Earth, 2121. A sentient starship lands on the White House lawn, bringing humanity a warning--and a chance for survival. Two threats hover at the edge of human space. The ruthless Bat Empire, 805 light years away, destroys all sentient species they encounter. And closer, in the Beehive Cluster, descendants of humans abducted from ancient Troy have built an interstellar civilization that will certainly make Earth their next conquest—if they discover us before we are prepared. Jake, Teresa, and Kirsten—a fighter pilot, an Air Force officer, and a scientist—are inexplicably chosen by the AI starship Pandora to prepare humanity's defense. Given access to technology centuries beyond Earth's capabilities, they begin forging humanity's first space navy. But as they test experimental warships with dangerous new drives, they face resistance from Earth's governments, corporations desperate to control alien technology, and assassins determined to end their mission. Fighting to transform humanity before the invasion begins, their unorthodox bond may be Earth's greatest weapon—or its final vulnerability. Here is a thoughtful, pulse-pounding military science fiction adventure outlining humanity's first steps into interstellar space—and our race against the looming specter of extinction!