"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 Weber

"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 Weber

Captain Daniel Leary with his friend–and spy–Officer Adele Mundy are sent to a quiet sector to carry out an easy task: helping the local admiral put down a coup before it takes place. But then the jealous admiral gets rid of them by sending them off on a wild goose chase to a sector where commerce is king and business is carried out by extortion and gunfights.

With anarchy and rebellion in the air, a rogue intelligence officer plots the war that will destroy civilization and enlists the help of a brute whom even torturers couldn't stomach. And, of course, it’s up to Leary and Mundy to put a stop to the madness.