Kris Longknife is a daughter of privilege, born to money and power. Her father is the Prime Minister of her home planet. Her mother the consummate politician's wife. She's been raised only to be beautiful and marry well. But the heritage of the military Longknifes courses through Kris's blood-and, against her parents' objections, she enlists in the marines.

Lieutenant Commander Kris Longknife and her crew work to take down the pirates and slavers who are preying on millions of suffering refugees, especially after slavers kidnap a young girl, making the task personal as well as political.