After the death of her father, Juilan Pranss lands employment that takes her off planet-for the first time. She immediately begins having strange dreams and thoughts that continue, even after Joddrie Ferstan kidnaps her. Joddrie, a soldier of fortune with grandiose plans, takes her to a planet that is being colonized by her known world, where the Ceitwans-the humans of this distant planet-have existed for more than a millennium. They along with the indigenous Xirophans, are resisting the invasion.

As Joddrie compels her with him to implement his plans, Juilan's often-terrifying dreams persist and she fears she has been possessed. Juilan escapes Ferstan, with the help of the moody outcast, Trenner Curembac. He promises to help her with these mental aberrations and also gives her proof that she is Ceitwan and the heir to the mysterious Holder position. He helps her prepare to handle the Evincor-a crystalline anomaly that defies known physics as it yields critical information about the planet.

Juilan also learns that an economically-powerful, sadistic psychopath is stalking her every move, waiting to capture her so he can become dictator of the culture. His plans to achieve this could mean her death.