The Telmaj, whose special gift makes faster-than-light travel possible, have been taken as slaves for as long as anybody can remember. But now a war to end that slavery has begun between the Telmaj and the Unified Government--and the Telmaj's secret weapon, the Twenty, are already arising. But will Smijj find the others before the Unified Government does? Smijj may be young by his people's standards, but he has already proven that he is the fastest and strongest Telmaj anybody has ever heard of, and he's finally being allowed to join the fight. He doesn't mind danger, except when it threatens the people he loves. But he is learning that sometimes the most unexpected dangers can come in the form of trusted allies, and even friends.