THE VELHARI GAMBIT - A Dust & Stardust Novel Book 4: For the ones who chose to stay when leaving would have been easier. (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798255160815)

Following their successful crossing of the anomaly in Book 3, the crew of the Rustbucket finds that discovering an untouched sector of the galaxy brings more danger than peace. Lyra's maps of the new sector have made the crew the most wanted individuals in the Outer Rim. To protect their discovery from falling into the wrong hands, they must navigate a high-stakes political maze controlled by the galaxy's most ruthless shadow syndicate: The Velhari.

The narrative shifts from the dark, open void to the hyper-luxurious yet deeply corrupt orbital space stations of the Velhar System. Unlike the rugged frontiers Cade and Lyra are used to, Velhar is a place of neon-soaked spires high-stakes casinos and backroom political dealing where information is the most valuable currency.

The central conflict is a battle of wits and survival against a syndicate that doesn't use warships, but instead relies on blackmail economic strangulation and assassins.