A distress call summons the Morrigan to a neutral star system in the middle of the frontier, a Gold Empire merchant fleet begging for help. They arrive to find wreckage and debris, signs of a fight with their new enemies the ervas. Their investigation takes them on a journey that may well cost them their lives. Meanwhile, Rita Peck and Lisa Erris return to confederate space, determined to uncover the conspiracy that has hidden the existence of the alien threat for years. When they visit a stomping ground of confed intelligence, they find themselves hunted by a desperate group of criminals who will stop at nothing to collect their marks.