Joshua Gray, an explorer forced to become a soldier, may be the only person who can save the human race from utter destruction at the hands of an intractable alien enemy that claims a right of return to Earth. Gray forms a friendship with a leader of the long-dispersed q-Chek - a bond forged through suffering and painful choices. Together, the two blur the lines of loyalty and sacrifice in their desperate quest for peace . . . peace at a price.