The year is 2398. Federation Starship Hou Yi, recently constructed at 40 Eridani Yards, Vulcan system, has been delivered to Esquimalt Station, headquarters of Task Force 72 of Starfleet’s 9th “Obsidian” Fleet, for final fitting-out and crew assignment.  A Reliant-class multirole frigate, Yi will be one of Starfleet’s forwardmost assets in this region, assisting with survey and colonization efforts in the largely unexplored sectors beyond Esquimalt.  As station teams continue their work on Starfleet’s newest ship, word has reached the skeleton crew aboard that their launch timetable has suddenly been accelerated. Between that and the arrival of a tight-lipped diplomatic team and a detachment of marines—and news of a crisis brewing in nearby Romulan space—an undercurrent of speculation has begun to make itself felt among the ranks of both ship and station personnel.  But beneath the rising tide of rumors about covert operations and secret orders, the true nature of Yi’s mission waits to be revealed.