It isn't easy being the leader of the Twenty Telmaj in a time of war. It's even harder when Firra, one of Smijj's oldest friends, decides she can no longer support the war or trust the Twenty. But Smijj doesn't have time for personal problems, not with Alcemitron, home of the Robots' Union, seeking an alliance with Telmaja.Things aren't always what they seem, however: Alcemitron wants more than an alliance. Someone has stolen an ancient and powerful device from them, a device that the Government might use as a weapon against Telmaja. Smijj and his friends must find the thief and stop him from handing the device over to Xentrova before it's too late-but the thief has a frightening secret of his own that could put Smijj and all of his friends in danger.