Bache is sent to answer a distress call from a small freighter close to a planet in a distant corner of the galaxy. Not all is as it first seems. He finds himself quickly embroiled in an illegal encroachment of an untouched and developing human race. The more he uncovers, the more sinister the crimes get and he has to tread carefully as his very presence on the planet could be construed as a galactic crime. The frightening discovery of a hidden fleet of immense battleships could seriously disrupt the delicate balance of power holding the human races of the Milky Way together. Again, Bache finds himself in the middle of a significant military and diplomatic incident, but this time the decisions he makes could save or cost millions of lives.