Prologue

Xi Pegasi System
Wells Station
13/33/41 NR (New Reckoning) 2523 Hours

“Gin!”

Kayla Robbins tossed her cards down on the table in disgust. “I quit,” she snapped.

“You’ve quit five times this week, Kayla.”

“Oh, go ahead and gloat, George MacGregor!” The tall blonde glared at him. “You cheat, anyway, so this doesn’t count!”

“I don’t cheat,” he laughed. “I just know how...”

An alert tone beeped softly at Kayla’s workstation, and she swiveled her chair to face the display. The information updated, and her mouth dropped open as it registered. “Ohhh ... George ... George.”

George grinned and walked up behind her. “I’ve been wanting you to say that to me...” He broke off as he looked at the display in shock, then he reached up and stabbed the alert button on the supervisor’s panel over Kayla’s head. “Skywatch, this is System Command. Tango, tango, tango. This is not a drill. I say again, Tango, tango, tango. This is not a drill.”

Ten light minutes away, Thomas Rogers, captain of the New Geneva Naval Service Frigate Roger Evans, sat back in his command chair. “I don’t care who you represent, this is my space, and you will stop accelerating or I will blow you out of it!” He looked to his right where his tactical officer sat. “Guns, lock on target and stand by to fire on my mark!”

“Yes, Captain!”