The Hru-argh are coming and they're not very nice. The end of the 22nd Century is approaching and Dan has stolen another spaceship and taken it to Tau Ceti E to pass it on to Andreas. Everything is working out fine until the attack from the Hru-argh. Dan finds himself stranded on a hot, heavy planet, far from any hope of rescue, until he finds evidence of alien life and perhaps a chance for survival. Meanwhile, many light years away, Heldon is trying to save the Galaxy from an attack from outside, and she can't have another extended war involving the belligerent Hru-argh. She sends her agent, Jashna, to foil their attempt on the human settlements on Tau Ceti E. With his usual less than subtle touch, Jashna causes an escalation in the whole situation, resulting in the Hru-argh bringing together the largest force in the history of the Galaxy and turning their attention to mankind's home system. With Jashna sent outside the Galaxy to deal with the external threat, it is left to the diminutive blue hominid, Stave, to do something about the massive fleet approaching Earth's system. As Jashna attempts to save the Milky Way, and Stave finds a quite remarkable way to save mankind's home system, if luck is on his side, we see Dan finding something worth living for, in the fragile form of the extraordinary Evinesse, and the self-determination seeking Sherdling. A tale of aliens, misunderstanding and unexpected consequences, told with twists and turns and more than a little humor.