▁returning ▁ships . ▁ ▁Unable ▁to ▁leave ▁a ▁message ▁dr one ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁miss iles , ▁the ▁Franklin ▁fle es ▁to ▁T au ▁Cet i . ▁ ▁Dis cipl ine ▁breaks ▁down , ▁the ▁captain ▁is ▁killed , ▁and ▁a ▁nucle us ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁crew ▁forms ▁behind ▁a ▁man ▁named ▁Carl ▁D onn an . ▁ ▁D onn an ▁is ▁an ▁engineer ▁and ▁advent urer ▁who ▁gave ▁up ▁wand ering ▁the ▁Earth ▁for ▁a ▁chance ▁to ▁see ▁the ▁galax y , ▁cour tes y ▁of ▁a ▁Senator ▁who ▁ow ed ▁him ▁a ▁favor . ▁ ▁Now ▁he ▁is ▁leading ▁almost ▁ 3 0 0 ▁men ▁on ▁a ▁quest ▁for ▁other ▁humans , ▁and ▁for ▁Earth ' s ▁murder ers . ▁ ▁Chief ▁suspect s ▁are ▁the ▁Kan dem iri ans , ▁especially ▁since ▁the ▁miss iles ▁sw arm ing ▁through ▁the ▁Sol ar ▁System ▁are ▁Kan dem i rian . ▁ ▁Earth ▁is ▁new ▁to ▁inter stell ar ▁trade , ▁and ▁a ▁hand ful ▁of ▁ships ▁have ▁gone ▁out ▁into ▁the ▁wider ▁gal actic ▁society . ▁ ▁The ▁men ▁realize ▁they ▁have ▁little ▁hope ▁of ▁finding ▁other ▁humans , ▁let ▁alone ▁women . ▁ ▁They ▁do ▁have ▁a ▁guide ▁with ▁them , ▁an ▁al ien ▁called ▁Ram ri ▁from ▁the ▁pol yc ult ural ▁society ▁origin ating ▁on ▁the ▁planet ▁Mon wa ing . ▁ ▁Ram ri ▁is ▁a ▁b ip ed ▁desc ended ▁from ▁fe ather ed , ▁bird - like ▁cre atures . ▁ ▁Some ▁time ▁afterwards , ▁the