On Dolvia, Lt. Mike Shaw demands Dr. Greensboro's doctoring skills at the hospital, forcing the closure of her bush clinic. She witnesses forced labor, forced migration, and the threat of an epidemic from bad water. She sees how tribal women-often wearing burkas-find solutions for saving the children in a conflict zone, and she commits to their cause for Home Rule.
Brianna Miller is an isolated girl-a mixed-blood orphan-among the Dolviet tribes. With the lessons from Dr. Greensboro, the abuse from soldiers, the sisterhood among victims, Brianna prepares for a future she will choose for herself. But first she must travel offworld.