A highly respected diplomat is sent on a mission to negotiate a peace treaty with an alien confederation that has been at war with his Earth-centric Alliance for decades. The first council of the Alliance used the distraction of the peace conference to plan and execute a surprise attack on the alien confederation without telling the diplomat. Humiliated, but considered a hero by the populace, the diplomat returns to his work in the administration but immediately starts to undermine his superiors in order to obtain the peace that he was originally sent to establish and regain his reputation. He must try to do this while subjected to constant surveillance, intimidation, and assassination attempts.