The Shadow Wolf is gone.

Admiral James Henry has traded a war of weapons for one cloaked in diplomacy as leader of the fledgling Independent Systems Fleet. Fighting alongside the Terran Coalition to rid the Sagittarius Arm of tyranny was the easy part. Now forced into the political arena, he's never missed the freewheeling spacer's life more.

Or his scattered crew.

Leading them, Captain Miri Gaon is still haunted by past actions working deep cover for Coalition Intelligence Service. When pirates attack the Venture Star on a medical supply run to a frontier planet, age-old training kicks in.

And suspicions are raised.

"Curall" promises a miracle for whatever ails you. But miracles demand steep sums mere credits can't pay. When a vial lands in her lap from an unexpected source, Miri and her crew must get the Venture Star spaceworthy again and fight past vicious warlords and pirates to deliver the addictive drug to Admiral Henry.

Or see more worlds fall to an all-new enemy.