Twenty-three years after the disappearance of the Mars I space shuttle, NASA receives a mysterious transmission from Adrian Palmer, the commander of the mission. Adrian's brother, Kevin, wastes no time funding the Mars II rescue mission commanded by Jake Palmer, Adrian's son. Jake and Dr. Steven "Skip" Hendricks, a NASA physicist, travel through a wormhole that Skip believes was the reason the Mars I crew disappeared. They eventually crash-land on the planet Terrest and are thrust into a war beyond their human limitations. The native Terrestrians are at war against a super-race of humans called the Gnols, led by Koroan Chast. However, the Terrestrian's struggle is futile because of the godlike abilities of the Gnols. Now, the only hope mankind has may rest on a 2000-year-old prophecy discovered in an ancient temple on Terrest. But before the prophecy can come to pass. Adrian and Jake must first stop the Gnols from attacking Earth and enslaving the human race.