Volume II of ORBITS: "The Reluctant Revolutionary" continues the saga of the young Estonian, Jarmo Matson, as he enrolls at the University of St. Petersburg in 1903. He joins a politically minded group, "The Circle of Friends", where Russian students mingle with Westerners (Canadian, English, American, German and French) to learn about freedom and democracy. Coming from a country conquered by Russia and administered for her by the Baltic German Knighthood, Jarmo has a built-in prejudice against Germans and Russians. Yakov Kupinski, a fellow student and a revolutionary leader, tries to recruit him to Russia's revolution, but Jarmo resists. His goal is to regain power from the local Germans, along with an even bolder goal of breaking free of Russia.

Jarmo becomes friends with Dmitri Rogov, son of a wealthy industrialist. He falls for and becomes obsessed with Dmitri's sister Kira, a ravishing beauty who only toys with him. The Rogovs introduce Jarmo to the glittering life of St. Petersburg, while Yakov Kupinski shows Jarmo the seamier side of Russia. Unwittingly, Jarmo becomes involved with Kupinski's revolutionary schemes and narrowly escapes being part of a plot to assassinate the Military Governor of Moscow, an uncle of Nicholas II.

At a ball, Jarmo meets a poet, Kirill Bergamov, and a young actress, Lyudmila Pudnitseva. Jarmo and Lyudmila "hit it off" and their friendship becomes a most pleasurable affair. She reveals that she's a revolutionary with Kupinski and warns Jarmo that the poet Bergmanov is an Okhrana Secret Police agent who suspects Jarmo of revolutionary activities. The poet is also a rejected suitor of Kira, making him a doubly dangerous enemy.

A surprise attack by Japan finds Russia ill-prepared for war and forced to sue for peace. The oppressed nation explodes into the Revolution of 1905 and anarchy engulfs Russia. During that maelstrom of madness Jarmo is faced with personal disasters, and must chart his course carefully to avoid both the extreme right and Marxist dreams of world rule. He is caught up in the horror of events, and eventually becomes "The Reluctant Revolutionary". When armed Cossacks attack the student body at a demonstration, Jarmo is severely wounded while saving Dmitri's life. He recovers at the Rogov's home, where Kira again brings her fatal charms into play. Bergmanov plots Jarmo's sentencing to Siberia; Lyudmila Pudnitseva and Dmitri's younger sister Irina plot a prison break for Jarmo...