"The Union will stop at nothing to achieve victory. Will Swiftsure be able to withstand the relentless waves of attacks?
Cliff Rawlins, after recovering from the explosion that destroyed his headquarters, finds he has no time to rest. The Union is determined to wipe out anything that prevents them from absorbing the most economically powerful solar systems in settled space. They launch waves of attacks, devastating Rawlins' forces.
With his fleet down to its last ships, Rawlins launches a 'Hail Mary' attack to buy his forces time that they need desperately. The Union, with too few ships to resume the offensive, offers bounties to the major criminal syndicates to prey upon the convoys Swiftsure protects. Swiftsure must find an answer.
The race is on. Whichever side manages to finish building new ships first will have a huge advantage. Swiftsure pulls just far enough ahead in the arms race to position itself on the cusp of victory, but its clients pull them back. They decide to negotiate with the Union, whose only intent is to buy time to rebuild its fleets.
The war between the Union of Free Planets and the mercenary navy is about to reach a climax. At stake is the fate of settled space."
"In danger of financial default, the remainder of the Union of Free Planets compels the seceding systems to return. Having seen the wolf at the door, the Union begins to think about enhancing its financial stability, and casts covetous eyes on the most prosperous independent systems. With the major news media as allies, the Union begins to set the stage for expansion.
Swiftsure, led by Cliff Rawlins and Kelly Bertkovich, has its hands full in keeping the interstellar shipping lanes safe. Nevertheless, they are not blind to what the Union might do. Developing a new type of ship that will challenge accepted naval doctrine allows Swiftsure to expand its fleet. They alert the most prosperous systems in settled space of the threat posed by the Union, who hire Swiftsure to defend them.
Swiftsure manages to thwart the Union's attacks on two systems, but cannot be everywhere at once. The Union succeeds in conquering two other planets. Though the Union claims they 'invited' the unfortunate systems to join the Union of Free Planets, it is clear that war has begun.
The Secretary-General of the Union decides that Cliff, Kelly, and Swiftsure must be eliminated—by any means necessary . . ."
"The Union is gone. Interstellar travel is no longer safe. Enter ex-Union Navy Officer Cliff Rawlins.
More than four years after being wrongfully stripped of his rank and decorations in a court-martial stacked against him, ex-Union Navy Officer Cliff Rawlins suddenly finds himself a free man.
The galaxy to which he returns, however, is changing.
The Union of Free Planets is on the verge of dissolving. Many of the shadowy political players working behind the scenes to end the Union are the same people who sent Cliff away. Yet, in the coming political upheaval, Cliff glimpses an opportunity.
For centuries, people have relied upon the Union Navy to act as the policeman of the shipping lanes. With the end of the Union will come the end of the navy. Interstellar commerce is about to become fraught with danger.
Cliff has a way to use his expertise to provide secure transport across interstellar space. A mercenary navy to defend settled space and get rich doing it. After all, he deserves it for what he went through.
But there are enemies old and new who want him to fail. And this time, they want him dead . . ."
