Perhaps running away from home had not been one of Mark's brightest ideas. But after his mom canceled his visit to her archaeological dig on Teral Four, he felt he had no choice. Now he wasn't so sure - when his dad, a Colonel in the UN Peacekeepers, found out he was going to go ballistic. If he could just speak to his mom perhaps he could still smooth things over. Unfortunately for Mark, the Llarst, violent aliens who have already fought one war with Earth, have taken his mom and the other archaeologists hostage. And if the Llarst find what they're looking for, all of Earth will be in danger. Now, with just the assistance of Windracer, a young saurian on her first vision quest, and her elephant- sized groundhog, he must rescue his mother and her friends, stop the Llarst, and face his dad. Piece of cake ...