The seventh original novel tying into the critically acclaimed and much-missed Firefly series from creator Joss Whedon. Serenity is bound for the planet Kerry with a hold full of sealed, unidentified cargo intended for the duke who rules the planet. Despite being an Alliance loyalist, the duke is a surprisingly genial man who is charmingly dismissive of his title, which he inherited from his father and only uses out of respect for the man. All in all, it's the fanciness and fun of Persephone's high society but with a lot less pretension. Inara has taken an appointment from the duke's top general, so the crew is obliged to stick around for a few days after their cargo is delivered, and the duke invites them to enjoy his hospitality--and spend some of the credits he just paid them back into the local economy. The liquor flows freely in the duke and duchess's court, and there's food, entertainment, and comfortable lodgings to win everyone else over. except for Zoe. Her gut says something is off.

In the town outside the court, there's no schooling for the painfully thin children who work in the local shops, there are no supplies and the people are so desperate they'll trade the wheels off their vehicles for any food or farm stuffs the crew can part with. The duke's soldiers enforce bloody and merciless order over the starving townsfolk as he lives in luxury. When local dissidents from the town beg the crew for help, there's no choice but to throw their lot in with the townsfolk, and overthrow the system that keeps them in grinding poverty.