The Centauri Gate has opened, and humanity has taken its first steps into the unknown.When an Earth freighter is destroyed in Centauri space, Zara Ortega and the crew of the Black Rain are sent to investigate, accompanied by an Earth military officer and a Centauri diplomat.It's apparent something is wrong, and when they chase down the leads, they end up facing off against heavily armed warships that should not be there.Soon they are in another desperate race to survive. They seek shelter in a Centauri colony near Proxima. But those following them mount a brutal assault, and they pay a high price to flee.They need to get word out, or it means war.