[From the back cover.] The human spirit shines greatest during the darkest of times. Never was this proven more fully than in the year 2196. With certain doom hurtling toward our planet, the free countries of the world united and prepared for a mass exodus aboard a score of gargantuan transports. But our escape was just the beginning of the adventure. By some freak occurrence, our ship, the Dawning Star, was sent hurtling across the galaxy. We found ourselves alone, cut off from the fleet, in alien territory. It was not in our nature to give up. We found a habitable planet and began our new life. In the intervening years we have encounted strange new species, overcome dire threats, and taken the first few steps in building a new life.