Lieutenant Ramie Ashdyn is going home—or rather, to the hellhole that is her home world. With vengeance driving her, she's intent on tracking down the criminal who can help her unravel the conspiracy that's threatening the Coalition. Unfortunately, old enemies are sabotaging her efforts, jeopardizing the lives of the few people she trusts. To accomplish her mission, she'll need to be cunning and ruthless, and that means scrapping her conscience and burying emotions are adversaries could exploit.

Of course, being cunning and ruthless would be easier if the Coalition hadn't sent "Rest in Peace" Rykus to retrieve her. Ash is the only person who can detect the telepaths who have infiltrated the government, and Rykus must keep her safe until they can escape the planet. But with secrets between them and Ash determined to contact the Known Universe's most feared crime lord, staying alive—and together—might be an insurmountable feat.