The Commonwealth vessel Andromeda, captained by Dylan Hunt, responds to an urgent distress call to find itself lured into a trap. Nietzschean warships surround them and open fire. Captain Hunt, in a last ditch effort, evacuates the ship and maneuvers toward a nearby black hole. Hunt's first officer, Rhade, a Nietzschean himself, betrays Hunt and attempts to kill him, but Hunt perseveres, killing Rhade in the process. Time dilation near the black hole slows time for the Andromeda and Dylan until a freighter tows it out 300 years later. Dylan now must fight off the band of scavengers attempting to claim his ship as salvage.