Khyria Ilan is a commander in the Cortii, the most elite mercenary organisation in known space. With a past she can't remember, and commanders who would love to see her dead, her future is likely to be short: her command faces their ultimate test to prove their right to survive. When the odds are impossible, sometimes the only thing to do is play the game ...

The Cortii are mercenaries, for hire to anyone who can afford their services. From their beginnings in humanoid pre-history, they have grown and colonised to span every galaxy. Every government uses them; no single government can destroy them. To the Councils that rule the Cortii, eleven lives are easily replaced. For the newest unit in their ranks, those eleven lives were half their number. To their commander, they're a marker she has every intention of making good on, and while some of her unit's wounds are less visible, it doesn't mean they can't be lethal.

The Cortii are mercenaries, for hire to anyone who can afford their services. Every government uses them; no single government can destroy them. A newly discovered world. An opportunity for the Cortiian rebels. And a mission for Wildcat Cortia... The Federated Planets Alliance scouts have discovered a new human civilisation; a civilisation not suited to their usual contact protocol. They want a Cortiian to test the waters, and the rebel faction has a very specific commander in mind for the mission - Ilan of Wildcat. To Ilan, the orders are a convenient pretext. To an ancient feudal culture...