She had been human once. In those times, the stars had been a place of wonder and fascination, somewhere for the future and her imagination to roam. She never dreamt like that anymore. Now a custodian to thousands of lives aboard the UTS Intrepid and a guardian of the colony fleet sent to Hayford b, she worked to protect them. But her previous life was a raw, unresolved memory, a subject on which she had had many years to reflect.They had made first contact, they had been attacked and now they were on the brink of becoming unwilling subjects of the Zantanath Unity. The chance that they might encounter another civilisation had been treated with a level of disregard by the mission scientists back home; it had left them unprepared. Now, with an evil to confront, allies were needed, but how do you overcome a technologically advanced and malevolent culture? Leadership had fallen to Larsen. He had been capable, inventive and resilient, but-ultimately-she would need to control events.Her life on Earth had presented its own complications, but she had sworn to herself that things would be different. When the fleet reached landfall, she would start again, put the old world behind her and focus on the new. But it was never going to be that simple, and now events were escalating. Things had to be put right; she would put things right.Ellie had made the first step into that new world, and secrets, lies and violence had been her reward. But drastic events required drastic measures. She would bring resolution. Leaving her old life behind, it was time to embrace the new.