The Ha'ak had simply come to trade. The universe had other ideas. When a dirty, naked creature dashes onto their ship with armed Talit in desperate pursuit, they know something is up. When the creature begins to utter sounds that sound suspiciously like sentient speech, Captain Mauu finds himself in a quandary. The Ha'ak don't permit slave trading, while the Trade Confederation only extend rights to members. When the Talit claim Mauu and his crew have stolen their merchandise, Mauu finds himself in a quandary as the livelihood of his entire clan is at stake. He knows one thing. Even if he wasn't captivated by the being with the startling blue eyes, he could never stain his honour or that of his crew or his home world by participating in slavery. But how to claim the strange male so that he falls under member protection?