On Mars, Cort Addison, his eleventh great-granddaughter Kay, and his gray wolf Sköll seek only two things: the freedom of Kay's son Rand, imprisoned on Mars for a crime he didn't commit, and to be left alone.

As they prepare their own colony on Mars, new enemies stand against Cort and his family. The ensuing conflict liberates Mars from Earth oversight and leads to the founding of an empire. But before it's over, the Ares Federation will lead humanity onto the galactic stage.