Having recently qualified with the Minerans to become a special operative, Sam is sent on his first mission. Not back to Earth as he had hoped for; he is secretly sent to planet Iapreetek to keep him hidden from the elusive traitor and safe from further assassination attempts. The Universal Policing action that the Minerans have been instructed to perform are on a civilised but easily forgettable planet that is ravaged by organised crime. The mission has unexpected and far-reaching consequences that they never expected, taking Sam off-world and putting his life in more danger than ever before. In the meantime, Emliton investigates similarities in recent border attacks to the one that caused his breakdown all those years ago, and the Doctor is mysteriously recalled back to planet Preialei.