A strange swirling storm crackles in the sky with blue and violet flashes capturing the interest of an anguished soul. When a light from the storm shoots down over the man, all contol is lost in the grips of an alien abduction. Flung into a strange corner of the galaxy, the seemingly savage alien race rip his memories from him, leaving him with shadows of a former life, but also an undying instinctive will to survive.

A prophet's vision marks Edge as the despondent key in a legendary union just as the ship that rescued him is captured by a band of pirates who are hiding an unusual cargo of their own; goods the woman who rescued him desperately wants.

With information provided by the Farakah Visionaries, Queen Biel-Tris of the Five Systems travels to Volpa to seek the recapture of the despondent human who may be a key component in the legendary Sheyd that could unseat her. Meanwhile on the ice planet Lacroveria, Edge finds that the mysterious prince he rescued from the pirate ship is grappling with torment that rivals the despair lurking within his own shadowy memories.

Edge has been re-captured by the Tsri-Volpa, a moment that the creature Vaul now in a shaky alliance with Queen Biel-Tris has been anticipating. As the ship that re-captured him races away from the ice planet Lacroveria, a decision made by the equally despondant Prince Progue puts the lives of the starship Harmony crew at risk when he sets out on a mission to rescue his newfound human friend.