A new war has broken out.... Indian ships have invaded three British-held systems, and Indian troops have occupied British colonies, forcing Britain to choose between war and shame. The Royal Navy, battered by the fires of the First Interstellar War and desperately trying to recover from the terrifying casualties, must launch a counterattack and recover the colonies. For HMS Warspite - and a task force of British warships - the stakes have never been so high. If the Royal Navy loses, Britain will be humiliated, and the global power system will shift catastrophically, but even victory may come with too high a price. Pushed to the limits, the Royal Navy must take the offensive and determine the outcome quickly...before the Indian gambit triggers a civil war that will rip the human sphere apart.