Thawed out after a century of cryogenic sleep, Captain John "Black Jack" Geary has led the Alliance fleet through Syndicate Worlds space, thwarting the enemy at every turn--even within his own ranks--during the long journey home. Alliance prisoners of war are being held at a labor camp in the Heradao Star System, which also happens to be the location of the majority of the surviving Syndic warships. Determined not to leave any of his people behind, Black Jack Geary orders...
Mitch is a 25-year-old with commitment issues. Leonard is a five-year-old kid with asthma and vision problems, who captivates everyone he meets. Pearl is Leonard's teenage mother, who's trying to hide a violent secret from her past. Life has given Pearl every reason to mistrust people, but circumstances force...