Of all the Fueling Stations in all the solar systems, she had to be on FS-314. Tarateal Roberts, Captain Quinn Sayre's space shy ex-girlfriend, would be the only medtech up for reassignment in the whole damned quadrant?
When a Search and Rescue mission turns into a recovery mission, Sayre must sign aboard a third medtech or abort his mission to recover his wife's body from an uncharted world. His last chance to bring her home and find out what happened on the failed first contact mission.
Tarateal Roberts just wants to go home. Back to the safety of Earth. But the only way home to Earth is to gain deep space experience. She'd chosen this mission to uncharted Nearra because it was short, but if she'd known that Quinn Sayre held her contract, she'd have dumped this mission so fast. Like he'd dumped her on the steps of the flight academy. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but seeing him there on the tarmac brought it all back—raw and electric.
Unable to get out of the contract, Tarateal reluctantly boards the scout ship, not knowing that Sayre's wife and three other First Contact team members disappeared under suspicious circumstances.
Further complicating Sayre's life is the arrival of former military commander-turned-government agent who still blames Sayre for the death of his son and the destruction of his ship. Former Commander Kenrick Gage is assigned to oversee Sayre's contract and still vows to convict Sayre on privateering charges.
When Sayre and his crew reach the uncharted world, Nearra, they discover that something isn't right with the remaining First Contact team. They provide few answers about their missing team members and they seem eager for Sayre and his crew to to leave.
Forced to rely on each other, Sayre and Roberts struggle to uncover the fate of the First Contact team and locate Larena Sayre's body. Somewhere in the middle of conspiracies and the alien species on Nearra, Sayre and Roberts rekindle their relationship and rediscover what brought them together.
