ONCE A HERO

More military sf from the author of Remnant Population (1996, not seen) and several paperbacks. Young Lieutenant (j.g.) Esmay Suiza, a classic underachiever, faces a court martial for mutiny. Fortunately, though, her superiors realize that she was actually the hero: She defeated the mutineers aboard her ship, then took command and destroyed an attacking warship. So she's promoted and reassigned to Koskiusko, a huge deep space-repair ship, where agents of the barbarian-warrior Bloodhorde are already working to disable the ship's autodestruct—so that when a small Bloodhorde invasion force successfully boards Koskiusko, the captain can't destroy his vessel. Esmay, thanks to her recent combat experience, plays a leading role in regaining control of Koskiusko and defeating the Bloodhorde ships that arrive to capture her. But why can't Esmay fully realize her potential combat talents? Well, as a young girl on planet Altiplano, she was brutally raped during a civil war—and her military family rigidly denied the entire experience, leaving Esmay with psychological scars she will need therapy to overcome. Always enthralling and sometimes exciting, despite a few annoying shifts of focus, with excellent characters, impeccable military presence, and satisfying complications.