Beyond the sky there is hope. And danger. The rocket is ready, and the promise of a new future awaits Toume and Chi’s exploration of space. Yet that dream is turning desperate. Drought afflicts many islands, and the resources needed to repair the wells are becoming scarce. Only the launch can save many from dying of thirst. Then, an unknown menace from space, more powerful and more oppressive than anything Toume has ever known, threatens to disrupt any chance he has at saving his planet. They deliver an ultimatum—do not leave the planet or annihilation will come. But this threat does not unite the clans against it. The Ihaashe and the Vaghka seek to take advantage of the situation, and their scheming drives a rift between Toume and Karima, and their alliance, and there is little time to repair it. Toume must fight to save his planet, but only if he can save himself first.