After having foiled multiple assassination attempts during his training, fighting pirates, and encountering a group of terrorists bent on destroying entire solar systems. Desmond McLaughlin thought he’d have an easier time of it on official deployment.

     Which of course leads into an honor duel with another adept, more encounters with the terrorists, and learning from an Imperial Quester that the terrorists were actually a cult believed to be sponsored by one of the Hegemony’s neighbors.

     One would think that Desmond would learn to not tempt fate at this point...

     But that was not enough for the Clan Sire of Clan McLaughlin. Even trying to keep his head down and stop causing problems—as Captain Skytreader requested—Desmond can’t help but find trouble as the Fist of Defiance finally gets its replacement adepts and they head back onto their patrol route with the rest of the Seventh Border Fleet. At least he’s got his fifth guard picked out, now just to decide who will take the sixth slot on his team.

     The question that haunts Clan McLaughlin now is: what sort of trouble might they run into next? Accidentally sparking off an intergalactic war? Having a Rift go nova on them? Or maybe—just maybe—Fate might cut her favorite squeaky toy a break.

     Not likely.