Now a celebrated war hero, Captain Kat Falcone is back again on the helm of HMS Lightning…and up against near-impossible odds. After an ill-timed outburst nearly ends her career, Kat is certainly handed command of the deep-strike mission into enemy space. The objective is to assemble cleverness and distract the hostile Theocracy as the Commonwealth prepares its counteroffensive.

The probabilities for success are slim-and for survival even slimmer.

Armed with a ragtag fleet of outdated starships, a few loyal officers, and a skeleton crew of refugees, Kat knows the Royal Navy desires her to fail. But failure probably means death-or worse, as the Theocracy will not deal with prisoners kindly. Pitted against the enemy defenses of her aged nemesis Admiral Junayd, there is absolutely no room for error. And with a spy concealed aboard her dispatch, Kat will need more than her wits to survive. Can Kat enter the lion’s den, strike a blow for the Commonwealth, and get away with her existence?