Terraforming New Baas

The people of planet Baas--an 8-limbed, all-female species--send a converted moon called the Mothership on a mission to terraform a distant planet for future colonization. Led by the feisty Senior High Councilor Cossaki, the Mothership crew leave during an era of world peace. But while they perform their groundbreaking work 150 years into the future, they learn from an accidentally-received signal from home that ancient conflicts between the two super powers, Guartaine and Gowtan, have resurfaced. Returning after another 150 years, they find Baas embroiled in a long-stalemated global war that extends throughout its solar system--and the Mothership is being sought by both sides as a decisive weapon Cossaki refuses to surrender the Mothership. But this leaves her crew without much-needed new supplies to continue the terraformation. Their only hope is to flee to a recently-discovered blue planet further out from New Baas that Toochla, their new head biologist, suggests may harbor the complex life their mission needs.