The sequel to the critically acclaimed The Course of the Empire! Whenhumans and their Jao overlords joined forces in a desperate battle to save theEarth from the malevolent race called the Ekhat, the relationship between thetwo species was changed forever. Two years later, humans and Jao are learning towork together in an uneasy alliance. Then, in a distant nebula, three Jao shipsdetect signs of another sentient species during a battle with the Ekhat. Onlyone of the ships returns, with most of its crew dead or injured. Earth'sPreceptor Ronz suspects the unknown species was actually the Lleix, a name outof the Jao's past, and an ancient shame from the period in their developmentwhen they themselves were still ruled by the maniacal Ekhat. Ronz sends theLexington, a massive ship built on Earth and crewed by both human andJao, to investigate. The Lexington dwarfs any ship ever built by the Jaoand even outmasses Ekhat ships, which may enable it to survive the attack thatdestroyed two of the three Jao ships. But if the expedition does find asurviving remnant of the Lleix, will the survivors trust the Jao? And shouldthey?

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