A horde of savage green Martians has surrounded the Warlord of Yorn in Dejah Thoris's city of Lesser Helium. No red Martian will come to the aid of a backstabbing tyrant like Yorn, but Yorn has a big surprise in store, one he paid a very high price for. While the siege rages on, Dejah Thoris fights to free her one-time enemy, the Jed of Greater Helium. Valian, Yorn's son, has thrown in his lot with Dejah. It's only a matter of time before his father finds out...