How do you prove innocence? Proving your complex system and the designs behind it could not cause a reactor accident may be impossible. But the accident did happen and the Drezvir mining colony is dangerously short of power as they head into bitter winter. The Farr Sector Judiciary is taking the case to court with charges of manslaughter due to criminal negligence and they are not likely to be lenient to Outsiders. An expert team of industrial risk analysts have assembled on Drezvir to try to find the cause of the accident, unintentional or otherwise. Dr. Mitra Kael, Power Systems Engineer is giving them all the support she can as various subcontractors arrive from across the galaxy. So is Dr. Dreen Pendi, former head of Nemizcan Computing and Mitra's lover. Dr. Ari Delmaice, President of Delmaice Power Systems, is out to make sure anyone but him takes the fall. Chett Linderson, now head of Nemizcan Computing is not impressed with Ari's attitude and Chett is the get even type. Chett's temper has already made him a dangerous enemy, hacker Klarak Voroth. Joran Lantonelle still means well but is focused on walking back on stage and reclaiming his status as galactic superstar. Bojo Camrail, is trying to keep him in line but he is getting distracted between espionage on his home planet and a romance with Brys, Dreen's best hacker. At least Dreen and Mitra are together at last. Or are they? C.C. Windegren, terraformer and Mitra's childhood friend, is on Drezvir and he is wondering why they have wasted all of these years. As a face from the past appears and Dreen's secrets start slipping out, Mitra finds herself trying to decide just what Dreen is really like. And obviously C.C. and his environmental activist friends have a few secrets of their own. Science fiction by scientists.