Donn Cardenio, damaged veteran of Earth's disastrous first interstellar war, and two hundred fellow Caretakers are charged with caring for a quarter million embryos en route to colonize the extrasolar planet Tau Ceti III. Cardenio considers this assignment a chance to redeem himself from the ravages of the past great war. But, when one of his Caretaker colleagues snaps, Cardenio is forced to begin an investigation that leads to more questions than answers-questions about his relationship with his lover, his own past, and the nature of the mission he's on. Unfortunately for Cardenio, nothing is as it appears. His fellow Caretakers do not share his reverence for the lives in their charge; friends and lovers hide vital truths; and his enemies and rivals become allies. By the end of the mission, Donn Cardenio will confront the terrible reality of what he's done to determine how the future will unfold.