Nathaniel, is just about to get his new ship. Natty, his ship's Avatar is behaving oddly. On his maiden voyage he comes upon a hidden Alliance base. After freeing a freighter crew and its captain, he discovers that the Alliance has a cache of treasure in a nearby system that is soon to be picked up, and transported back to the Alliance core worlds. Nathaniel wants that treasure, and he needs to get there first. The Alliance no longer wants Nathaniel and his crew captured and enslaved. Now they want him dead, and have put a price on his head to make sure it happens. This new Bounty is issued before the Alliance even realizes they have been robbed.