From the author of Moon Wreck comes the first full length novel in the series.The Human Federation of Worlds thought they were alone in the galaxy. But now an alien spacecraft has appeared over one of their distant mining operations. The frightened miners immediately call for help to deal with this worrisome first contact situation. Admiral Streth is sent to implement talks with the aliens and to find out what they want. The aliens inform the admiral that they are called Hocklyns and are from a large multi-world trading federation. In truth, they come from an empire that is expanding through the galaxy and conquering world after world for slaves, and they have set their sights on the human worlds as their next conquest.