Lieutenant Daniel Leary of the Republic of Cinnabar Navy commands the corvette Princess Cecile with the brilliant Signals Officer Adele Mundy at his side. But when a diplomatic mission to the far-flung planet Strymon obtains an unwanted passenger, the Princess Cecile is catapulted into a brutal world of political sabotage. With assassins, pirates and traitors on every side, Daniel, Adele and their crack crew face the strains of a voyage never before attempted. And if they succeed, they must confront an enemy who can blow an entire fleet to smithereens. In this swashbuckling adventure, death is always an option. But for Lieutenant Daniel Leary, defeat is not.