By SN Lewitt
First Published: 1989
Far in the future, humans and aliens known as the Akhaid live in the Collegium, a group of centrally governed systems and worlds. The Collegium is at war with the Cardia, made up of worlds which seceded after a group of their own malcontents pulled off a brutal terrorist act. Cargo is a Collegium navy pilot who, along with his Akhaid partner Ghoster, has transferred to the barren remote world Vanity to train in a new model of batwinged stealth craft. Cargo sees himself as a fighter pilot, pure and simple, and is openly distasteful when he learns that the batwings are intended for covert ops work. The plot thickens when it becomes clear there is a Cardia spy in their midst, stealing batwing technology.