Synopsis: From the back cover of the DAW first printing: "He who controls the elixir controls the universe! Life eternal, the dream of all-too-mortal humankind, became a reality with the discovery of the longevity elixir. But as humans sent ever more starships downtime to colonize new planets, there was not enough elixir to meet everyone's needs. And so the Decemvirate ran a lottery, rationing the precious substance to maintain peace everywhere. Yet now there was a traitor among this elite ruling group, a tyrant who would destroy whole worlds to realize ambitions of power and conquest. And Calla, Commander of the Guard, for whom the longevity elixir was poison, not cure, had been chosen to catch the betrayer before it was too late. But when her mission reunited her with her long-lost lover, could Calla sacrifice their newly regained happiness to end the tyrant's reign?"