Alaric has destroyed everything in his vendetta against the Corollas. His crew hates him. Cassiopeia is ruined, his last friend abandoned within her mangled hull. Countless factions both criminal and Protectorate hunt him, forcing him to rely on the dubious benevolence of the mysterious Kingsman. Alaric's campaign against slavery backfires when Corollas unknowingly enslave him. Enemies and allies plague Alaric's efforts to survive inside and out of the verse's deadliest fighting arenas. Puppet masters and assassins slink from the shadows, offering help - for a price. Will Alaric risk plunging the Protectorate into a new intergalactic war just to keep his freedom? Will he sacrifice his past life to destroy the Corollas? Will Alaric surrender everything one more time for a final chance to save El?