The bullet from a lone assassin unleashes a symphony of destruction in the galaxy. Locked up in endless meetings, Valencia finds herself at the whim of the Terran government while they plot the best use for the amazing powers she can command... Or at least the powers she could command. With each passing day, her connection with the Sentinel slips from her grasp, leaving her desolate and depressed. Across the galaxy, Drake grapples with the immensity of his own transformation. Shielded by Valencia from Terran officials, he's raising the heir to the Gra'al throne in his own isolation while danger simmers inside of him that promises to tear him apart unless he can learn to control it. Progress stops for no one, though, as a fringe extremist group invites chaos back into the galaxy, stoking the flames within Terran space to arise and destroy the carefully won peace with the Gra'al. The crew of the Trystero ride again, the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance.