The enemy made one mistake. They killed everyone on her ship. Except her.

After the Battle of Orinoco, Admiral Jake Hammett, devastated by the heavy losses to his fleet, disappeared from Earth. His children, the twins Orien and Ligeia, were left in the care of the Aeolian Empress Hecate. Now, nearly forty years later, Orien is the XO of a heavy cruiser in the Rim Defense Force, Ligeia is the Prime Minister of RimFed, and Ligeia's daughter Miranda is a newly commissioned ensign. Ambushed by a sinister enemy, Miranda’s ship Troublemaker is destroyed. Somehow Miranda survives, badly injured, alone in a lifeboat, more than 1,100 lights from home. Her unexpected survival holds the key to the future of the entire Rim - and the lives of billions!