The crippled starship Trumpet drifts in space, its drives sabotaged by a crewman tainted with an alien mutagen. Morn Hyland, cyborg Angus Thermopyle and the rest of its small band of battered survivors may hold the key to Earth's future. Yet unless they can regain control and return on thier own terms, their recent escape from the Amnion will prove to be a hollow triumph.

As Punisher closes in on the helpless Trumpet to arrest her crew as fugitives, back on a satellite near Earth a deadly game is being played out. UMCP Directer Warden Dios is preparing to expose the secret machinations of the Dragon, the corrupt head of the UMC. But the revelation of Dios's own dangerous actions may precipitate all-out war with the Amnion, leaving humanity to pay a terrible price.

As Dios in Earth's orbit and Morn in deep space both make far-reaching decisions, the Amnion act with swift fury, and suddenly Earth stands threatened with fiery destruction.