Captain Rick Raine thinks he's just picking up a passenger and some cargo when he takes on Karl as a member of his crew. He didn't sign up for battling privateers, the United Planetary Alliance, and his own heart. But everyone has secrets in space, even a naive kid who knows more than he should.

Karl is on a mission, deep in the heart of enemy space. Sam saved him from a life of servitude and now it's time to return the favor. For that he needs a ship and someone to fly it. Captain Raine seems like the perfect guy, a good pilot and an honest thief. But Karl doesn't count on falling for the spacer, not when he has a mission to accomplish and the UPA's secrets to keep.