Commander Gene Walsh is a decorated starship captain and combat veteran, but his dream is to travel the stars. The ancient alien nexus gate that once allowed mankind to be an interstellar civilization was damaged in the Colonial Rebellion two centuries ago. There it has drifted, lifeless, leaving Sol isolated from the human colonies beyond. After a skirmish with an enemy starship, Gene’s political enemies in the Admiralty use the incident to assign him to the aged training ship, Amazonas.

When a secret mission accidentally turns into an interstellar incident, Commander Walsh finds his wish fulfilled—but not in the way he expected. His leadership will be tested as they must navigate through forgotten star systems, battle remnant war cruisers from a forgotten war, and rescue desperate refugees. And to finally get home, Gene Walsh must do what the best and brightest have failed to do for centuries—repair the Sol Gate.