Jax Norvo, a scientist who was assigned to develop a cure for a deadly virus on his world, was unable to stop the extermination of his people, leaving him as the only sentient being on Knari as far as he knew.

When a shipful of human colonists was delivered to his world, Jax feared that telling them the truth might scare them away, and after meeting Commander Andromeda Williams, that was the very last thing he wanted to happen, so he allowed her to think he was human for a time.

But then, when it became clear that the virus could spread to a human host, he had to tell his new neighbors everything in a bid to save them all.