"On the home world of the bat-like S'sinn, a last-ditch effort is underway to prevent a new war between humanity and the S'sinn that would destroy the multi-race Commonwealth. Jarrikk, a S'sinn, and Kathryn, a human, are both empaths, able to sense others' feelings, and use those skills as Translators, members of a special guild who provide perfect translation by means of an artificial life form that links their nervous systems. They fear and hate the others' species. But they have sworn an oath, and so they Link, exchanging memories and emotions. The war began when humans and S'sinn colonized the same world. The Commonwealth ended the war, dividing Jarrikk's planet between humans and S'sinn. Years later, Human-S'sinn tensions began to fracture the Commonwealth, helped along by war hawks on both sides, leading to the last-ditch effort for which Jarrikk and Kathryn are Translators. They hit on an ingenious but dangerous plan to fake Translation. They prevent immediate war, but destroy their abilities in the process. Jarrikk no longer has reason to live, and sets out to perform the ritual suicide he was turned away from years before. Kathryn fails to prevent his attempt, but manages to save his life-and in the process creates a one-of-a-kind bond with him even stronger than that created by the symbiote. However, the forces on both sides are not done yet, and still try to implement their plans to bring the two sides to interstellar war. Kathryn and Jarrikk must risk everything to stop their own races from engulfing the galaxy in war-and perhaps save each other as well in the process."