Having unified humanity against a common foe, the Morrigan prepares for what promises to be a final battle. Using coordinates they recovered from a daring mission, they take an armada to the ervas homeworld where they hope to deliver a serious beating... the kind that will make their opponents listen. All the while Rita Peck finds herself the unwilling guest of Tobin Loch, the pirate who believes she owes him for the botched job that put her on this path. Alone, seemingly without help coming, she plans her own escape. Unbeknownst to her, several allies are en route, ready to put their lives on the line to liberate her. These men and women find themselves in a race against time, a desperate bid to save the galaxy as they know it... or die trying.