Life had been far too comfortable for far too long.Corrupted by age, stagnation and centuries of easy living, the Federation had become a soft target for infiltration by the agents of a subtle and malign newcomer to Federation space. With the Federation leadership weakened almost to the point of paralysis, the time was ripe for overthrow and conquest.At the reception desk of a minor spaceport on one of the lesser homeworlds, Helle Saarling was bored. She was bored with her life and bored with her job. Her boredom plagued her, so today she was being thoroughly snarky with everyone around her.That was about to end abruptly and permanently. The woman striding towards her across the chrome and plate glass corporate lobby was going to make that happen.

The woman, The Lady Maggie Braeger - also known as 'The Bosses Daughter' was about to pluck young Helle from her mind-sucking non-event of a life and send her on a dizzying and sometimes terrifying adventure into the middle of an inter-galactic war few people had any idea was coming.The ex-receptionist was to learn many things in the coming months. Not least she was to learn all about another Helle who had been lurking inside her all her life. It was a Helle who, sometimes, she wasn't at all sure she liked very much.