It's been a year since the defeat of the Ultras, the insidious aliens who nearly destroyed the eight worlds of the Union in an attempt to invade it. On Earth, Dave Brindos, hero of the Ultra scare, isn't so certain they are gone: a client with connections to the Ultras turns up dead; a beautiful alien helps Crowell uncover fragments of memory that might lead to his missing father; and members of an alien planet's underworld have it out for him. When it becomes clear that his secret past also contains the information he needs to save the Union, Crowell sends his new alien partner Tem Forno to Helkunntanas to investigate the forces lining up against them, while Crowell faces off against several old adversaries, including one he used to love.With the crisis deepening, Crowell and Forno must answer the biggest question of all: Where are the Ultras?