David Drake [is] the reason a lot of people got started reading military science fiction, because it's always a good idea to start with the best.—David WeberThe war between the Republic of Cinnabar and the tyrannical Alliance still rages on. Now in command of a heavy cruiser, Daniel Leary and Adele Mundy have been sent to a remote star system on a diplomatic mission, with a scheming senator in tow. But when Cinnabar faces a crushing defeat – and Leary and Mundy come face to face with a brutal warlord and an aristocratic slave trader – the time for diplomacy is over.Up against impenetrable strongholds, deluded boy-kings and the brutal Alliance, Leary and Mundy face their toughest challenge yet. And, when Leary is injured, Adele must face it alone...