The Ninth Artifact (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798264673498)

The crew decided to split up. They send the Shadow to keep trying to stop the warring parties in M33, while the Stardust III heads back for upgrades and some rest.

The situation in M33 turns out to be much more complicated than they initially thought.

Last-minute crew adjustments caused more stress than expected, and tempers are flaring.

They rescue more stranded aliens, some of whom don't want to be rescued.

Then, they rescue an alien that can only tolerate small amounts of regular air and would die if exposed to normal food or water.