Admiral Philip Guthrie is in an unprecedented position: on the wrong end of the law, leading a ragtag band of rebels against the oppressive Imperial forces. Or would be if he can get his command ship the derelict cruiser called Hope s Folly functioning. Not much can rattle Philip s legendary cool but the woman who helps him foil an assassination attempt on Kirro Station will. She s the daughter of his best friend and first commander a man who died while under Philip s command and whose death is on Philip s conscience. Rya Bennton has been in love with Philip Guthrie since she was a girl. But can her childhood fantasies survive an encounter with the hardened man, and newly minted rebel leader, once she learns the truth about her father s death? Or will her passion for revenge put not only their hearts but their lives at risk? It s an impossible mission: A man who feels he can t love. A woman who believes she s unlovable. And an enemy who will stop at nothing to crush them both."