Angus Thermopyle was an ore pirate and a murderer; even the most disreputable asteroid pilots of Delta Sector stayed locked out of his way. Those who didn't ended up in the lockup - or dead. But when Thermopyle arrived at Mallory's Bar & Sleep with a gorgeous woman by his side the regulars had to take notice. Her name was Morn Hyland, and she had been a police officer - until she met up with Thermopyle.

One person in Mallorys Bar wasn't frightened. Nick Succorso had his own ship, a sleek frigate fitted for deep space. He had a reputation as a bold pirate, but not a bloodthirsty one. And he had the kind of charisma that made men follow him and women want him. Only the scars beneath his eyes - brutal knife cuts that darkened when his blood rose - indicated that he'd ever known defeat. You could almost feel the tension when he first saw Morn Hyland.

Everyone knew that Thermopyle and Succorso were on a collision course. What nobody suspected was how quickly it would all be over - or how decisive the victory would be. It was a common enough example of rivalry and revenge - or so everyone thought. But the real story was something entirely different... something none of them would have believed.