In the Stormy Red Sky

David Drake [is] the reason a lot of people got started reading military science fiction, because it's always a good idea to start with the best.--David WeberThe war between the Republic of Cinnabar and the tyrannical Alliance still rages on. Now in command of a heavy cruiser, Daniel Leary and Adele Mundy have been sent to a remote star system on a diplomatic mission, with a scheming senator in tow. But when Cinnabar faces a crushing defeat - and Leary and Mundy come face to face with a brutal warlord and an aristocratic slave trader - the time for diplomacy is over.Up against impenetrable strongholds, deluded boy-kings and the brutal Alliance, Leary and Mundy face their toughest challenge yet. And, when Leary is injured, Adele must face it alone...

David Drake is one of the most respected military science fiction authors in the industry, having developed the 'Hammer's Slammers' series and the 'RCN' series for Baen Books-two of the first hugely popular military SF series. A Vietnam War veteran, he is renowned for bringing the military sensibility to his stories and the soldier's sensibilities to his characters.