Jason Raynor has been back on the Gilead throne for six months and the downward spiral of the kingdom that began under the oppressive rule of his uncle has been stopped. People no longer live in fear of their government and a true sense of peace has settled over the nation. But as the pirate raids against interstellar shipping continue, the king is faced with a desperate decision. The impact of the increasing pirate activity is causing Gilead to slip closer and closer toward a devastating economic depression. Every undercover operative that has been sent to investigate the pirate network has either met with failure or mysteriously disappeared. As a result, Jason finds himself forced to turn to the one person he trusts who has experience moving in that world to help him infiltrate the pirate network: Cordass Pell. With rumors of a pirate fleet massing on the outskirts of inhabited space, Pell and his crew must use every trick at their disposal to pierce the inner workings of the pirate network and discover who or what is behind this growing menace. But can even the infamous smuggler captain discover the truth behind the pirate threat before interstellar war erupts?