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Plot
In the late 21st century, an interstellar war between humans (associated as the Bilateral Terran Alliance, or BTA) and Dracs (bipedal reptilian humanoids) is fought. Battles periodically take place between fighter spacecraft, and no human hates the Dracs more than Willis E. Davidge. During one such battle in 2092, Davidge and Drac pilot Jariba Shigan engage in a dogfight, which results in them crash-landing on Fyrine IV, a planet whose surface is largely a hostile volcanic wasteland. After initial hostilities where they viciously hunt one another, the two cooperate to survive. Over the next three years they become friends, each saving the other's life several times.
Davidge, haunted by dreams of spaceships landing on the planet, leaves in search of help. He finds evidence of humans but learns that the planet has only periodically been visited by human miners known as Scavengers who use Dracs as slave labor. He returns to warn Jariba, nicknamed "Jerry", only to discover that Jerry is pregnant; Dracs reproduce through self-fertilization.
To pass the time, Davidge and Jerry memorize each other's ancestry, agreeing that Davidge's lineage is "very thin". Jerry later dies in childbirth but makes Davidge swear to take the child, Zammis, back to the Drac homeworld and recite the Jariba lineage so the child can join Drac society. Davidge raises Zammis, who calls him "Uncle".
One day in 2095 a ship flies overhead, and Davidge goes to investigate. Zammis follows and is discovered by a pair of Scavengers. Davidge attacks the men, killing one, but Zammis inadvertently stands between Davidge and the other miner, and Davidge is gunned down. Later, a BTA patrol ship finds him, apparently dead, and returns him to his base space station.
During a funeral ceremony, Davidge suddenly awakens, speaking Drac in his confused state. He is reinstated to duty, but not as a pilot, as his superiors want to make sure he has not defected to the Dracs. Unable to get help in rescuing Zammis, Davidge steals a fighter ship to find the child on his own. He finds the Scavenger ship and sneaks aboard. Davidge speaks to the Drac slaves in their own language; they know about Zammis and realize he is Uncle. Davidge enters the facility, fighting one miner after another, and the slaves revolt. They are assisted by the BTA crew who pursued the stolen ship. Davidge is nearly killed by the same Scavenger that first shot him but is saved when one of the Drac slaves shoots the Scavenger. Davidge and Zammis reunite and return to the Drac homeworld with the freed Dracs.
In the epilogue, Davidge and Zammis are on the Drac homeworld as Davidge recites the Jariba family line before the Drac council, fulfilling his promise to Jerry: "... and when, in the fullness of time, Zammis brought its own child before the Holy Council, the name of 'Willis Davidge' was added to the line of Jariba."
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