Female naval officers face daunting challenges at sea and in their personal lives. International saber-rattling and political intrigue threaten the stability of the Western Pacific -- from the South China Sea's Spratly Islands to the Korean Peninsula. A formidable and cunning military adversary threatens the area's stability, forcing Captain Kate Mahoney's early return to the Flagship from her family leave in the U.S. Back in California her deranged ex-husband threatens her teetering relationship with their disaffected teenage son. Kate must wage military and personal battles thousands of miles apart -- without the support of her professional confidante and erstwhile lover who wrestles with his own personal demons. The heat rises on the Western Pacific conflict when a Navy reconnaissance flight in the South China Sea becomes the target of a nefarious deal between the 7th Fleet's most powerful adversaries -- thrusting Lieutenant Commander "Cricket" Squire, the intrepid Navy pilot conducting that flight, into a crucible that tests the deepest fibers of her courage.