Someone is killing kingcat cubs. Whole litters of them. Wildlife conservationist Ren Hunter is asked to investigate. She agrees to relocate a pair of healthy cubs to Amenti, a planet on the human-N'adiim Border, in a desperate bid to save the species. Core Worlds' Combined Forces are in need of a mobile AI, and want to buy Panthera. His creator, Bryn Hunter, has other ideas. Panthera is sentient and there's no way Bryn will allow the military to send his precious creation into a war zone. So he steals Pan, and gives him to his sister Ren. But CF are serious about finding the AI and Bryn is forced to run for the Border to avoid interrogation. Ren realises that Amenti won't be the safe haven she'd hoped for. She has to find out what is going on before CF can seize Panthera and her precious cubs are killed.