by Jonathan Walson (Nightsaber47)
In a galaxy teetering on the brink of war, Gracie is just trying to stay hidden. As an Altrant—a genetically augmented human hunted for extermination by Earth’s Control and Compliance Bureau—her safest bet is hiding in plain sight as the XO of the heavy freighter Blue Six. What she didn't plan on was Kerry Vorcek. The ship's captain is rugged, fiercely loyal, and bears the traumatic, physical scars of a past spent as a slave to the ruthless Red Runner pirates. Against all biological odds, Gracie and Kerry forge an intense, mind-melding neural bond. But their sanctuary is shattered when Miriam Fokker, Kerry’s sadistic former owner, discovers he is alive. Kidnapped and hauled to a heavily fortified asteroid base to be used as bait, Kerry is out of time. Now, Gracie must shed her civilian disguise. Earth’s assassins are closing in, the pirate clans are mobilizing, and Gracie is about to show the galaxy exactly what a genetically engineered weapon will do to protect the man she loves.
