Lavena is the Captain of a salvage ship, which finds artifacts for sale. Her deceased father, once an archaeologist, searches for a world called Anagora, reputed to be the place their species originated, and now lost. She thinks she has found it, but a mistake by a crewmember causes them to crash onto the surface. This planet is home to a Post-Tech race and Lavena is a problem as she refuses to follow their laws and renounce all machinery. Lavena helps find and destroy a horrible creature, a man kept alive by banned ancient technology. She finds a bunker with space capable ships but makes her choice to stay with Prince Clausuel, against her crew's wishes. She cannot let them leave and tell their government about the world. They will strip it of everything of use, and the people taken and used as workers off-world. When she discovers advanced equipment she must tread carefully, she knows to save this sphere from inevitable enemies, they need her help.