While fleeing the scene of his latest mission, Liaden Scout Val Con yos'Phelium finds himself saving the life of ex-mercenary Miri Robertson. Miri, a young Tarren on the run from interplanetary assassins, has her own agenda. Forming an uneasy alliance, Val Con and Miri struggle to stay alive without having to kill each other, or surrender to the unexpected passion that flares between them.