A superpowered hybrid of alien species. A lifetime of expectations. A foreigner who contradicts them all. For Xlack Ekymé, life in the Napix Empire as a hybrid of two alien species comes with special abilities, historical figures for ancestors, and massive pressure to be perfect. When the emperor and his heirs die, Xlack accepts a mission in a region of space last visited in ancient history, where he flies into a web of alliances and feuds. As order falls apart, a new emperor rises, while far away Xlack's simple mission to rescue a lost ship and take a native hostage gets complicated. Navaria Twi shares part of his heritage and the uncanny talents that come with it, making her both dangerous and intriguing. Lines blur until Xlack is no longer sure whose side he's on. He and all those left floundering in the wake of change are out of time to figure it out.