▁world - ship ▁suddenly ▁hurt les ▁through ▁space ▁toward ▁a ▁black ▁hole , ▁Spart a ▁must ▁find ▁out ▁why , ▁and ▁soon , ▁from ▁a ▁myster ious ▁al ien ▁from ▁an ▁un know able ▁culture , ▁little ▁knowing ▁that ▁what ▁is ▁about ▁to ▁unfold ▁will ▁determine ▁the ▁future ▁of ▁Earth . ▁As ▁the ▁al ien ▁ship ▁charts ▁its ▁ancient ▁course , ▁the ▁sch em ing ▁Sir ▁Rand olph ▁M ays ▁and ▁Spart a ▁unw itting ly ▁head ▁for ▁their ▁final ▁battle ▁through ▁the ▁e ons ▁in ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁an ▁ancient ▁gal actic ▁civil ▁war . ▁ ▁Char acters ▁ ▁Main ▁characters ▁Spart a ▁– ▁A ▁young ▁woman ▁with ▁a ▁myster ious ▁past ▁and ▁various ▁super human ▁ab ilities , ▁including ▁e id etic ▁memory ▁and ▁en hanced ▁sens es . ▁Form er ly ▁en rolled ▁in ▁the ▁myster ious ▁SP AR TA ▁program ▁under ▁her ▁birth ▁name , ▁L inda ▁N agy , ▁she ▁now ▁works ▁for ▁the ▁Space ▁Board ▁under ▁the ▁name ▁Ellen ▁T roy , ▁hoping ▁to ▁gain ▁enough ▁security ▁clear ance ▁to ▁eventually ▁learn ▁why ▁a ▁large ▁chunk ▁of ▁her ▁memory ▁has ▁been ▁er ased . ▁Bla ke ▁Red field ▁– ▁A ▁brilliant ▁young ▁expert ▁deal er ▁in ▁old ▁and ▁rare ▁books , ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁Spart a ' s ▁fell ows ▁from ▁the ▁program . ▁Also ▁Spart a ' s ▁main ▁al ly ▁and ▁rom antic ▁interest . ▁Dr . ▁K hal id ▁Say eed ▁– ▁A ▁Council ▁of ▁World s ▁planet ologist ▁based ▁on ▁Mars , ▁and