Thydonia. Even five years after the planet fell to the Andromedites, it is still uncertain whether or not there is more need for its name to be said with sadness or respect. Now, there is a new feeling that comes with its mention. Fear. The Andromedites, the most powerful war machine in the universe, have abandoned the planet out of fear for what it contains, and all scouting expeditions have been lost. It is now up to young starfarer William Haverford and his misfit team of scientists, soldiers and bounty hunters to discover what's going on, and whether or not the planet should be designated uninhabitable. But as they look deeper into the mystery of the lost world, they realize that what's going on here is much bigger than them, the planet, or even the galaxy. Maybe even the entire universe.