Caught behind enemy lines, Captain Jaxon Steele fought his way out and saved the Union fleet from a devastating ambush. Now, as the Hegemony attacks on all fronts, Steele prepares to fight back. Enemy forces are gathering in the independent Santana system. Santana is lawless and desolate--but it's the perfect launchpad for an attack on Union space. Is the Hegemony preparing to invade? Steele takes command of the destroyer Wolverine, with orders to gather critical intelligence on this new threat. In a system where dangers hide in every shadow, even the smallest error could put his ship in the crosshairs of a pirate cruiser or a Hegemony battleship. Steele needs stealth and secrecy to pull off this mission. But Wolverine is a relic of the last war, with failing systems and a mutinous crew. Even worse, the intelligence operative Miller has come aboard without warning. It's clear this is no longer a simple recon assignment--far more is at stake. As they journey deep into hostile space, a lethal conspiracy begins to emerge from the darkness. Can Steele transform his new ship into an effective weapon of war? The future of the Union is at stake and only a Command Decision can save it.