Ketayl and Silver are sent out on assignment to a Naval research facility in Sandpoint. Spelltech, using Naval Command's facilities, has been developing a new offensive and defensive ship system which incorporates both magic and technology.

An incident occurred, injuring one of the casters and damaging part of the system. Spelltech is pointing at the Navy as sabotaging the project and the Navy in turn believes it was an accident.

Has the prototype system failed or was it sabotaged?