While the end of 2233 saw the cessation of hostilities between Mars and the Earth Empire, the war had not in fact ended. Achieving peace through diplomacy would be the first great challenge confronting the Empire in 2234, and it would be complicated by the fact that the Martian people, fueled by years of lies fed to them by their totalitarian government, were wary of what peace might cost. Laying the groundwork for the famous Mars Convention was thus a dangerous undertaking, and it put Ken Barron, his remaining elite officers, and Imperial Foreign Minister Craig B. Macdonald in a very difficult situation...