Stephanie Rose is a flight officer with the Service and the mistress of one of the most powerful men on Alphox. Her life is perfect. So why does a chance encounter with a non-HU counter clerk on moon station disturb her so profoundly? It is not long before she begins to understand the life she knows is not her own. Who is manipulating her? And why? It seems she must find out for herself and it will not be an easy task. Stephanie's quest takes her across the galaxy from Alphox to a little-known planet so far away that few people have heard of it. It is a place of great natural beauty but it hides a deadly secret. Getting there is hard enough. The real challenge will be getting out alive.