Elizabeth Moon, acclaimed author of Against the Odds and Change of Command, returns with a thrilling new military science fiction series -- Vatta's War -- featuring explosive space battles, soaring adventure, and a spirited, tough-as-nails heroine who refuses to back down when...

TRADING IN DANGER

Kylara Vatta is the only daughter in a family full of sons, and her father's only child to buck tradition by choosing a military career instead of joining the family business. For Ky, it's no contest: Even running the prestigious Vatta Transport Ltd. shipping concern can't hold a candle to shipping out as an officer aboard an interstellar cruiser. It's adventure, not commerce, that stirs her soul. And despite her family's misgivings, there can be no doubt that a Vatta in the service will prove a valuable asset. But with a single error in judgment, it all comes crumbling down.

Expelled from the Academy in disgrace -- and returning home to her humiliated family, a storm of high-profile media coverage, and the gaping void of her own future -- Ky is ready to face the inevitable onslaught of anger, disappointment, even pity. But soon after opportunity's door slams shut, Ky finds herself with a ticket to ride -- and a shot at redemption -- as captain of a Vatta Transport ship.

It's a simple assignment: escorting one of the Vatta fleet's oldest ships on its final voyage... to the scrapyard. But keeping it simple has never been Ky's style. And even though her father has provided a crew of seasoned veterans to baby-sit the fledgling captain on her maiden milk run, they can't stop Ky from turning the routine mission into a risky venture -- in the name of turning a profit for Vatta Transport, of course.