The galaxy is a dangerous place.Especially for Cody Perrin-runner, fugitive, and the only Human known to the Empire. Taken from Earth as a teenager and forced into the Empire's brutal Runner Program, Cody was meant to be disposable: Hunted down within days or weeks like all the rest. But Cody has survived ten years-longer than any other-turning him into the Empire's favorite quarry. For captains like Anax, chasing him isn't sport anymore. It's personal.With only Max, his sharp-tongued AI companion, Cody's made a career of staying one step ahead. But when they seize a ship that shouldn't exist-a vessel from the future with stealth systems no Imperial sensor can track-they gain more than just an edge. They gain hope. And questions. Who built it? Why is it here? And what does it mean for Earth, a world the Empire must never find?Cody's fight isn't only about survival anymore. It's about trust: in Max, in the found family they stumble toward, and in Corassà-the Empire soldier turned AWOL whose partnership threatens to become something deeper. As the Passalti struggle to rise from the ashes, and the mysterious Kengarins move behind the scenes, Cody must navigate a shifting war where the wrong move could expose Earth's location. And if Earth falls, it won't merely be enslaved like most of the galaxy, it will be utterly destroyed.The Runner delivers high-stakes space opera with a queer heart: m/m romance, ancient mysteries, found family, and the relentless pursuit of freedom against an empire that won't stop hunting.