Humanity lies in ruin. The once invincible human empire has crumbled, and refugees struggle to survive on backwater colonies and broken ghettos on the fringes of the galaxy. Worst of all, any child born with a spark of psychic potential is hunted down by elite telepathic operatives of the ruling alien government. But now, with the entire species on the brink of extinction, everything is about to change...For nearly ten years Jenavian Vale has faithfully served the Convectorate as a Spider, tracking down and capturing potential telepaths before their powers grow out of control. But when she finally catches up to her latest target, she realizes he is more than just another rogue "Fly"- he is none other than Markus Coveri, her former partner and the only Spider to have ever defected. And he holds the key to an ancient secret that could change the course of human history.As the chase begins, Jen must pit her loyalty for the Convectorate against the fate of her own beleaguered species...and her loyalty to the Spiders against the life of her only friend. The Spider and the Fly is an action-packed adventure full of colorful characters, dazzling space battles, and galaxy-spanning conspiracies-in other words, the consummate Space Opera (160,000 words).