A Matter of Profit

Strangers in a bizarre land -- that's what Ahvren's people, the Vivitare, are. They are the conquerors, the rulers now, of the T'Chin confederacy. Ahvren has spent the last two year fighting a brutal war on another planet. Here on T'Chin - where the planet surrendered before a single shot was fired -- victory doesn't seem so victorious. Ahvren welcomes the peace, but he doesn't trust it. How could all these people surrender so easily? Are they all cowards? Not likely. And his mistrust is justified -- rumors arise of a plot to assassinate the Vivitare emperor. But Ahvren's disillusion with war is greater than his mistrust of peace. The last thing he wants is to rejoin the emperor's fleet and conquer the next planet. So he strikes a bargain with his father: if he can uncover the plot to assassinate the emperor, Ahvren can choose his own path. It's a challenge that will take more wits than strength, and Ahvren's not sure he's up for it. But it's the most important test he's ever faced and his success is vital. Not only does the emperor's life depend on it, so does Ahvren's.