With the dust of the Dominion War finally settling, a group of Federation citizens have chosen to strike out on their own and colonise a world in the distant Charybdis Sector. Unwilling to permit civilians to travel into the wilderness without suitable protection, Starfleet has assigned the USS Intrepid to ride shotgun and provide assistance as needed. A fact which does not sit well with the fiercely independent colonists and Merchant Service spacers, who perceive Intrepid's presence as “overly paternal”. Understandably, relations between both sides are far from cordial, but when disaster strikes, and the fate of the colony hangs in the balance, both sides must struggle to put aside their differences if they are to survive.