She can stand her ground with the best of them. But she'll need all her strength to keep her family and her sailors afloat . . . 2012. Navy Captain Kate "Scarlett" Mahoney never backs down from a challenge. Determined to prove her mettle as the new Director of Operations for the US Seventh Fleet, the single mom naval aviator entrusts her sister to care for her fourteen-year-old son in California. After embarking in the Japan-based Seventh Fleet flagship, her strategic expertise proves vital when two rival Korean warships attack each other and fuel a looming international crisis. Devising a bold plan to de-escalate the conflict, Kate braves ruthless sexism from male colleagues just as news arrives from home--police arrested her rebellious teenager for joyriding in his aunt's car. Caught between personal and global emergencies, the selfless leader struggles to protect both her child and her country from danger. Can this courageous woman claim victory on opposite sides of the Pacific?