Tig Meester tried not to think about the war in space, but now, he has nowhere else to go. He enlists with the Staas Privateers, the military contracting wing of Staas Company that's holding off the enemy in the War of Alien Aggression. Tig tests out as an AMTS, a Redsuit, an astronautics maintenance technician and damage control specialist. He's assigned to the privateer attack carrier Hardway.
When a ship vital to the war effort is crippled in enemy-occupied space, Tig goes on the repair mission thinking he's finally gotten a chance to prove his skill.
The Lancers of the 133rd Squadron are along for the ride, flying cover in their fighters, but even if the war's most experienced aces can keep the redsuits alive, Tig still has to face the fact that if he isn't as good as he says he is, then they're all going to die