Synopsis: In this novel, mercenary leader Thaddeus Marcell travels under a false name and takes a sabbatical on a low-population planet called Ailon. Ailon is currently enslaved by the neighboring Avennians, partially because they lost their war for independence when Thad pirated a convoy of rebel weapons. On Ailon, he quietly volunteers with a medical charity that treats the slaves. But he soon discovers the charity is a front for a new rebellion, and they have desperate need for someone with Thad's leadership and combat skills. Despite his prior bad history with them, he now has the opportunity to set things right, though doing so will come at great personal cost.