Stranded on the planet Corona when his ship disappears in a nuclear explosion, Commander Gus Colt is about to learn the hard way that peacemaking isn't as easy as it sounds. Two hundred years after the first settlers landed on the planet, the colonists face a nightmare situation. Previously undiscovered natives have been reported, and colonizing an inhabited planet is absolutely prohibited. Threatened with relocation, the Coronans rebel to defend-at all cost-the only home they've ever known. Tossed unceremoniously into the heart of the rebellion, Gus is hounded by a relentless adversary. He'll need all his skills just to survive, much less stop the fighting without resorting to violence. But Gus has a secret weapon. His detractors call it brashness. His friends call it audacity. He calls it keeping the opposition off balance ... Will it be enough?