the story starts off by introducing the main character; radium lavans, a reckless phantoma lev pilot in the bahram military forces. his comrade is the skilled viola. the plot quickly introduces them having a hate for earth as people who live on mars are ridiculed and outcast by earth people. these terran feelings of superiority presumably spring from martian colonists' weaker physical abilities and size - a side effect of the planet's lower gravity - combined with traditional colonial prejudices. it is evident there is an ongoing under the table conflict, and bahram is involved with liberating the tight federation grasp of earth.