Deia has difficulty keeping partners; no matter how hard they try, they keep winding up dead. Bad enough in a special operations unit, but Deia is a Gemini, meant to work with a partner at a level of intimacy that leaves all his other relationships dull and distant by comparison.

Tired of his partners dying, Deia is ready to transfer to Scorpio, where working alone isn't a problem. When his boss stipulates he'll only sign off on the transfer if Deia meets a new candidate, Deia reluctantly agrees to try one last time.