When Jelena Marchenko learns that her parents have incurred a huge debt due to her previous actions, she's determined to find a way to pay it off. But running cargo doesn't pay anything off quickly. She comes up with a scheme to turn herself and her eclectic crewmates into mercenaries, at least for long enough to make some money.

Unfortunately, Jelena has no interest in maiming, killing, or otherwise tormenting people, the typical things mercenaries are hired to do. She's relieved when, with Prince Thorian's help, she finds a mission that seems perfectly suited to her team: rescuing prisoners of war.

But what was supposed to be a quick way to earn money soon turns into something devastating and deadly. Caught between two sides in a war fueled by centuries of resentment, Jelena must choose between her needs and the needs of a planet. No matter what choice she makes, she risks her ship and the lives of her team. Does she truly have what it takes to be a mercenary?