author : Thomas Pope

Lieutenant Travis Long of the Royal Manticoran Navy is sort of person who likes an orderly universe. One where people follow the rules. Unfortunately, he lives in the real universe.

Fortunately, Travis is one of those rare people who may like rules but has a talent for thinking outside them when everything comes apart. That talent has stood him—and the Star Kingdom—in good stead in the past, and it’s one reason he’s now a “mustang,” an ex-enlisted man who’s been commissioned as a King’s officer.

At the moment, there are powerful forces in the young Star Kingdom of Manticore’s Parliament which think they don’t need him. For that matter, they’re pretty sure they don’t need the Royal Manticoran Navy, either. Unhappily for them, the edge of the explored galaxy can be a far more dangerous place than they think it is. They’re about to find out why they need the Navy… and how very, very fortunate they are that Travis Long is in it.

Travis Long and Lisa Donnelly of the Royal Manticoran Navy have been stalwart defenders of the Star Kingdom through thick and thin. Now the challenges are greater than ever. After the disastrous attack on the Manticoran home system by forces unknown, the Royal Manticoran Navy stands on the brink of collapse. A shadowy enemy with the resources to hurl warships across hundreds of light-years seeks to conquer Manticore, while danger lurks within the Kingdom’s own government, where politicians are out to weaken the Navy for political gain.

Destiny awaits among the stars

Now a fresh tragedy strikes the Star Kingdom, and while the reigning House of Winton faces enemies at home, Travis, Lisa, and the other officers of the Royal Manticoran Navy must reunite with old friends and join new allies to hunt down and eliminate the forces arrayed against them in a galaxy-spanning conspiracy. The prize: a stake in the vast expansion of trade that could pull Manticore out of the backwaters of the galaxy and place the Star Kingdom on the center stage of history.

Not long ago, the Star Kingdom of Manticore was a small, unimportant interstellar backwater. Now, Manticore has become a target. The Star Kingdom isn’t certain who is attacking it or why, but one thing is certain: Manticore needs a capable space navy. And it needs allies, such as the relatively nearby Republic of Haven and the powerful, experienced Andermani Empire. Enter Travis Long and his wife, Lisa. It is their task to help build that navy. Opportunity for Manticore beckons—if Travis and Lisa can manage to navigate the fires of interstellar insurrection.