Lysha is desperate to prevent Sam from executing the Cure on Marc Keslin and ultimately falls in with bad company. Khareth's determination carries her through to finding a place for herself in the ranks of the Defense Movement, only to discover that it is the most dangerous place in the galaxy, but she wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Mengk challenges Khurn for command of the Defense Armada, and Major Brek is sent on a dangerous mission.

Now, all hostile confrontations in Unavaaris are centered around the Mu planet, where all the players have come together to enact the final scene of this great tragedy. With the Shimth seeming to have gained the upper hand, the defenders of Cirpa base and the Mu machine brace for the coming onslaught while Commander Khurn and the Defense Armada attempt to face down the mighty Shimth fleet. Marc Keslin and Dr. Nerlong scramble to bolster the Cirpa base defenses while setting the trap that will determine the future of the galaxy, and Damon Brek unwittingly stumbles into a situation where he is forced to make a deadly decision. As the Sahkmok plague rages across the surface of the Mu planet and the arrival of Lord Mengk on the scene adds confusion and frustration to the mixture, the drama races to a gut-wrenching conclusion.