So-called allies seem to be almost as much a threat to Earth's alliance as the Vinctalin themselves. Secrets, lies and false histories have been the order of the day - for millennia. Who really runs the AHS Home World? What are they hiding? What is the truth regarding the massacre of hundreds of thousands of Pakow's Guards? And what did Zan discover on that strange device, the Ovinka?

Determined to get the answers to these questions Jonathan hatches his most audacious plot yet. In the process he takes Veekenites and Vinctalites one step closer to understanding their origins, while Alex uncovers the truth about Veekerens.