Dylan finds himself on Seefra-1, one of nine identical planets orbiting two suns. He soon encounters Rhade, who has abandoned all hope. Rhade hates Dylan for the hope he has brought, and when someone asks Dylan be killed, Rhade agrees to do it.

Dylan and Rhade receive a month-old distress signal from Beka. After following the coordinates she left, they find the Andromeda dead in space. On board, he finds Darregacorp engineers trying to salvage it, led by Jonah Derrega, and Beka Valentine.

When a valuable painting gets stolen after Beka, Rhade, and everyone else in the bar inhales a mysterious mist, Dylan jumps at the opportunity to win the reward for reclaiming it so the Andromeda can be repaired. After tracing the nanobots in the mist, they encounter Harper who is accompanied by a beautiful woman named Doyle. But Harper is caught up in the plans of Marika, who wants him to genetically engineer Vedrans, as well as to take over the Seefra system.

Beka learns she has existed in more than one place at one time when she meets a man who she knows is her father.

The unexpected return of Flavin takes Dylan on a journey through time, revealing mysteries surrounding Tarn Vedra, the Paradine, the battle with the Worldship, and Trance.

When Trance believes Rhade and the crew blame her for their situation, she runs off into Seefra-1's underground tunnels. As Dylan and Doyle pursue her, they discover the use of ancient Vedran technology.

As Trance's sun closes on Seefra-9, Rommie is rebuilt by Doyle to help evacuate the planet.

As General Burma arrives on Andromeda, with Harper in tow, Dylan and Rhade head for Methis 2, about to be crushed by Trance's sun, leaving Doyle, Rommie, and Beka to face Burma, and the forgotten enemy he brings with him.

As the Nietzschean fleet approaches, the Andromeda prepares for the final battle.