Lieutenant Deilani already had trust issues. Now she has an appalling new assignment to inspect an independent mining station in territory that’s been recently annexed. The Demenis System might have become Evagardian space, but it’s populated by the Free Traders who got there first, all chafing at suddenly having to comply with quaint things like laws and taxes. Deilani’s a doctor, not a cop. She doesn’t care what these degenerates are doing as long as they’re doing it in compliance with Evagardian regulations, but it’s not that simple. She can handle dangerous people, but her training hasn’t prepared her to question the laws of physics or reality itself. The edge of space isn’t as lonely as she thought it would be; there’s something else out there with them, something no one understands. Time’s running out, and she’s on her own. There’s no one to trust, no rescue coming, and no way out.