The story opens with a prelude that follows Hannu – the alias used by Number Three, one of nine Garde children hiding on Earth after their homeworld of Lorien was invaded – residing in Kenya where he is killed by Mogadorian assassins under the command of General Andrakkus Sutekh. The Loric are classified into two factions: the overseers known as the Cepân and the guardians known as the Garde, the latter of whom possess unique abilities known as Legacies.
The first book of the 'Lorian Legacies Series' 'I am Number Four', centers on the conflict between two extraterrestrial species: the Loric and the Mogadorians.
