An epic war has dragged to a stalemate between the Empire on earth and its colony on Alvarez, aided by pirates and renegade habitats. In the empty reaches beyond Sirius a lonely ourpost orbits a savage planet. Then peace is established, just as warships from Alvarez attack. A battleship crashes on to the planet, and Major Peter McKenzie has to rescue erstwhile enemies in the face of hostile animals. Local inhabitants come to help him, including the lovely Liara. He is wounded when protecting her against bandits, and rivals invoke peacetime regulations prohibiting contact with inhabitants of undeveloped planets. Will their love overcome these obstacles?