At the close of the twenty-fourth century, a series of revolutions has caused the galaxy to descend into chaos, and mercenary units have arisen for those who have the needand the meansto hire them. Kay, the alien member of the Cutter Force Initiative, has returned to her brutal home world, Vast,where her skills as a healer are sorely needed. Hundreds of Vastalimi are mysteriously dying, but is the plague a work of nature, or is it a bioengineered virus? Kay and Doc Wink will have to find out the hard way. With the Cutter Force light-years away, the two find the odds against themand on a planet where violence abounds and life is cheap, they may be facing a foe they can't defeat.
