It's hard to make your mark on the universe if you're dead. Anastassia Kazan brings an end to the fighting between Vayen Ta'set's homeworld of Artor and their rival, Jal. When she offers Vayen a job on her team of bodyguards, he leaps at the opportunity. He'll do anything to keep Artor on the path to recovery. Protecting the paranoid and mercurial woman whose deals and threats keep everyone in line is a tough, thankless task. One drunken night with Anastassia makes Vayen question why he got the job and whether he should keep it. But no one else on the team is willing to earn Anastassia's disfavor by calling her out on her reckless choices. Reckless will get her killed and send the Narvan back into chaos. Not everyone is happy with Anastassia's changes on his homeworld and beyond. She's also on less-than-friendly terms with her deadly ex-partner. Then Vayen discovers that Anastassia is only middle management. The Council she works for has ambitious plans for the Narvan's military forces and now they have their eyes on him. How much is Vayen willing to sacrifice to keep the Narvan at peace?