After being punished for retreat from combat, Ranger David Martel is given command of the Liandra, a haunted 20-year old Minbari fighting ship. He's escorting ambassadors to a secret archaeological site, the oldest city on record and a clue to a dangerous ancient race.
Alix Miller arrives at the isolated Crompton mansion in New Hampshire to paint the portrait of the mysterious Leland Crompton. When they meet, she discovers that he is horribly disfigured from a disease called acromegaly. Nevertheless, friendship, romance, and a deeper understanding develop between the two.
