In an alternate, sci-fi reality, Roy Campbell is and Earthman and pilot wanted by the Coalition. He seeks refuge with the Kraylens, who live swamps of Venus and consider Campbell almost one of them. A man who Campbell refers to as Father tells Campbell he must soon leave and not come back. Campbell is shocked and resistant, as he also feels close to the Kraylens. The Kraylen called Father explains that the Coalition is moving in on the swamp and plans to put the Kraylens in camps so they can collect the natural resources in the swamps. Campbell still refuses to believe that nothing can be done. Campbell explains to Father that there is still hope - for the Kraylens to be taken in at Romany.

Romany is in orbit around Venus, and it is named after the Romany on earth, who were itinerant. Romany has often taken in refugees when the coalition moved in on them. Campbell leaves the Kraylens and takes his ship to Romany. In order to be able to land, he announces his ship Black Star and makes contact with a Taxil on his screen. The Taxil connects him to Tredrick, a Terran Overchief on Romany. Campbell asks for help and refuge for the Kraylens, but Tredrick refuses to help. The, just as Campbell is feeling out of luck, the Taxil returns to his screen and agrees to help Campbell, saying that he and some others still consider Romany a refuge.

Campbell lands on Romany and is apprehended by a large man who, instead of one hand, has a hook of polished Martian bronze. The man is named Marah, and he doesn't trust Campbell and refuses to believe his story or his connection to the Taxil, so he begins cutting his hook into Campbell's neck. But before Marah can kill Campbell, a woman stops him. Through her connections on the planet, she can vouch that Campbell's story is true. Marah listens to her and lets Campbell go.

Marah and the woman, Stella Moore, explain to Campbell that although Romany has long been a place of refuge, there is now a civil war in the planet. They suspect that Tredrick, who is the acting leader on Romany, and the old men in Romany's Council are working for the Coalition, and want to make Romany a regular, rule-abiding settlement. Marah and Stella, among others, are against this because to them, becoming a settlement would mean to stop being itinerant and to stop being Romany. Stella wants to help the Kraylens, and sends telepathic orders to prepare a ship to go get them. Shortly after, she receives a telepathic signal alerting her that one of their own has been taken by Tredrick. Campbell, Stella, and Marah make their way to the ship. When they get closer, they see many people of Romany waiting in support of the rebels and the Kraylens. Tredrick is also waiting there and announces the Kraylens are traitors for protecting Roy Campbell, a "dangerous criminal." Tredrick warns that no one on Romany is to help Campbell. Now unable to get to Romany with their original plan, they must come up with a new one. Campbell takes the lead and takes off alone in his ship to distract the Romany guards. They pursue him, and although he puts up a good fight, they eventually do critical damage to his ship. Campbell ejects himself from the dying ship with a rocket pack and space suit. He heads to Tehara province, near where the Kraylens liv and where Stella and Marah are now waiting for him. They were able to take a ship there while the guards pursued Campbell.

Campbell leads the three of them to find the Kraylens. As Father predicted, the Kraylens had been imprisoned, but Campbell knows the area well enough to guess where they are being held. With magical harp music that puts the guards to sleep, Campbell, Stella and Marah are able to get past the guards and free the Kraylens. But as the Kraylens are fleeing, Tredrick appears and corners Stella and Campbell. Campbell tells Stella to run and engages Tredrick in a shoot-out, killing him.

Campbell catches up with Stella and directs her to take the Kraylens and relocate Romany so it is safe from the Coalition. He predicts that the Coalition will want a scapegoat to blame, and he insists that he needs to stay to protect Stella, the Kraylens, and everyone on Romany. Stella kisses Campbell before she leaves, and Campbell promises he will be back.