Esmay Suiza, one of Fleet's most gifted young officers, and Brun Meager, daughter of the Speaker of the Grand Council, have a lot in common - they're both bright, brave, likeable and adventurous. But far from becoming the best of friends, a string of misunderstandings leads to a very public argument, and their enmity is soon the talk of Copper Mountain training base.When Brun falls into the hands of a fanatical religious militia movement Esmay finds herself in disgrace, suspected of conniving in Brun's abduction. Far from hating her, however, Esmay understands Brun better than anyone else, and knows that she has the best chance of coming up with a plan to save her. But will anyone in Fleet listen long enough to give her a second chance?