After two decades of learning at the Nexus, the children of Van and his crew are ready to take their first steps out in the big black.
Aboard their new ship, the AnaDarko, the young officers begin unraveling a mystery that goes beyond the depths of time—where did Gabby's people come from, and why does life, scattered across the gas giants, all sound so familiar to her? Under the capable guidance of Rab, a seasoned Peacemaker, the young crew pursues science and knowledge—even as Van and Torina push back against a threat that originates on earth itself. Politics is a dirty business, and with Constance Plowitz's retirement, the scramble for control of Earth's future falls into the hands of someone who sees the Fist of Orion not as a partner—but an enemy. But Van is two decades older—and wiser—and the crew, along with Perry, Funboy, and Icky, are that much better at their specialty—dispensing justice. There are old friends, new faces, and a power struggle whose roots go back to when known space was young, empires were old, and war was the answer.
