The once magnificent planet Belarus has been cut off from the rest of the galaxy for centuries, and over time its people have fallen prey to superstitious fears and cruel bigotry. So when representatives of the new galactic Union finally contact Belarus, these emissaries are shunned and mistrusted. The Star Men claim to have the best interests of Belarus at heart, but they also harbour a secret mission – one related to the Enemies, the mysterious, brutal alien race that still lurks beneath the planet’s surface. Only Serina Kurakin Scriabin stands to unite the old world and the new. But the noblewoman bears the mark of the Last Resort, a birth defect caused by the biotoxins Andrei Mironenko unleashed a thousand years earlier in a desperate attempt to rid his planet of the Enemies. Her disfigurement is viewed by the people of Belarus as a punishment from God, so she must wear a heavy shroud at all times to shield her “sins” from view. Though shunned by aristocrats and peasants alike, Serina may harbour the answer to the Union’s secret mission – and the fate of Belarus itself...