Father Merrin takes a sabbatical from the Church to devote himself to history and archaeology as he struggles with his shattered faith.

The time is the 21st century, after the fall of the Galactic Republic. Technology is at a standstill, families have been dismantled, and those who have survived the destruction now live in a savage age ruled by evil warlords. When a young sister of an outlaw is kidnapped and held captive in another galaxy, an interplanetary scheme is hatched - one that threatens the future.