Kara is a prisoner of circumstance but refuses to be a victim. Her Monarch father insists on adhering to traditions and customs despite the plight of the Yrn people, their spirit effectively conquered by humankind. The Huma Proper regime is both kind and cruel—a mix of patronizing contempt and outright disdain. Kara endures a loveless marriage with Jak, someone who represents all that is wrong with her people: subjugation, concession and assimilation. When Kara accidentally discovers her husband’s infidelity with the human Diane and her father commands her to accept it, she opts instead to confront Diane. Things don’t go as expected. Kara is attracted to Diane and the two find they have a complimentary objectives. She shares with Diane her aim to free the Yrn of their limiting customs and to accept progress with the humans. Diane reveals she is an agent of Huma Proper and is only using Jak to topple the Yrn Monarchy. The new plan to install Kara as Regent is forged and set into motion. The women concoct the Third Faction in secret from their governments and use their most trusted to conscript Jak into sabotaging the last atmospheric processor. In the chaos, Kara murders her father. The whole event is blamed on Huma Proper terrorists and Kara is made Regent of the Yrn. She declares open war and retreats to the Nexus to orchestrate the battle. In an unexpected turn, Kara learns that Jak has emerged as a leader in his own right and the Third Faction is legitimized with its own agency in the fight. Diane warns Kara of Jaks impending assault on the Nexus and that she no longer has influence of him. Kara arranges for Jak’s squad of Thirds to be dispatched en route but fails to prevent Jak from gaining entry. Face-to-face, Kara and Jak exchange verbal spars and as Jak moves to assassinate Kara, Diane and Huma Proper forces breech the Nexus.