Settled several generations before, Saragosa Prime has grown from a mining outpost to a populated planet. Time, Winner White decides, for democracy. Since Winner holds a controlling interest in the company that owns Saragosa Prime, his decision would seem to carry a lot of weight. But among the conglomerates that rule space, Winner's is one of the smallest, and none of the others care whether democracy takes hold—or even whether Winner is allowed to hold onto his company. When Zed Bartok invades, Winner is on his own to re-take the planet.