The novel begins with Lt. Piper (no last name), a native of Proxima Beta, taking the Kobayashi Maru simulation at Starfleet Academy.

The simulator's commander comments during the debriefing that she has come closer to checkmating the no-win scenario than any other command-line candidate, then tells her that she has been reassigned to the starship Enterprise by special request.

Shortly thereafter, Lt. Piper is summoned to the bridge where she finds out that a top-secret Federation vessel named Star Empire, first of a new class of heavily armed and shielded dreadnought, has been stolen by persons unknown and that the Enterprise has been dispatched in pursuit.

Piper, in her ignorance, informed the academy staff of Sarda's talents, which led to his great personal embarrassment and being ostracized by other Vulcans in Starfleet.

The Star Empire is apparently helpless, its crew unable to fight while the attacking Klingons inflict heavy damage on the dreadnought with phaser fire.

Engaging the damaged Klingon ships with heavy photon torpedoes, this unhurt Star Empire destroys two of them and sends the last one fleeing.

He reads a message from Commander Paul Burch stating that they have seized the dreadnaught in the name of galactic civility and request an ambassadorial party of Kirk, Piper, and a Vulcan.

Sarda finds her there, having deduced her intentions and location after discovering her missing from her quarters, and informs her that the Star Empire has moved out of transporter range.

Instead, they move to the hangar bay, open the doors, steal a 2-seat Arco-class light attack "sled", and head towards the Star Empire.

During the flight Sarda informs Piper that 3 more starships (Hood, Lincoln, and Potemkin) have been ordered by Admiral Rittenhouse to the location, and also accidentally reveals another benevolent invention that Starfleet weaponized and that he is embarrassed about.

Their trip to Star Empire is cut short, however when the destroyer Pompeii drops out of warp, intercepts the attack sled and uses a tractor beam to haul it inside its hangar bay.

She and Sarda find a disturbing pattern: men that had served with Rittenhouse over the years had been placed in high levels of the civilian and military leadership, including the captains of the three other starships en route.

Suddenly, the power to the brig is briefly interrupted (by Boma, after he realizes Rittenhouse's plans for Star Empire's crew), and Sarda acts quickly, throwing himself through the cell's doorway before the forcefield could re-activate.

Piper, Sarda, Sandage, and AndrusTaurus surprise and disable the guards outside the stateroom and stage an effort to free Kirk and his officers.

Piper is able to unlock the ship's systems, giving Star Empire increased shielding and weapons ability to withstand the heavy attacks by the opposing starships.

Piper is forced to take command of Star Empire and begins to move aggressively, using the dreadnought's multiple phaser banks and newly activated secondary shielding to dish out heavy hits on the opposing starships.

Rittenhouse, seeing that he no longer has the upper hand and that victory is out of reach, orders Pompeii to make a suicide run on Star Empire.

[1][2] Robert Greenberger called the book "a page turner" but noted that "One more time, however, a brave, plucky, courageous woman holds the key to success.

Piper is only female because I am and she is my alter ego (Boris Vallejo even put myself and my husband on the cover, speaking of fannish wishes).