A Captain's Crucible Series by Isaac Hooke

The survivors of Battle Group 72 are stranded on the fringes of known space. Cut off from Central Command, with time and resources running out, the fleet struggles to build a Gate home before enemy reinforcements arrive. They finish with not a moment to spare: heat signatures matching the assailants are spotted sunward. Too many heat signatures. Hopelessly outnumbered, Captain Jonathan Dallas, commander of the flagship, chooses to escape through the newly completed Gate... moreThe survivors of Battle Group 72 are stranded on the fringes of known space. Cut off from Central Command, with time and resources running out, the fleet struggles to build a Gate home before enemy reinforcements arrive. They finish with not a moment to spare: heat signatures matching the assailants are spotted sunward. Too many heat signatures. Hopelessly outnumbered, Captain Jonathan Dallas, commander of the flagship, chooses to escape through the newly completed Gate. But what the task group finds on the other side changes everything... The brave men and women under Jonathan's command have already proven themselves in the heat of battle, but now he must further test their resolve, not to mention his own. With enemies at every turn, it seems combat against overwhelming odds is inevitable. The path Jonathan chooses is laden with danger. One small mistake can lead to the ruin of the entire fleet. Will he steer his intrepid battle group through the stormy waters of the current crisis? Or will he fail, dooming them all to cold deaths in the void, captains and crews going down with their ships? It is a trial like no other. A crucible that cannot be won with strength alone. It is his greatest test of mettle yet. less

The arrival of a strange alien ship changes everything for the stranded survivors of Battle Group 72.5. Captain Jonathan Dallas must place his trust in his newfound alien allies if his fleet is to survive the latest threat. He is faced with a terrible choice, one that could lead not only to the destruction of his battle group, but humanity itself. Regardless of his decision, the future remains uncertain, the intertwined fates of two galaxies hanging by a thread... moreThe arrival of a strange alien ship changes everything for the stranded survivors of Battle Group 72.5. Captain Jonathan Dallas must place his trust in his newfound alien allies if his fleet is to survive the latest threat. He is faced with a terrible choice, one that could lead not only to the destruction of his battle group, but humanity itself. Regardless of his decision, the future remains uncertain, the intertwined fates of two galaxies hanging by a thread. In the shadows, a malevolent being works that thread like a spider, weaving a twisted web that could mean the end of everything. It is here where it all begins. Where history is made. Witness the cradle of war. less

Fifty-five of the most powerful warships humankind has ever developed. Thirty-five allied alien vessels. One man who just might be humanity’s last hope. The admiral has restored Jonathan Dallas to the captaincy of the USS Callaway, also placing him in direct command of the new alien allies that joined the battle group after the destruction of the Elk homeworld. When the combined fleet begins making its way back to human space, they encounter a new threat to both of their races... moreFifty-five of the most powerful warships humankind has ever developed. Thirty-five allied alien vessels. One man who just might be humanity’s last hope. The admiral has restored Jonathan Dallas to the captaincy of the USS Callaway, also placing him in direct command of the new alien allies that joined the battle group after the destruction of the Elk homeworld. When the combined fleet begins making its way back to human space, they encounter a new threat to both of their races. As the death toll rises, Jonathan must come to terms with the fact that Earth might not exist anymore. "Welcome to the captain’s crucible, where your first mistake in the seat of command will be your last." less