IT'S JUST A REBELLION IN A DISTANT STAR CLUSTER. SO THEY SAID. Captain Daniel Leary thinks that his marriage will allow him to slip into the quiet role of a naval officer in peacetime. His friend, the spy and cybrarian Adele Mundy, is content to be collating data in her library. But high officials of both superpowers are involved! Those who want Daniel and Adele to become involved in the Tarbell Stars claim that only they can prevent a war between the Republic of Cinnabar and its great rival, the Alliance of Free Stars. The conflict is political, but at the sharp end it means blazing warfare and cold-blooded murder. Daniel and Adele will be at the sharp end. The odds in ships and guns are badly in the enemy's favor. Daniel, Adele, and the crew of the Princess Cecile will do everything humanly possible, but that may not be enough against an enemy battleship. And even if Daniel and his companions succeed in battle, they can't be sure whether their employers really wanted them to win-or whether they even want them alive. All they can do is to race forward, hoping to come through into DEATH'S BRIGHT DAY. About David Drake's previous RCN novel, What Distant Deeps: "Drake deftly weaves a web of political machinations and intrigue that vividly depicts the costs of war. Fans of Patrick O'Brian's Maturin and Aubrey novels will enjoy this intricate, rousing space opera." -Publishers Weekly About David Drake's RCN series: "[R]ousing old-fashioned space opera."-Publishers Weekly "The fun is in the telling, and Mr. Drake has a strong voice. I want more!"-Philadelphia Weekly Press "[S]pace opera is alive and well. This series is getting better as the author goes along...character development combined with first-rate action and memorable world designs."-SFReader.com About David Drake: "[P]rose as cold and hard as the metal alloy of a tank...rivals Crane and Remarque..."-Chicago Sun-Times "Drake couldn't write a bad action scene at gunpoint."-Booklist RCN series: With the Lightnings Lt. Leary, Commanding The Far Side of the Stars The Way to Glory Some Golden Harbor When the Tide Rises In the Stormy Red Sky What Distant Deeps The Road of Danger The Sea Without a Shore Death's Bright Day