Mark and Lisa Rykand discover they are in a race against two very different antagonists. The Broa are beginning to wonder at the strange two-legged interlopers in their domain; while back on Earth, those who lost the great debate are eager to try again. Whoever wins the race will determine the future of the human species… or, indeed, whether it has one.