Max Robichaux’s thrilling adventures didn’t begin on 21 January 2315 when he took command of the USS Cumberland at the age of 28. Somehow, before that date, Max became an expert on battle tactics, the psychology of command and leadership, the customs and fighting techniques of the mysterious and powerful Vaaach race, and how to devise innovative strategies to defeat superior enemy forces, bringing his ship and his men home when the odds are against him. 

Deadly Nightshade tells a small but crucial part of that story, shedding light on how Max became the creative, innovative, deadly warrior readers have come to know in the “Man of War” trilogy.

In June 2304, the 16-year-old green Ensign Max Robichaux is given a small but fast and stealthy ship to penetrate enemy space, observe a mock attack on a new kind of enemy battle station, and return with reams of information on the station, enemy weapons, enemy tactics, and other valuable intelligence. 

Max finds that his vessel’s capabilities as well as his own courage and tenacity are tested when a Vaaach ship intervenes in the Krag exercise and takes Max away from his task...and from any hope of rescue. It seems that the Vaaach have their own uses for the young ensign and his nearly invisible craft. Max must fight his way past a superior force of alien fighters to come to the aid of a race being victimized in one of the most horrific ways imaginable. Once there, he must call upon every ounce of courage and the deepest parts of his humanity to save millions of lives through making what may prove to be the ultimate sacrifice. 

Deadly Nightshade is a novella-length (approximately 37,000 words) tale of adventure, courage, tenacity, and sacrifice. It packs everything Honsinger’s listeners expect - realistically staged space combat, deep character development, believable aliens, and the thrill of being on a warship in deep space - into a compact package. It is also an easily accessible entree to the series for new listeners.