Lieutenant General Chesneau was commander of the American FTL starship Commodore Perry on its maiden five-week voyage from Earth to Home. Chesneau arrived in the Tau Ceti system with orders to relieve the crew and diplomatic mission of the Admiral Peary and to return them to Earth. One exception to that order was Sam Yeager, whom Chesneau was surprised to find serving as the American ambassador rather than assisting The Doctor, who had been assigned to that role but had never woken up from cold sleep. Chesneau had been under orders not to allow Yeager to return to Earth aboard his vessel. At first he intended to carry out these orders and force Yeager to remain on Home in exile as punishment for exposing President Earl Warren's role in the nuclear missile attack on the Race's Colonization