Book excerpt: Mars destroyed his ship -- but gave him a new one. Mars drafted his Mage -- for the good of humanity! He should have known that wouldn't be the end of it... Captain David Rice has a new ship, a new crew, and a new set of Jump Mages to carry him between the stars. All he wants is to haul cargo, make money and keep his head down. His past, however, is not so willing to let him go. An old enemy is reaching out from beyond the grave to destroy any chance of peace or life for Captain Rice--and old friends are only making things more complicated! All he wants is to be a businessman, but as the death toll mounts he must decide what is more important: his quiet life or the peace humanity has enjoyed for centuries...