Synopsis: Galactic Empire on the brink of war. Uniting seven races on ten planets, the mighty Commonwealth has only one enemy: the Procyons, a warlike race who thrive on aggression. A fragile truce between the two powers has ensured galactic peace - until Rieka Degahv, human captain of a Commonwealth starship, destroys a Procyon vessel in deep space. Now, charged with high treason, Rieka and her few remaining allies embark upon a desperate search that will take them into some of the highest political and military quarters - and into a high-stakes duel of intergalactic intrigue that threatens to destroy more than Rieka... (from the back cover of the Roc Books first edition)