The huge, black spaceship in orbit around Doonarrala is apparently unarmed and seems to present no immediate threat. And yet its very presence and size are menacing to some. A classified tape, seen only by the military, shows that it bears a strong resemblance to another ship found derelict and looming over a planet devastated by war.
For Todd Reeve, leader of the Human colony on Doonarrala, and for his Hrruban friend, Hrriss, the ship represents an opportunity for their two species to extend the hand of friendship to another. For others, it is a threat which must be eliminated at all costs . . .