The Ashes of Hope and Hunger

After their rescue from Tav, Dameia and Hyam are caught up in a whirlwind of media and diplomatic events as they attempt to adjust to their new home planet. Everything from the clothing to the weak heat of the single sun is acutely foreign; still, Dameia is determined to fit in. But at each turn, society's subtle biases push back: The pair is deeply alien to Earth, despite Hyam's humanity, and they wonder if this is the right world for them.

Not all Tavarians are struggling to belong. Xanth, a healer, quickly finds work at a local Health Center, offering virtual care for innumerable Global Alliance citizens across the stars. But his compassion for one patient, Arba, risks entangling him in an affair with far-reaching consequences: Unbeknownst to Xanth, Arba is the newest wife of Katuu, ruler of the plague-riddled Alliance planet Vepo, and she carries what Katuu hopes will be a second heir to the planet's rapidly dwindling population.

Despite most Tavarians barely coping on Earth and Vepo continually requesting aid for survival, the unexpected mission to Tav has left the Global Alliance more concerned with getting back on track-and on budget-with its plans to colonize the galaxies. The celebrated Captain Woolsey and her crew receive orders to the inhospitable ice planet Avalon VI next, according to plan. Faced with leaving Dameia and Hyam on Earth and ignoring Vepo's plight to captain her crew toward certain death, Woolsey may instead break the rules for the first time in her illustrious career.

Because allowing the Global Alliance to ignore the worlds it already controls comes at a price. And the cost could span galaxies.