After the recent near-destruction of the USS Hamilton, Captain Galvin Quintos has been lying low, getting the USS Jefferson ready for service. In the midst of refurbishing the vessel, he gets a call for help from his former XO, new starship captain Gail Pristy. The Varapin have lured the 9th Fleet into a devious trap, and it's not long before Quintos has his orders to hurry to the rescue. But the Varapin have a colossal new warship—one that puts anything the US Space-Navy has to shame. Even after Quintos assembles a crew, he'll still need to pull a few rabbits, along with a few Symbio Poths, out of a hat to have any chance of surviving the coming battle. And Quintos' one last hope—reuniting with a past enemy—may prove as dangerous as fighting the Varapin themselves.
