The desert moon Factus, lost on the outskirts of populated space, is reminiscent of the Wild West - “law and order” are empty words here. Ten Lowe, a former army doctor and escaped prisoner, tries to atone for his part in war crimes when he rescues a teenage girl from a crash. But the girl is a product of the military's child soldier program, a general who fought on the other side of the front. The former adversaries must navigate a difficult and dangerous path through the desert, where they are pursued by government troops, looters and organ hunters. But Lowe is much more afraid of the unknown force that lies in wait for humanity at the edge of the Universe.