Garreth's mother is captain of a starship on a ten-thousand year mission. He is born of a surrogate. At six days old, Garreth is elevated by his father, Patriarch of the House of Wolf, before the Council of the Thirteen Greater Houses. At that moment, assassins with laser pistols attack, but are killed by energy pistols wielded by family and the daggers of allies. At age six, Garreth sees a brother taken away for execution because he is a demon - a telepath. Garreth knows he, too, is a telepath, and fears discovery. Early in his childhood, Garreth bonds with a wolf whom he names Arawan - in the old language, "unrestrained wildness." His life is filled with games of war and weapons practice. His education consists of military history, weapons, tactics, and strategy. His only play is wargames with his companions. He is seven years old when he and his playmates are attacked by a suicide bomber in a floater - an antigravity sled. He receives a dagger, blooded on his father's arm and on his own arm, and a grace knife with which he would kill himself to avoid capture or if disgraced. When he is nine years old, he is fitted with a vambrace to monitor his blood chemistry and inject drugs to counter attention deficit disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar syndrome, fear, and anger - conditions caused by the hormones of puberty. At age twelve, he enters Academy and meets new enemies whose houses are sworn in vendetta with the House of Wolf. After graduation from Academy, Garreth 's DNA undergoes modification to extend his lifespan to millennia before becoming Helmsman a starship, the Corvette Cardis whose mission is to escort and protect a colony ship and then explore the local arm of the galaxy for planets suitable for colonization. Garreth's father, Gens Bleddyn, hereditary leader of the House, has incited a declaration of war against a mysterious Adversary from an uncharted solar system, and vendetta has expanded from World to the stars. In space, Garreth will face this new enemy with whom his people compete to colonize the galaxy.
