At last, the United Federation of Planets and the Romulan Star Empire have agreed to meet on neutral ground in order to resolve the tangle of intrigue and conspiracy that began many years ago with the hijacking of the USS Intrepid. As a show of good faith, the crew of the legendary starship USS Enterprise has been ordered to attend the talks. In their informal charge is the Romulan renegade Ael, the wanted fugitive who, along with Captain James T. Kirk, served as the catalyst of the present troubles. On the other side, the visiting Romulan party is as fractious and disunited as their own divided world. As Kirk and his crew attempt to negotiate a delicate peace and the Romulans attempt to restore their tarnished honour, it becomes increasingly apparent that their only course of action is to prepare for the war that both sides hoped to avoid...