Belvun is dying. Droughts, firestorms, and a swelling desert slowly consume the planet. Cities have crumbled. Forests have burned. Five years ago, recovery efforts to reverse the damage failed. They must not fail again. General Orcher tasks Arman Lance with the development of the galaxy's most comprehensive planetary database. Arman will travel to Orvad, Undil's city by the ocean, and then to Daliona, where life thrives and new discoveries await. On this new journey, Arman will challenge himself in ways he never imagined and make friends he never thought he'd have. And as he learns what it really means to devote his life to the Embassy, he will experience the strength, diversity, and resilience of humankind.