"The Rim rebellion was glorious-and doomed from the start. Brilliant Rim Confederation Navy spaceship captain Jared Clement skuttled his career and professional life by joining the rebels against the overwhelming force of the 5 Suns Alliance. The rebel cause was just. That didn't matter. Ten years later, Clement regrets nothing, but would prefer to be left alone to his thoughts and drink. But a new chance to command a ship of incredible potential is thrust in his lap-humanity's first truly faster-than-light vessel. The destination: Trinity, a newly discovered star system where strange signs of possible spacefarers may lead to humanity's first alien encounter. Or to interstellar war. Humanity is on the brink of a new age, and everything depends on one crusty starship captain, his gritty crew, and the Beauregard, a ship that was never meant to wage war turned into a weapon-bristling battleship that will either propel humanity to ultimate destruction-or into a new starfaring age of exploration and conflict. And along the way, a noble lost cause-one Captain Jared Clement-may finally get his revenge. And find his redemption"--