Newly appointed Ambassador of Arel, Bendel Sologne, is on a mission to find and dismantle a secret cabal who has been working behind the scenes to destroy the very fabric of the Union of Planets. His investigation takes him from B'dar, where he has just helped his brother and sister-in-law uncover the conspirators within their midst, to the newest Union member, the planet of Olan II. A disabled space ship of former slaves provides clues, as well as the exotically beautiful Captain Mila, who knocks the always in control Bendel, off his pedestal. Mila and her crew of former slaves just want to make a living running cargoes from one planet to another. That's something their former master, Lorg Jartan, is just not going to allow. He's decided if he can't have them, no one can, and has set out to recapture or destroy them. When he almost succeeds, Mila and her crew are rescued by none other than the arrogant First Son of Arel, Ambassador Bendel Sologne. The fireworks are immediate. Mila appreciates the assistance, but she isn't about to repay the ambassador in the way he seems to think she should. Together, they follow a trail filled with treachery and danger, to uncover not only the secret cabal, but the mysterious origins of Mila and the powerful heritage that is hers to claim.