Aboard their new ship, the AnaDarko, the young officers begin unraveling a mystery that goes beyond the depths of time-where did Gabby's people come from, and why does life, scattered across the gas giants, all sound so familiar to her? Under the capable guidance of Rab, a seasoned Peacemaker, the young crew pursues science and knowledge-even as Van and Torina push back against a threat that originates on earth itself. Politics is a dirty business, and with Constance Plowitz' retirement, the scramble for control of earth's future falls in the hands of someone who sees the Fist of Orion not as a partner- -but an enemy. But Van is two decades older, and wiser, and the crew, along with Perry and Funboy and Icky-are that much better at their specialty-dispensing justice.