The Nine are like boogey men on planets other than Earth, and just the name of this fearsome race of aliens strikes fear and anger into the hearts of other races. Nine creatures from a race so old their true name has been forgotten, they are assassins and killers, striking against their enemies like darkness in the night, leaving no hope of defeating them. The Samis Das are a warrior race, known for their skill in battle, but even they cannot stand up to the might of the Nine, and Sabin, one of their best, is one of the few left when they come for his people. He learns that the Nine have set their sights on Earth next, and he manages to sneak onto their ship and goes to Earth with them, determined not to let what happened to his people happen to the humans, who live in blissful ignorance of the dangers of space and the creatures that inhabit it.