Angel's Luck

Late on payments for his spaceship and abandoned by his crew, James May jumped at the chance to hire a copilot who came complete with cargo. Next thing May knew, the copilot was a washout, the cargo was worthless, and his ship had been repossessed by a chief in the Yueh-sheng crime syndicate. May needed the ship to survive, so he stole it back. But if he expected to live long, he'd have to repay his debts - so he could hardly turn down a job that promised wealth, heroism, and revenge against the Yueh-sheng.

When Angel's Luck was blown to space junk, trader James May and his crew could not collect their reward for retrieving the stolen Essence Phials, which held the extracted minds of humanity's greatest geniuses. So they were grateful to be rescued by the luxury liner Hergest Ridge, even if the commander was May's ex-wife, who had made it plain she never wanted to see him again.

Duke battles his possession by famous pilot Eric Dickson, while he and May attempt to steer clear of the Essence Corporation and find resolution to their problems.