Fresh from the Academy, Ensign Paul Sinclair has been assigned to the warship USS Michaelson/I>, whose mission is to stop any foreign vessels from violating U.S. sovereign space. When Captain Peter Wakeman mistakenly destroys a civilian science- ship perceived as hostile, Sinclair must testify against Wakeman at a court-martial hearing. But Sinclair believes that the severity of the charges against the captain are unjust-and becomes a witness for the defense...