As part of his investigation, Hashi accompanies Koina Hannish, Godsen's successor as Director of Protocol, to Earth to attend an emergency session of the GCES.

Hashi surmises that he is a kaze and is surprised that, instead of attacking Captain Vertigus, seems to be heading for the UMC's First Executive Assistant, Cleatus Fane.

Meanwhile, a cyborg named Angus Thermopyle is fleeing the newly destroyed Billingate installation in Forbidden Space with his makeshift crew.

With samples of the drug in their possession, the crew of Trumpet decide to have Vector complete his research at an illegal lab run by a man named Deaner Beckmann.

On their way into human space Angus’ programming has him send a message using a listening post to UMCPHQ coded for Warden Dios, the director of the UMCP itself.

After sending the message Trumpet speeds off toward the Valdor Industrial system where the lab is located deep within an asteroid swarm orbiting a binary star.

Having previously been sent to the very same listening post on orders from Warden Dios to await the return of Thermopyle, Min Donner and the crew aboard the UMCP cruiser Punisher are there to witness Trumpet's transmission and successive flight.

Soar is a human ship in the Amnion's employ captained by Sorus Chatelaine, a woman who betrayed and scarred Nick as a young man, something he wants revenge for.

Trumpet docks at the illegal lab, and while Mikka, Ciro, Vector, Sib and Nick go aboard the station, Angus' programming has him deliver his priority codes to Morn and Davies.

When Trumpet and Soar reach the edge of the swarm, they run into Punisher and an Amnion "defensive" named Calm Horizons heavily engaging each other.