Meanwhile, the transapients increase in numbers and in power. Directly or indirectly they pervade every institution, from the political, commercial and military to the religious, artistic, and scientific. Behind the scenes, a fierce power struggle develops between those who are friendly to humanity and other lesser Terragens and those who are not. After much strife, the "pro-humans" are the victors. The survivors of the other factions, the hostile "anti-humans" and indifferent or isolationist "ahumans"�, depart for the stars in craft fashioned and propelled by technologies far in advance of anything known to the ordinary Terragens of the day.