Abducted by aliens. Rescued by aliens. Stranded on the far side of the Galaxy, psychologist Kathryn Holden has done her best to help her fellow abductees--both human and non-human--adjust to their new life in an alien civilisation. Setting out to explore her new home and search for that last elusive fragment of her own peace of mind, she discovers a perfectly preserved underground city with no evidence of a population . . . and an Artificially Sentient Intelligence bent on protecting her from anything or anyone. T'Hargen Mhartak, sector head for covert operations for the Angrigan, Magran & Legolopanth Alliance, once deluded himself that the human woman, Kathryn Holden, held the key to lighting the darkness shrouding his soul. A momentary lapse in judgement. However instinct demands she is fundamental to the future of the Alliance--the only thing he lives for, the only thing standing between his peaceful society and the callous Bluthen race. When he and Kathryn are catapulted deep into enemy territory, T'Hargen is forced to question his deep-seated convictions in order to secure a strong ally for the Alliance and also, possibly, capture that fragile dream he'd abandoned long ago of awakening to a bright, new future.