Expanding their possessions, conquering more and more stars, humanity was divided into rival factions. In the twenty-sixth century, collective collectivists are fighting supporters of “democratic anarchy.” When it seems that victory is already close, the Joints discover in space an approaching swarm of ancient thinking machines that call themselves inhibitors and consider their main task to be the destruction of any biological intelligence. The Joints do not believe that they will be able to withstand the onslaught of this new enemy, and intend to escape by exposing all other human tribes are under attack from inhibitors. Only one of them, the old warrior Clavain, chooses to stay behind to organize desperate resistance...