As the crew of the USS Resnik begins their journey back to DS17 on the USS ibn Al-Haytham the surviving members of the senior staff must comes to grips with not only the loss of their fellow officers but the scope of the invasion by the Vaaduwar. The scientists and secrets of C221 await them as well; almost an afterthought in light of the events of the last 48 hours.

With the Resnik adrift and uninhabitable the crew finds themselves without a home and without a purpose until Starfleet Command sees fit to assign them a new ship. They have no choice but to turn to each other as the bright light of dawn lays bare the destruction that was done during the Nightfall.