Paris Bresneva was a Martian with no obligations and one simple need - a job that paid enough to keep him in happy beer and occasional female companionship. He planned to look for such a job when the meager inheritance from his mother was gone, and there was a good chance that Paris would have lived happily ever after if he had done that, but he did not. The opportunity to be a genuine spy for the government had too much appeal to his inner child. Thus began his strange odyssey to become the first sniper on the Red Planet. The major nations of Earth and the settlements of Mars were on a collision course and some type of fighting war appeared to be inevitable. There was a big problem, however; factions had developed. Some were motivated by opposing political positions concerning relations with Earth, while at least one coalesced from personal lust for power and an obsession with controlling all of Mars. Paris soon found himself embroiled in parochial disputes that were quickly turning deadly, and he had to pick a side. Assistance in making that difficult decision came via a young rebel going by the intriguing name of Arbor. Her toughness and pragmatism rivaled his, but the same could not be said about their philosophy on life, until the bullet met the bone, and cousin fought cousin.