The Excalibur is sent to rendezvous with a special courier for top-secret mission. Obeying the Senator -- and his companion, a rather bland little plumber -- Capt. Matthew Gideon proceeds toward Earth. But when the Excalibur encounters a disabled Starfury, Gideon decides to stop and rescue its nearly-dead pilot: Capt. Elizabeth Lochley.
After telling Lochley that he can't tell her anything about their mission, Gideon and Excalibur continue to Earth to pick up a very special person who will help them test the baseline for the Drakh Plague: Dr. Stephen Franklin. But, as they begin to check the details for Dr. Franklin, the little plumber who will serve as Franklin's baseline makes a call. It's only to his sweetheart on Earth -- but more than his sweetheart is listening to his transmission.