In a galaxy held in a state of uneasy peace, two girls from opposite worlds join forces to escape their dark pasts.
Lisa Allen, 13, thought her life of luxury was perfect until a brutal Varnian, so feared that no one dares utter his name, shattered her world. Kidnapped and orphaned, she grapples with her new reality. Hope arrives in the form of Ciji, 18, a Dholamite slave who has spent her life enduring unspeakable horrors. When their paths collide, they seize a chance for freedom.
Now aboard the bustling Hague Space Station, seeking refuge and a fresh start, the two fugitives discover that the galaxy is a treacherous place, and the shadows of their past still loom large. Adapting to life among a diverse array of alien cultures, they quickly realize that the reach of their former captor extends far into the stars.
With warring factions vying for control of a secret that could alter the balance of power within the galaxy, Lisa and Ciji find themselves at the center of a brewing storm. Their choices are simple: defy the forces that seek them, or be dragged back into the darkness they fought so hard to escape.
In a galaxy held in a state of uneasy peace, two girls from opposite worlds join forces to escape their dark pasts.
Lisa Allen, 13, thought her life of luxury was perfect until a brutal Varnian, so feared that no one dares utter his name, shattered her world. Kidnapped and orphaned, she grapples with her new reality. Hope arrives in the form of Ciji, 18, a Dholamite slave who has spent her life enduring unspeakable horrors. When their paths collide, they seize a chance for freedom.
Now aboard the bustling Hague Space Station, seeking refuge and a fresh start, the two fugitives discover that the galaxy is a treacherous place, and the shadows of their past still loom large. Adapting to life among a diverse array of alien cultures, they quickly realize that the reach of their former captor extends far into the stars.
With warring factions vying for control of a secret that could alter the balance of power within the galaxy, Lisa and Ciji find themselves at the center of a brewing storm. Their choices are simple: defy the forces that seek them, or be dragged back into the darkness they fought so hard to escape.
Lisa Allen loved marketplaces! What thirteen-year-old doesn't? This one was on Pilibar, an unaffiliated world. It was always exciting, packed with strange and interesting people, and you could buy anything here. They're kinda dangerous as well, but that was part of the excitement. It was so different from Daddy's compound where she saw the same people every day.
Like most marketplaces, this one was about half a mile across, flat as a table, and run by the Qaalamite Consortium, a crime syndicate that seemed to be a quiet presence everywhere in unaffiliated space. Lisa made a game of hanging back or rushing forward just enough so that she was almost—but not quite—out of sight of her parents.
"Lisa," she heard her mother say. "Don't go so far. You'd better come back."
Lisa grinned. "Okay, Mom."
She started making her way back but almost ran into a very large man in something like a toga with thick, green fur all over his body. She looked up, and he was grinning down at her. He had big teeth that looked razor-sharp. She couldn't remember meeting any of his species but had heard about most of the ones you would meet in this area of space. A Varnian? she thought.
"You're very pretty," he said with a deep voice like a tiger's purr. "Especially the yellow hair."
Her eye caught a necklace the man wore that hung down to his chest. Baubles on a chain, but instead of jewels—bones. Fingers. A shiver went down her spine. "Thank you," she said meekly and went to move around him. He shifted his position and remained in front of her.
"Lisa, c'mon," her father said as he approached.
She made another attempt to get past the big, green man. He moved into her path again.
Daddy frowned. "Can I help you, sir?" he asked.
"Is she yours?" the green man asked, toothy smile fixed in place, never taking his eyes off Lisa.
"She's my daughter, yes," Daddy said, his eyes narrowing.
"How much do you want for her?"
Lisa and her father shared a confused glance. It took both of them a moment to realize what he was asking. "I don't want anything," Daddy said. "She's not for sale. She's my daughter."
The Varnian aimed his sharp-toothed smile at Daddy and flexed his clawed hands. "Everything's for sale," he rumbled. "She's very pretty. She'll be my new favorite." He turned his smile back toward her. "I can't wait to get between your legs."
Daddy's jaw dropped, then he barked, "All right, that's enough!" He reached around, grabbed Lisa's hand, and dragged her away. "Leave us alone, or I'll call the marketplace controller."
Lisa followed but couldn't take her eyes off the big, green man. She was trembling violently. The man kept grinning at her as Daddy hurried her away.
"You're gonna wish you'd taken the money," he called after them.
"Well! I have never ..." Daddy muttered as they went back to Mommy and the two crewmen who piloted their ship. "I'm going to report him to the authorities. How dare he ..."
Lisa was still shaking. Somehow, she knew her life had just changed.
When teenagers Lisa and Ciji stumble onto the Promenade of the Hague Space Station, they have nothing to their name but a stolen spaceship and blood-soaked blankets to cover themselves up with. The blood belongs to their former captor and abuser, a brutal Varnian whose name they are still too scared and traumatized to utter. Fortunately for them, Deep Space Outpost DB-359 is part of the Interplanetary Association, where they are free to make their own fortune, because slavery is illegal.
The two girls have vastly different backgrounds: thirteen-year-old Lisa is a diplomat's daughter, used to shiny palaces, private tutors and piano lessons, whereas Ciji was sold into slavery as a child and taught that sex work, hacking and thievery are the only ways she can be useful. However, when the Varnian slaughters her family and captures her to be his new favorite toy, Lisa learns that nothing in these worlds can be taken for granted. In her struggle to be free and take care of the younger Human girl, Ciji learns that despite the stereotypes that hound her species, Dholamites can actually be anything they put their minds to.
While the story focuses on the two unlikely friends, the cast of characters the two meet on the outpost is unbelievably varied and fleshed out. The unique species include, but are not limited to: telepathic beings that are used to interrogate others, short humanoid creatures that specialize in building and selling state-of-the-art technology, a blobby organism that can only communicate telepathically when touching someone, lifeforms with elastic skeletons, and many, many others. As Ciji and Lisa are slowly accepted by the inhabitants of the space station, the story takes on a somewhat cozy slice-of-life character and explores themes of found family, female friendship, second chances and healing from trauma. This is uniquely interwoven with thriller, mystery and space opera elements, especially when the larger stakes and the two girls' roles in all of it become clear.
The worldbuilding is incredibly rich and creative, going into astounding detail regarding different alien species' anatomies, customs and beliefs. The glossary at the end of the book helps keeping the different species apart, and is especially helpful when it comes to the politics. The main players and their various relationships are explained gradually and organically, and politics ends up playing a much greater role in the story than it seems in the beginning.
The story contains adult themes, including brutal violence and sexual assault, and these events are juxtaposed with the peace and order that reign on the Hague Space Station. Lisa's and Ciji's past experiences are revealed slowly and gradually in retrospect, which keeps the story dynamic and interesting. Witnessing them integrate into society is heartwarming and entertaining, particularly when Lisa's politeness and understanding of social cues complements Ciji's hard-earned life experience and her being the "adult" of the two. As the two grow and heal, and especially when Ciji interacts with other Dholamites and learns more about her species' heritage, the topics of inheritance and the continuity of species is also explored.
The uniqueness of the story lies in how much it manages to contain and still hold together: humor, terror, sci-fi, intrigue, twists and character studies. Perfect for fans of stories about resilience and emotional arcs.