Mal Lou has already settled into the new world—one full of secrets and the legacy of the Ancients. The boy has only to reach the rank of psionics master, and then he’ll have a chance to survive after meeting the ancient enemies, the Prix. But living quietly and calmly developing his gift doesn’t always work out. Rarely does a young psion manage to save a billion Sparks of Life. And not every sentient being gets the chance to create a promising corporation or to shoulder the burden of the Minister of Finance and Economy of the Empire.