All of Sharud is singing about a man in a hood. He could be a hero—if he wasn't so determined to destroy himself. Robb Locke is doing his best to hit bottom, and even his childhood friends Ged Gizabón and Marah Madán can't help.

Explosions, riots, political unrest, assassination, and the threat of starvation are still swirling through the entire system. And now the Parl Regent Jun Planetagen's flagship has entered orbit for the First Harvest Fête. Jun has plans of his own, especially for Marah—and those plans are murderous indeed.

The war is over, but "peace" is always a relative term...