Adrift between the stars, the crew of the Intrepid faces an uncertain future. After narrowly escaping disaster at LHS 1565, their only hope lies at Kapteyn's Star, where they must spend decades building a temporary industrial base to survive.

Meanwhile, across the void, the Noctus prepare to leave Sirius, aiming for the same distant star. They seek to forge new lives, if they can evade destruction by their own government first.

As these two journeys converge, Tanis Richards finds herself in a battle not just for survival, but for the fate of a new colony under the looming threat of interstellar war. Will Victoria rise, or will the oncoming darkness consume them all?