Mary Louise Davie

When space settlers on a new planet find alien footprints and mysterious patterns in the ground, they are left to wonder what kind of creatures inhabit this strange world. Are they intelligent? Are they sentient? Even worse, are they dangerous? The settlers’ compound may be in peril from an enemy that has lain in wait, scoping out the newcomers’ weaknesses and defenses.

The only way to find out is for a team to locate and capture one.
Colonel Steve Jensenn, who led the settlers to this planet on a star ship named Sanación, heads up the military side of the team. Steve and his men must cooperate with the Civilian Leader, Jake Freeman, to formulate a plan and set a trap. A history of ill-will mars their efforts, but soon the trap is sprung, and a creature is netted and caged.

Fascinated by the creature’s apparent intelligence, Steve attempts to communicate with it. After an encouraging breakthrough, he gets word that the creature soon will be sacrificed. The civilian scientists have decided that the best way to determine its capabilities is to autopsy it—beginning while it’s still alive. During Steve’s battle to save the alien’s life, a civilian dies, and Steve is blamed.

With a death sentence now hanging over his own head, Steve searches for a way of escape. An unexpected rescue thrusts Steve into a bizarre cross-species alliance that tests his allegiance to his own kind. Will he and those loyal to him choose to side with the humans—or will they fight alongside the aliens who already called this planet home?