Zeus was two months old and the sole survivor on a science vessel in deep space found by the Mar’Sani. The blind infant was swept up by the grieving Empress Ashari and adopted by Emperor Valdor Vondorian as their fourth child. Zeus grew up in a loving home but his frailty as the only human among his strong reptilian brothers caused his parents to seek the help of the Chtichlians, the expert arachnid geneticists, to fix their son’s sight. Zeus discovers that having his sight is harder than being blind and he learns to not trust his eyes. His family believes he is the reincarnation of their lost child Canry, but there are those Mar’Sani nobles who only see him as the orphaned human, and not worth of the Emperor’s family name. Dargon Kal-Turak is a Dar Massaga, he and his symbiote, Alpha; command a ship of manned by members of some of the most dangerous races. After narrowly escaping a trap, Dargon and his crew dock at the spaceport for repairs. It isn’t long before the Psonics have their location. Dargon snatches the Master Mechanic and limps out of port not realizing he has bought more trouble…and maybe the answer to salvaging the Valespian Pact.