Esmay Suiza does not belong to any of the elite naval dynasties. She owes her officer rank only to her own perseverance, endurance and courage. It is unlikely that she will ever be able to become an admiral and “raise her flag,” but she believes that this is not the main thing. The main thing is that she is an officer of the Fleet, a part of a large and reliable organization of the Ruling Dynasties. Life, however, decreed Esmay’s fate differently: during an ordinary voyage, her ship finds itself in the center of a real space battle. Suiza turns out to be the eldest of the surviving officers, and she is forced to take command of the ship - she has no choice. Esmay never wanted to be a hero, but it seems that in this situation she will have to become a “reluctant hero.”