As the starship Saratoga limps home after a successful mission to the planet, Inea-Four, a distress call is received. Captain Hackett and his crew must take their broken ship to assist.
What happens next is a spectacular space battle, leaving the captain and crew marooned on an inhospitable planet. Their hope at this point is to survive until the rescue fleet finds them and saves them from the frozen wasteland.
Once back on Earth, Hackett faces intense scrutiny for his handling of the mission and his interactions with a junior officer under his command. He finds navigating the legal landscape a nightmare with no good outcomes. His trust in people close to him is tested while an unlikely ally risks life and career to keep him from going to prison.