They've made it behind the portal. Now they have to survive what they find on the other side ...

After a disaster leaves their diplomatic ship destroyed and the ragged survivors numbering only dozens, Ambassador Alba Espina's mission goes from negotiating a political alliance with a previously uncontacted sapient species, to trying desperately to keep the tiny band of survivors alive in a hostile alien environment.

Surviving first contact with the aliens is hard enough. But it soon becomes apparent that these aliens are hiding something they're willing to kill to keep secret. The desperate remnants of the crew is looking to Alba to save them, and searching for answers risks their survival. But now that both species knows the other exists, if Alba doesn't find out what the aliens are hiding, she risks the survival of every human in the Joias System.