Centuries after The Extinguishing, The Consortium has hunted free Sages to near extinction. There is no more war, only running, hiding, and hoping that The Extinguishers never find you. They have the power to fly through space unfettered by a ship and to hurl planets into stars, but few can affect life, for its Will refuses their control. Still there are a few stubborn Sages who choose to make biology their domain. Arius is one such Sage. Over her fifty year pregnancy, she roamed The Rings like a rogue comet, causing enough cosmic mischief to keep astrocartographers busy and earning herself a place atop the universe's most-wanted list. But this isn't her story; this is the story of her son, Exterrus Rey Solipso. On his thirteenth birthday, Ex awoke to a cold breakfast. His mother was gone, leaving only her gun and a letter. Now he lives the life of a ring runner, searching for fast money and clues as to why Arius suddenly vanished. He wasn't expecting to find either when he docked at an old bioark in the middle of a Stratum, far from the bustle and civility of The Rings, but he'll get more than he ever wanted of both. Arius never told him about the legacy of his name, she never taught him the ways of a Sage -- not a single macro -- but the fifty years of baking time in her belly weren't for fun. If Ex can survive the dangerous blend of his own ignorance and arrogance, he will inherit his mother's place atop the universe's most-wanted list.