Some centuries in the future, humanity is locked in an interstellar war with the Dohani, a technologically advanced species of fearsome, reptilian-like appearance. The war has ground to a stalemate that cannot be resolved as long as humans and the Dohani and have no way to communicate.

Lieutenant Dexter Zimski leads a commando squad in a raid on a Dohani base and returns with a bizarre captive, one who looks for all the world like a 16-year old human girl. She is given the name “Jane.” As a prisoner of war, she and Dexter, to whom she is strangely attached, are taken to a research center, where Jane learns a human language — and much more.

Jane learns from Sun-Tzu’s Art of War what her captors forget: “Never underestimate your adversary.” Another rule knows no boundaries: It is a prisoner’s duty to try to escape if at all possible. And far from the front lines, deep in human space, security becomes complacent...