The Solar Queen and its new sister ship, North Star, have embarked
on a mission to a planet rich in lucrative ore. Armed with their
experience on the galactic rim, the independent traders descend to the
surface to discover a bizarre set of dangers. A strange electromagnetic
force is killing miners stranded from the former crew of the North
Star. Weather is terrible, with enormous disturbances throughout the
atmosphere of the entire planet. Dane Thorson and the rest of the
embattled crew use all of their traders' ingenuity to untangle the
mystery of Hesprid IV's deadly lifeforms. Finally, they take a desperate
gamble to communicate with the planet's creatures--their last chance to
survive the planet's many perils.