Captain Rian Holt's first mission seemed straightforward: explore an uncharted system, document what they find, return home.Then they discovered the Rukari-an advanced civilization guarding a terrible secret.Then they found the ruins-remnants of a species destroyed by an enemy that "learns, adapts, and never stops."Then the enemy arrived.Now Holt has three minutes to make a choice that will determine whether humanity becomes a trusted ally among the stars or repeats the mistakes of a civilization that's been dead for three thousand years.Some doors lead to friendship. Some to war. And Captain Holt is about to find out which one he's opened.