The moon Pyres is an uninhabitable hell, but a scientific shuttle just discovered signs of life on the satellite's unforgiving surface. This discovery sparks a mystery-and raises serious concerns.

Admiral Timpson of the United Planets fears the discovery suggests an impending attack on Earth, but the nature of the threat is infuriatingly unclear. The most likely culprit is the Proxees, defeated by the United Planets in the Great War. If so, the Proxees have used the Border Zone Treaty as a delaying tactic while they regroup for a second strike. A second, mysterious race, however,...