War is a serious violation of the Alliance's colony charters, so when the Stardancer is sent to investigate rumors of a conflict on the distant colony of Gledig, they're not expecting to be mired in a web of deceit, treachery, and tragedy... one involving not just the colony, but pirates and a missing Fleet officer. Even worse, the evidence suggests Fleet itself might have had a hand in creating the situation about to erupt on the ground. But while the conflict might have been decades in the making, time is running out for Gledig, and only Fleet can save the colony from the culmination of the forces working against it now. The fate of thousands hangs in the balance. Can the crew of the Stardancer redeem the honor of the Fleet... before it's too late?