After freeing the AI ship Argo from the ice of Pluto, Lea and her team race for the prison planet Beredul to free the Wiyert trapped there. The planet conceals vital information about the aliens that enslaved the Wiyert--and now threaten Earth. Little time remains to protect humanity. A handful of escaped Wiyert, desperate to rescue their people, offer to guide the team. With their help, Argo's formidable power, and Lea's unique mental abilities, they hope to penetrate Beredul's defenses without detection. They must trek on foot for days across the war-torn surface, pursued by gigantic, nightmare predators to reach the nearest Wiyert stronghold. And then the hard part begins. Everything on Beredul conceals a dark past...even the terrifying beasts that roam the planet. Disturbing intelligence reaches the alien civilization, triggering an investigation. The Wiyert have learned caution through harsh experience, and something about the humans from Earth arouses their suspicions. They know too much--and do impossible things. Can the Wiyert trust them with their lives? Trust always comes at a price, and that price may be too high to pay...