Sandy Sanderson joins her mother and the female space pirates as they blast off in their spaceship Vigilant to battle against the intergalactic dictator Odium. After a space battle Odium's spaceship is bordered and he and his Heavies. However Odium turns the tables, takes over the Vigilant and forces it to land on the planet Zodark. Sandy manages to escape and flees into the forest where she encounters Astro, a young man whose father is the leader of the Zodarks. Unfortunately they are captured by the Horriffs, ugly and reputedly evil monsters the Zodarks have feared for years. However Sandy and Astro make friends with the Horriffs when the monsters explain that they are feared because of their ugly appearance - which has resulted in them becoming misunderstood monsters. Suddenly word comes that Odium has put Sandy's mother is being put trial in Zodark City. The charge is treason and the penalty is death. The Horriffs explain that the city is very heavily guarded, making a rescue attempt almost impossible. However Astro, who has been experimenting with holography, proposes a radical solution that could result in the rescue of the space pirates and the overthrow of Odium - the stakes are high but so are the risks.