Witness the rise of man's first galactic federation: The Terran Alliance. When Simon and Katherine Hawke stumble upon an alien shuttle that has landed on earth, it'll not only change the course of their lives, but of the entire world. Taking the shuttle into orbit, they discover a much larger ship left adrift with no one on board. Commandeering it, they confirm that we're not alone in the universe and must prepare the human race for what is about to come. Recruiting from all over the world, they begin to expand their fleet and build a federation to give humans a foothold in the galaxy. Thus the Terran Alliance is formed, led by Simon, Kitty, Gayle, and their new comrades. Everything is going according to planned as they construct more ships, but the governments of the world are vying for control of these technologies. To make matters worse, their second encounter with an alien species is not one of peace. After the attack, they are left with more questions than answers as they face resistance from, not only outer space, but their home planet as well.