The First Rule is the most important: 'Always run, never fight'. For 3000 years Mia's family has shaped Earth's history to push humanity to the stars, making brutal, wrenching choices along the way. And now, in the year of 1968, Mia finds herself about to help launch the first people into space. She can't take them to the stars, not quite yet. But with her adversary almost upon her, and with the future of the planet at stake, one thing is becoming clearer: Obeying the First Rule is no longer an option. For the first time since her line's first generation, Mia will have to choose to stand her ground. But the overwhelming odds mean that she risks not only her bloodline, but also the future of the human race . . .