Ordered out on a scientific expedition, Captain Thomas Cochrane of the Centauri Royal Navy would rather fight pirates instead of hunting floating slime in the atmosphere of a gas giant. But his enemy and former superior, Captain Shelley, is hatching plots against him, and his admiral wants him safely away.Natural philosopher, Bertrand Lile, struggles to balance his duties to Tom, his friend and captain, and to Concordia, a society of secrets, some...