After a grueling battle that cost him dearly, mercenary captain Viktor Mandrake wants nothing more than to get his ship repaired, let his men have leave, and spend time relaxing with Ankari. Entrepreneur, schemer, and leaser of his company's one and only pink shuttlecraft, she has become the woman he loves and wants to keep at his side.But as soon as Viktor sets foot on the space station Midway 5, it becomes clear that the Galactic Conglomeration Fleet wants him arrested for past grievances. As a mercenary, confronting the Fleet isn't wise (it's not wise for anyone else, either). Normally, Viktor would collect his people and depart, but a mysterious disease has resulted in a quarantine, leaving him stuck on the station with no access to his ship or his crew. Fortunately, he has Ankari with him, but unfortunately, Ankari's family has been pointing out all of the reasons why she shouldn't be flying around on a mercenary vessel. And he's not certain they're wrong.If Viktor and Ankari can't find a way off the station before the Fleet ships arrive, Viktor may never escape. Worse, no matter what happens, he risks losing Ankari forever.

Skulking around in the ruins on a planet swarming with treasure hunters, slavers, and bounty hunters isn't good for one's health. But Ankari Markovich needs a few archaeological samples for her latest business venture, a venture that might prove lucrative enough to move her family off the impoverished planet where she grew up. Unfortunately, she has no sooner collected her samples than she's captured by a band of brawny mercenaries.

When Jamie Flipkens signed on as a pilot and engineer for a small medical research company, she never expected to end up on a mercenary ship full of hulking soldiers who want to make her their latest conquest. The captain has been good to her - it doesn't hurt that he's her boss' new beau - but she's on the verge of quitting when a strange man shows up at her shuttle door.

Kalish has been a successful treasure hunter for years, relying on only herself to deal with deadly predators, impenetrable jungles, and diabolical booby traps. But with her father kidnapped, and a notorious pirate demanding an ancient alien artifact that may or may not exist, Kalish needs help. She hires a mercenary company because she needs their combat experience and their piloting skills - the intelligence officer with the background in translating alien hieroglyphics could come in useful, too.

Sergeant Heath “Tick” Hawthorn, the best tracker in Mandrake Company and the captain’s right-hand man, has been admiring microbiologist Lauren Keys from afar for months. Unfortunately, she’s dedicated to her science and doesn’t seem to have any interest in relationships. He’s not even sure she knows his name. Determined to change that, Heath develops a surefire plan: He signs up to be a specimen in her latest study.