Having been imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit, Nigel - the unluckiest man since Calamity James, is accidentally rescued by a team of space mercenaries, turning his world upside-down. Meanwhile, an unexpected visitor has inhabited his old life, taking his job, apartment and also his secrets. When Earth was burned in the great war, Omega-4, Draconis system - Nigel's home, became humanity's last hope. Once terraformers landscaped the three habitable planets and colony ships arrived, it thrived. However, under First Minister Komarov, The New Alliance exercises an increasingly tight stranglehold on civilisation. Along with some of the structures and systems that were intended to herald a new future, The New Alliance's once benevolent ideals are crumbling. As he is whisked across the galaxy to face unimaginable adventure, only time will tell if Nigel will rise to the new challenges or wilt like a neglected pot plant.