Some of the main characters include Shan Frankland, hardened copper now infected with c'naatat; Aras, the lonely Wess'har, outcast by his horrible disease; Eddie Michallat, journalist who finds himself in a position to affect history; and Lindsay Neville, the Marines Commander trying to deal with the loss of her newborn son David, and bent on revenge on Shan.
The main characters are Shan Frankland, a copper infected with c'naatat; Aras, a Wess'har ostracized due to his illness; Eddie Michallat, a journalist who can influence history; and Lindsay Neville, the Marine Commander seeking revenge for her son David's death.