Dominic Flandry gets sent to put down a rebellion against the Terran Empire. His investigation reveals that the rebellion is morally justified: an evil governor had engaged in mass murder against innocents. However, Dominic Flandry cannot stand by while the good-intentioned rebels throw the empire into chaos; neither can he allow the governor to bring his vile plans to fruition. To complicate things, Flandry falls in love with the rebel leader’s wife