Fair Trade

Jethri Gobelyn began life as the least regarded child aboard a Terran Loop ship, a family vessel that trades among the stars. He now serves as second trader on Elthoria, a premier Liaden tradeship, under the care of Norn ven'Deelin of Clan Ixin, a Master Trader who became his unlikely foster-mother. She has taught him a great deal and expects a great deal from him.

Jethri also carries a mission from his father: a plan to help Loop ships like the one he grew up on survive the spreading danger of Rostov's Dust. Several influential Looper families have agreed to back the plan and will meet to make arrangements at the South Axis Trade Fair. Ven'Deelin then makes him lead trader on a small ship of his own, scheduled to reach that same fair, and the timing looks almost too convenient.

That convenience may be a trap designed to test where Jethri's loyalties lie. He soon finds himself caught in a web of gray trading, mistaken identity, misinformation, and the galaxy's shifting politics. The book continues the Liaden Universe, a series written by Lee and Miller.