An incipient space-faring saurian civilization that has hidden itself from the rest of the galaxy—told entirely from their point of view.
We are the aliens. Humans and our Asterian allies have constructed a gigantic domed starship, Andromeda, and set out on a voyage of discovery toward a region of deep space called the Cosmic Microwave Background Cold Spot—first stop, the star Ran in the constellation Eridanus. We arrive as the saurian natives of the planet Arcan undertake their first crewed voyage around their moon, Lodan. During their transit behind Lodan, we surreptitiously transport their astronauts from their Apollo-like capsule into our starship. The first indication Arcan Mission Control has that something is amiss is when their capsule appears from behind Lodan without their astronauts. Their ensuing investigation tells them that aliens have abducted their astronaut team.
Thus begins an engrossing tale of a reptilian race that has deliberately kept itself hidden from the rest of the galaxy, fearing the military might of the civilizations it has observed by monitoring their uncontrolled electronic transmissions, and that must now integrate itself with an advanced alien species—all seen through Arcan eyes.