The nations of the world are at peace until the Commanding Officers of the Anglo Isles, acting on faulty intelligence, launch a surprise invasion of the Solar Empire. The Anglo officers, Colonel Windsor and Commander Pierce, believed that the Solars were in possession of an ancient super-weapon. While Empress Lei-Qo and Admiral A-Qira scramble to mount a defence, General Herman takes note of certain parallels between the Anglo invasion of the Solar Empire, and the Tundran invasion of the Western Frontier thirty years ago. Meanwhile, Marshal Nova is haunted by the spirit of his father, Tsar Gorgi, who tries to persuade him against his "idle talk of peace".