The crew of the Vanguard is used to tough jobs. They've seen their share of wrecked ships and desperate distress calls as a blue-collar salvage team. But when they receive a request to assist the Lightspeed-a luxury vessel stranded in orbit around the pitch-black planet known as Obsidian-they expect an easy payday.

Then, they find the escape pod. Inside is Allan Marcum, a passenger from the Lightspeed. He's alive-but something is wrong. His eyes are too wide, his whispers too frantic. He speaks of horrors aboard the pleasure craft, things no sane man should say. And he seems particularly terrified of the dark planet itself.

Is the planet Obsidian evil?

Or is this man just dangerous?

Whatever the reason, the crew of the Vanguard is about to enter a deadly nightmare in the galaxy's far reaches.