Van is a veteran now, and the lessons are getting tougher.
But so is he. When a ghost ship arrives in port, filled with the victims of a crime beyond imagination, Van and his crew will be drawn into a chase that goes beyond any star system the Peacemakers know. Beyond Guild borders, the Torus is a gateway to crime and profit beyond imagination. It' a wild, lawless place with few connections to the civilized stars, but Van and Torina discover a thread that connects the past, the future, and the present in a web of violence that can only be purged by fighting fire with fire. Unfortunately for the enemy, Van has a torch, and he's willing to use it. From the reaches of space where a secretive race ply their illegal trade, to the halls of Anvil Dark, Van will face his greatest step, and answer his most challenging question. After the Peacemakers, what comes next? And can Van survive it?