Merethe Walther

Mercury in Retrograde Merethe Walther

Aralyn Solari spent the last three years of her life in the galaxy's worst prison after a compromised run ruined her flawless smuggling record five years prior. Now that she's free and has the promise of an easy job with a ridiculously large pay off, her last gig should be a cinch. As long as she follows the runner's standard, anyway: get in, get out, get paid. Then, she can spend the rest of her years retired on Earth, hidden away with some well-deserved credits. All of that changes, however, when she runs into her ex-boyfriend Caden Madigan: the man she suspects of setting her up all those years ago. Now, he's wearing a UDA badge and uniform, and says that she's in danger and being set up again. To Aralyn, the benefit of a huge payday outweighs the risks--or so she thinks until her "easy" job turns sour and she ends up wanted for a crime she didn't commit, her smuggled goods get stolen, and her ship--down to the toilet paper--gets trashed. Now, Aralyn's got no choice but to try a last-ditch effort to get her payload back, get her money, and maybe even some closure... which proves difficult when she finds herself caught in a conspiracy that threatens everything and everyone around her. With government agencies and stone-cold killers on her trail, Aralyn's life has literally become a ticking time bomb. Caught up in lies, revenge, and a harrowing game of blackmail, one misstep could end with her captured, enslaved, or perhaps even worse: thrown back inside the galaxy's worst prison for the rest of her life, waiting to die.