Cornered and severely outnumbered by the Association's navy, Syreen tries to reunite with her living ship. While her enemies blackmail her with an asteroid tossed down on an inhabited planet, the real danger hasn't even shown up yet-the fabric of space itself is torn apart, and within the ruptures, not only does space travel fail, but stars will die...together with their planets.On her own, she can't win. But where can she find help?