When Luta Paixon and the crew of the Tane Ikai discover a dying wormhole explorer who's been missing for decades, it's a mystery; but the bigger mystery lies in her only words: "Save Lillifleur." Because the colony ship Lillifleur disappeared without a trace almost a century ago.

Meanwhile, a different mystery lies closer to home; Luta's son Karro and his wife want no part of the life-extending nanobioscavengers that have kept Luta safe from harm and aging for over fifty years. Confused, worried for their future, and even a little angry, Luta struggles to understand why anyone would reject the gift of near-immortality, even as the debate over nanobioscavenger technology rages throughout Nearspace.

Stranded in an unknown system with Karro and Aliande aboard, Luta faces potentially dangerous drones, a mysterious virus, and a looming alien threat to a forgotten colony. She'll have to contend with all of this and more before she can unravel secrets from her family's past, and hope for a little luck to get everyone home to Nearspace safe and sound.