Receptionist Lilia Strong survived a massacre at a medcenter on the war-torn fringes of Glo’Stea—and vowed she would never be that helpless again. Enter the Nanotech Coalition Defense Corps (NCDC), a group of special nano-infused emergency first-responders known as Guardians. When Lilia and her twin brother, Kevin, volunteer to serve as Guardians, they are immediately plunged into a whirlwind of political intrigue and a rescue mission gone horribly wrong. ~~~~ For twenty years, the Galactic Union has held the Sta’Gloan star system hostage, punishing the worlds of the Coalition for refusing to give up their independence. They’ve reached an uneasy standoff; the Coalition adapted by becoming expert blockade runners and protecting all but one of their inhabited worlds with energy shields. The arrival of a new blockade commander changes everything. Admiral Chesnee is smart, patient… and out to prove to the rest of the Galactic Union Star Fleet that his career is far from over. He breaches the shields on a second world, rocking the Coalition and its leadership—including the twins’ grandfather, Representative Aiden Monroe—down to their core. Still reeling, the NCDC realizes they have a bigger problem. A team of scientists and their top-secret project are trapped in newly-occupied territory. Should they fall into enemy hands, the Coalition is doomed. Lilia and Kevin realize too late they’ve become pawns in a political battle when they wind up on the mission roster. Problem is, they’re still adjusting to their nanites and Lilia still has nightmares about Galactic Union soldiers. It’ll require every ounce of courage and strength they have—not to mention the power of prayer and the Holy Spirit—to survive. If they can survive.