Commander Nadia Petrovich, Science Officer of the Alliance Starship Galanti, has a problem-which has nothing to do with science. Her problem is Commander Huw Caradoc, the Galanti's Chief Engineer. She and the stubborn Prime male have a growing connection he refuses to acknowledge-a bond that could drive him mad. They are connected psychically and the bond grows stronger every day. If Nadia didn't know it was impossible, she would suspect they were mating in the Prime tradition-a biological imperative that locates and marks a Prime's optimum mate. But she isn't Prime, as Huw tells her and anybody who'll listen. Nadia's emotional anguish couldn't have come at a worse time. The Prime and Galactic Alliance merger is finally under way, and the all-male Prime crews are learning how to work with female Alliance crew members. The Antareans threaten the outer arms of the Milky Way, and Prime rebels wreak havoc on the Prime home planet and elsewhere. Despite the conflict surrounding them, Nadia and Huw will not be able to avoid their fate or their growing love. Prime selection will make the decision for them whether the timing is right or not.