Ember D'Mitra, president of Cysda, is forced to surrender, then taken to Vegas to face trial and execution. Princess C'Cada Solara disappears when she finds out her planet of Ornaby has not been totally destroyed as she had been led to believe. And Arik Austin has finally succumbed to Cynthiett Colegate's brainwashing machine. When he receives unexpected help and breaks Cynthiett's spell on him, Arik must choose between saving Ember or saving C'Cada with the help of some old allies, and some new ones. Oh, and he has to take the Mystic's final trial too: a battle of wills... to the death