WNS Pathfinder is a breakthrough in interstellar travel, built in the utmost secrecy and incorporating new technology that will revolutionize trade and exploration in the galaxy. Secrets are impossible to keep, however, and when word gets out, everyone wants to get their hands on her. Captain William Brighton loses her to forces loyal to a competing government and is cast adrift in a small launch with part of his officers and crew. With few resources, it seems the best option would be to put down on a nearby planet and wait for rescue, but Brighton will not allow them to stay. If there is any hope of retrieving their lost ship, they must find a way to rescue themselves before Pathfinder is out of reach for good. The odds are stacked against them. Pursued by soldiers who also want the new technology, running out of food, generating their own power, without a working navigation system, they cling to the slimmest of hopes; that their captain's reckoning can keep them from winding up dead. The authors are the second, fourth, and seventh sons of a family of avid readers. They currently reside in the Portland, Oregon area. They have graduated first, second, and third in their respective classes from the same high school on the Oregon coast. They currently hold three college degrees and are working on a fourth and fifth. All three are Eagle Scouts. None is a novice writer, but this work represents the first large scale cooperative work of fiction between the three. Craig has published numerous technical articles, and currently acts as a grammatical editor for his company's online knowledgebase. Jared is responsible for writing and editing technical and business documentation and communicationsfor his company. Jeff, as a former educator, has a similar amount of experience and is currently responsible f