Andre Duroz, a former Frontier Alliance officer haunted by his past as a Sovereign Tracer, seeks solace in the quiet life of a salvager. Alongside his trusted crew – the skilled pilot Kat, the tech-savvy Bex, and the eager young engineer Caleb – he scours the edges of the galaxy aboard their ship, The Venture, seeking valuable salvage to keep them afloat.

Their latest job, a derelict luxury liner called the Kalendis, promises a much-needed payday. But when they arrive at the wreck, they find themselves caught in a carefully orchestrated trap set by Sovereign, the ruling power in the Settled Systems. Andre is confronted by Cormac Flynn, a former colleague turned Procurator, who reveals that Andre's contract as a Tracer is far from over.

Sovereign tasks Andre with hunting down General Symon Alistair, the infamous leader of the Frontier Alliance, believed to be dead but now rumored to be rebuilding his forces under a new guise. Andre is forced to accept, his crew's freedom hanging in the balance. He reluctantly returns to the shadows, embracing the skills and secrets of his former life.

The hunt for Alistair takes Andre and his crew across the galaxy, from the neon-drenched streets of Neo-Tokyo to the remote corners of the Settled Systems. Along the way, they face danger and betrayal, as they uncover a web of conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of Sovereign, and calls into question the truth of the events that ended the war.