On a world far away from Sol, a colony of humans and their animal underlings try to eke out a living while overcrowded Earth is shattered by war. The new world, called Eden for its untamed beauty, is not easily conquered. When the starships fail to arrive for many years it left supplies and patience running thin. Conditions in the colony declined rapidly. The relationship between the humans and their intelligent animal slaves decent slowly into an undeclared war. Finally, a ship arrives, but the news it brings is daunting. The Prime Coordinator is aboard, and he is a man who likes to clean house without scruples. Ara, returning to Eden, seemed to have found a compromise with her illness, regaining much of her mental balance. Until she gets close to her beloved planet. Pretty soon she will understand that her ties to Eden are much more solid and unbreakable than she could ever dream...