In the 23rd century, humans and Sandjarrs are allowed to join an intergalactic multiracial organisation set up 8,000 years before. The humans are seen as a belligerent, underdeveloped race by the other members of the organisation and have been kept out of it until now. The Sandjarrs had stayed out of interplanetary politics until a war between themselves and the humans broke out. Now Caleb, a human, and Mezoke, a Sandjarr, are paired up and trained as special agents to keep the intergalactic peace. This is a controversial and historic alliance, and a lot of people are watching them. Their first mission is to keep war from breaking out between humans and Javlodes on the planet Senestam.

Caleb and Mezoke are on Earth for celebrations marking the end of the Human-Sandjarr wars, running security for the ceremonies. When an incident occurs between Malaysian fishermen and a nomadic alien species called the Rapakhun, they are brought in to investigate and to lead negotiations. But tensions are high, and something is killing the fish in the mangrove swamp. The two agents will have to contend with the humans’ lingering mistrust towards aliens in their efforts to solve the mystery.

It’s clear now: the Neuronomes are not attacking the Confederation, but rather are the victims of a mysterious aggressor, and they explode when they die. They did, however, take up positions near large population centres, threatening to take thousands of lives with them when they go in order to pressure Confederate authorities – who had once massacred them – into helping them. Unsurprisingly, Caleb, Mezoke and Angus are chosen to go to the Neuronomes’ home planet and neutralise the unknown threat.