Jones offers a combat-filled space opera that should pass muster with fans of military sci-fi a la the original Lorne Greene Battle Star Galactica rather than the new one. Several centuries in the future, a united, space-faring humanity, now known as the Guardians, confronts its deadliest nemesis in the Klingon-like Tirgonians, members of a militaristic and aggressive empire that believes humanity's penchant for peaceful coexistence, an unbearably distasteful notion. After years of an uneasy truce, a sudden and unprovoked Tirgonian blitzkrieg across the two civilizations' "Agreed Zone" boundary devastates the Guardians' worlds and outposts. The remaining five hundred-plus survivors board the advanced Battleship Hope. Gandle "Hops" Hoppinzorinski, a war hero from a previous conflict, in Capt. Kirk mode has tangled with the Tirgonians before. Now, he finds himself commanding the Hope and dealing with the unexpected discovery of additional Guardian warships, but the defection of one the foremost Tirgonian combat commanders, Telebisque Teka. Tekas's defection includes himself and the Fighting Star Palup with its entire crew. The prose offers up a large amount of square-jawed, war-room talk, wasting no time on sentimental mourning for a destroyed Earth, slain loved ones, or the impending extinction of the human race. It's practically all action as the Guardians strive to deploy their new and greatly improved weapons and tactics against a bellicose enemy that consistently outguns but constantly underestimates the Guardians' willingness to fight for their survival and return to their peaceful way of life.