Beneath the frozen ocean of the ice moon Ilmatar, a team of human scientists secretly studies the intelligent, lobster-like Ilmatarans. Forbidden from making contact by the Sholen—a powerful interstellar species enforcing strict non-interference—humans remain hidden. Until one reckless act exposes their presence.
The Sholen demand the expedition’s immediate withdrawal. The humans refuse, igniting tensions that threaten to erupt into open conflict. As the Ilmatarans struggle to understand these intruders, the fragile balance between species teeters on the brink of collapse.
Caught in the chaos, Rob Freeman, a lowly technician, finds himself an unlikely leader in the fight against the Sholen. The stakes couldn’t be higher: the survival of the humans, the Ilmatarans, and the fragile peace of the galaxy.
Will any world escape unscathed?
