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In 2088, a federation of nations has readied the first colony ship, the Tierra del Fuego, for its century long voyage to habitable Demodocus. The crew and colonists, chosen through a rigorous competitive process, have extensive achievements and qualifications. Trevathan Ivins, a seasoned environmental systems officer, has achieved her dream of a commission on the colony ship. Her circle of friends includes a veterinary researcher, an OB/Gyn and her coroner lover, Trev's culinary specialist pal and sometimes lover, two friends from her Academy training years, and the nurse practitioner who saved her life with a flying tackle. But forces are at work to prevent them from leaving the system. Radical groups are enraged by the ship's Compact: its rules of procreation, its recognition of diverse family units, and its bill of rights for the animals onboard. Trevathan and her friends will have to discover many kinds of courage and interdependence if they and the rest of the ship's inhabitants are to prevail against those determined to destroy them all.