▁only ▁one ▁pl ag ued ▁by ▁" original ▁sin ", ▁i . e . ▁by ▁an ▁inn ate ▁t endency ▁to ▁lie , ▁che at , ▁kill ; ▁al iens ▁have ▁come ▁to ▁accept ▁these ▁tra its ▁without ▁understanding ▁them . ▁ ▁The ▁story ▁takes ▁place ▁among ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁humans ▁in ▁the ▁" E arth ▁Qu arter ", ▁a ▁gh etto ▁on ▁the ▁planet ▁Pal u ▁that ▁is ▁populated ▁by ▁an ▁insect - like ▁al ien ▁race ▁called ▁the ▁N ior i . ▁ ▁The ▁story ▁opens ▁with ▁a ▁visit ▁by ▁a ▁representative ▁of ▁a ▁political ▁group , ▁the ▁" Min or ity ▁People ' s ▁League ", ▁which ▁end ors es ▁the ▁return ▁of ▁humans ▁to ▁their ▁ancest ral ▁planet ▁and ▁accommod ation ▁with ▁the ▁al iens . ▁The ▁en voy ▁is ▁attacked ▁and ▁murder ed ▁by ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁th ugs ▁who ▁see ▁all ▁al iens ▁as ▁inferior ▁to ▁humans ▁and ▁who ▁seek ▁ret ribution ▁for ▁humans ' ▁second - class ▁status . ▁Their ▁leader , ▁R ack , ▁comm ande ers ▁a ▁space ▁ship ▁and ▁convin ces ▁a ▁group ▁from ▁the ▁Qu arter ▁to ▁follow ▁him ▁as ▁he ▁establish es ▁a ▁new ▁col ony ▁on ▁an ▁un in hab ited ▁planet . ▁Instead , ▁R ack ▁puts ▁them ▁to ▁work ▁building ▁" total - con version ▁bomb s " ▁and ▁begins ▁a ▁campaign ▁of ▁using ▁the ▁bomb s ▁to ▁destroy ▁the ▁sun s ▁of ▁al ien ▁solar ▁systems ▁( h ence ▁the ▁" sun ▁sab ote urs " ▁of