The Better Part of Valor

From bestselling author Tanya Huff comes a new novel in the Confederation series of military science fiction, blending action, intrigue, courage, and humor with more twists than a trip through Susumi space…
Even if she was saving the Confederation at the time, Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr is aware that questioning a general's parentage to his face was not a strategic career move. But she never imagined it would land her as senior NCO on a top-secret recon mission practically guaranteed to go sideways. The target is an unidentified alien ship the size of a station, floating dead in space. Most of her intel comes from a civilian salvage operator who's bargained his way onto her landing party while making it clear he won't be taking any orders. Best of all, the mission's commanding officer is a politically connected captain so heroic his troops tend to end up dead.
But as soon as Torin and her Marines set foot on the strange vessel, the rules change. This ship isn't empty. Communications are down. And if they can't get back to tell the Confederation what they've found out, all of the known galaxy is going to learn about it the hard way…