The excerpt: The ship has suffered an unexplained accident and the crew seems to have disappeared. In the absence of any crew members Special Forces operator Nick Jameson takes charge of loading a lifeboat. The D’vannae Brother helping him is an assassin/bodyguard serving an alien goddess of flames.

“Quiet down now,” he said, watching the people in the front row of the mob, getting eye contact, to personalize his commands, make them feel like responsible individuals, not a mindless, panicking he...