The Excalibur receives an important message from the Rangers: an alien race, the Moradi, are searching for a criminal they cannot retrieve easily. Hoping to gain knowledge that will help the Excalibur avoid several years of searching, Capt. Matthew Gideon agrees to find the criminal Natchok Var, who has stolen several datacrystals filled with important information.But there are several hitches to Gideon's plan. Natchok Var has been captured by bounty hunters based on Praxis 9. Praxis 9 is a planet with a poisonous atmosphere. Since the Excalibur will be going into an area not pledged to the ISA, the Alliance will disavow any knowledge of the Excalibur or her crew if they are discovered.Dureena Nafeel has been there before and knows Praxis 9 well enough to sneak Gideon and herself into the main dome. But there's something more about Praxis that Dureena knows -- something she dares not discuss with anyone. And Dureena isn't the only person who isn't telling everything...