==[Note: As of 12/03/2023, this will not be published on Amazon since I have been banned from posting reviews for some unknown reason. Once the ban is lifted, assuming it does get lifted, I’ll go back and post this to Amazon.]==
Ok, we get to start a new series with a great first book. This is the kind of situation every XO (Executive Officer) hopes never to find themselves in. Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Hanson is and has been a very competent XO aboard the *CDF Margaret Thatcher*, an Ajax-class destroyer. He loved his previous assignments and former job as an Engineer aboard various starships but now his job took him out of Engineering and placed him over all shipboard maintenance. His boss, Colonel Anton Savchenko was what you’d expect of a commander officer, very proficient and very capable of running the ship as it should. But their current situation lent towards a relaxed attitude aboard the warship since there had been peace in this region of space for quite some time.
Then as things tend to do, everything changed. New contacts came out of the deep dark and the ship found itself under attack. The crew responded as a well trained crew should going to General Quarters as soon as they saw these new contacts heading straight for the *Thatcher* with no intent on stopping! Colonel Savchenko knew exactly what to do even thought these ships appeared to be civilian freighters. They also seemed to have been up-gunned why more than was normal and they also were traveling at speeds no normal space freight should be flying. But, above all, they were threatening his ship and that wasn’t going to be ignored. So, the *Thatcher* began firing missiles trying to avoid an imminent collision.
One missile connected with the now labeled hostile ships and blew it to pieces. But, those drifting pieces were going mighty fast on their own and they were coming straight for the *Thatcher*. Everyone on the bridge braced for the impact but a few of the crew didn’t have time! When Lt. Col. Hanson came to he checked to make sure he didn’t have anything broken, then once his hearing started coming back he looked around the bridge to see how others were doing. The Captain was still sitting in his command chair, but his voice was weak and he had a piece of steel sticking out of his chest! Hanson got to him as quick as possible and heard the Colonel ask for a damage report, but Hanson knew immediately that the Colonel needed to be taken care of. He called for medics to the bridge and was told they were on their way.
Meanwhile, as Hanson looked around the bridge he saw several other stations with personnel either slumped over their consoles or completely absent. Blood was everywhere so he knew a lot of people weren’t going to make it through this. Still, somethings had to get done now. Someone needed to be in-charge and start giving orders. A strange coldness swept through his body when he realized that he was that “someone” and he was next up and now in-charge of the ship! That’s not how an XO wants assume command of any ship, but when the time comes you can’t wish your problems away.
So, Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Hanson stepped up! He began doing what he knew had to be done. He did what should have been done and that was to get the ship out of harms way if possible and start getting the crew and ship back into the fight. Arthur Hanson’s problems were just beginning. He had no idea who this enemy was or why they had attacked a peaceful region of space. He soon found out that his ship had no local communications so he couldn’t even send for help. That’s how things are going to go in this book. Nobody is going to come in to save your bacon, it’s just you and your ship fighting against an unknown enemy.
Eventually, Hanson does get the local tactical picture back, but it’s still not good. It seems that every CDF ship in this outer region of space has been simultaneously hit and most didn’t survive. Now we’ll see if the *CDF Margret Thatcher* and a small number of other CDF ships can withstand an enemy so evil that it’s beyond comprehension. I think this series is going to be very, very good.
Oh, and there’s a political side to the story which is kind of strange, but I guess possible. I also don’t necessarily like the use of Army ranks on a starship, but at least the author got them in the right order. So, the writing is very interesting and the story moves along very well. I’m going to continue reading this series for sure.
The next book, “Intervention”, has a strange title so I’m not exactly sure what it means. Still, it’s on my reading list now.