Enigma — William Cross

With new friends and wealth at his disposal, Xard begins to seek out black market relics on the patina planet of Carcinia in an effort to recreate his brush with the supernatural signal. When rumors surface of a derelict vessel from the ancient past listing in the Skafos Reach, he begins an all-or-nothing gambit to secure its contents at all costs. Meanwhile, Shay struggles to keep her secret from being exposed as she waits for more word about her missing mate. Tensions flare when rumors emerge that the incident on Urm may not have happened exactly as she explained. As the political landscape begins to sour around them, the Mitera forces the hand of her corporate allies in an attempt to solidify her theocratic control and orders Shay into a new union with a young consort as an act of obedience. As mother and son begin to come to terms with the meaning of the signal, they find that it's a journey paved in darkness and betrayal. When they finally reach the end of themselves, will they uncover the truth about the signal's source, or will it simply remain an enigma lost to time?