The Universe is a bloody mess. Time to put on your cleaning gloves. During a routine arrest, Van discovers a stolen spacecraft, its importance far greater than it first appears. Fast, sleek, and beautiful, the ship is a cultural relic from Linulla's people, and returning their property will set off a chain of events that reveals a new adversary. Rising in the ranks, Van's confrontation with a pirate leader isn't just a case of theft, but something far more sinister. And Van's going to take this case personally. He and his crew will chase the Salt Thieves and their leader in a game that can only have one winner. Will Van rise to the challenge? Can Icky control her temper? Will Perry make Icky wear pants? The answers are more complicated than they seem, and far more dangerous, for that matter, than anything Van has ever done before. But he's got a new edge on the Moonsword, a new rank, and a new crew as he takes his Dragon to the stars with one thing in mind...justice.