Humanity has escaped the dead Earth, but can they escape their dark flaws? Distinguished officer Faith Benson seemed headed for a promising career in the Kedraalian Republic Navy. Then came her dead-end assignment to the search-and-rescue ship Pandora. After an accident sends the Pandora into the demilitarized zone separating the Republic from the brutal Azoren Federation, a series of events pushes the two powers closer to war. And when war involves starships capable of bombarding planets, there are no winners.
