First published 1985
Signy Mallory commands a Fleet warship patrolling the contested zones between Earth and the breakaway Union colonies. The war has dragged on for years, leaving entire star systems caught between competing powers. Pell Station orbits the world humans call Downbelow, home to the native Hisa who work alongside human refugees streaming in from battle zones. As Earth's Company Fleet clashes with Union forces, Mallory must navigate shifting alliances and impossible choices. The station becomes a focal point where military necessity collides with civilian survival. Refugees pile up faster than they can be processed or relocated. The Hisa watch as human conflicts threaten their world. Fleet officers like Mallory face orders that test their loyalty to Earth against their duty to protect innocents. The rebellion will determine whether humanity's future lies with Earth's corporate control or the Union's colonial independence.
Genres: science-fiction, military-fiction, space-opera, political-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Downbelow Station, Pell Station, Earth, Union
Period: future
223 pages · Hardcover · Severn Ho Publishers
Content warnings: violence, war