A swift and violent revolution topples the government of the Genovian Republic from within. Jendar, an outsider who left behind a life of ease in search of something more meaningful, finds himself caught up in events that could reshape interstellar relations for all of human-settled space.

Everyone onworld is suspect—some more than others, including Zegg, a mysterious local who befriends Jendar. They flee offworld, staying one step ahead of Genovian and other forces pursuing them. But who can they trust? The two are about to learn just how out of their depth they really are.