The date is 2184. Chief Petty Officer Tahir Marcus, assigned to Terra Nine as part of the Alliance mission to win favor with the Varissi governing council, is faced with a difficult task indeed. The Earth led Alliance is in position to make a move on the Fleet, that is, if they can control the supply chain of Ciaranian – a rare crystal, recently discovered to have the ability to power an entire starship. Found only on Terra Nine, a planet on the far edge of the known galaxy, the Alliance must contend with a local population, the Varissians, who are well placed on becoming a major player in intergalactic affairs and trade, especially with several empires and planetary groups eager to access their untapped resource. Within days of his arrival, Marcus is thrown into a web of deceit and conflicting factions between the Alliance and with the Consulate General and his lackeys eager to make deals and mine Ciaranian at any costs,...

After the dramatic ending of book two, Keira must better understand who she is and what she is truly capable of doing. Tested throughout by her traveling partners, faces of the past, and Sohon's approaching army, she must act quickly to get to her father who journeys to the other part of the world.