Lieutenant Ramie Ashdyn takes a leave of absence from the Fighting Corps to return to the hellhole that is her home world. With vengeance in mind, she searches for a dangerous criminal who could help her unravel the conspiracy that's threatening the Coalition. But old enemies sabotage her efforts and jeopardize the lives of the few people she trusts. She will need to be cunning and ruthless to accomplish her mission, and that means scrapping her conscience and burying emotions her adversaries could exploit.
Being cold and heartless would be easier if the Coalition hadn't sent "Rest in Peace" Rykus to retrieve her. Ash is their only way of detecting the telepaths who have infiltrated the government. Rykus must keep her safe until they can escape the planet, but with secrets between them and Ash determined to contact the Known Universe's most feared crime lord, staying alive and together might be an insurmountable feat.