War is coming, but will it bring freedom, or disaster? The planet of Benan Ty is just another poor and violent ex-Terran colony. Now the Chi!me, the major power in the galaxy, are coming to broker a peace deal between guerrilla group ViaVera and the government. For Quila, a rising figure in the Chi!me diplomatic service, the posting to Benan Ty could be the making of her career. Meanwhile Terise, one of ViaVera’s inner circle, is just trying to get her lover out with his life. But in a conflict where no side’s motivations are pure, they are both about to discover how much they have to lose. Set in a future where humanity has gone to the stars, but taken exploitation and oppression with them, this is a story of imperialism, resistance, friendship and ultimately, liberation. ‘Glitteringly good’ The Morning Star‘...an entertaining and exciting book about a serious subject, with a female hero whose optimism gives us everything to root for’ Theaker’s Quarterly Fiction‘A remarkable achievement... Graham-Leigh has written a book that stands with the unremarked, the overlooked, the dispossessed’ Counterfire ‘Artfully spun, marvellously executed... A virtually flawless SF tale’ The Prairies Book Review‘…an engaging tale that resonates with contemporary issues’ The Fantasy Hive.