Esther Lysander the driven professional Marine ever conscious of the heavy weight of her fathers legacy is selected to become an officer. She has high goals for her career--very high goals--and she believes the best method to achieve success is to be a complete hard-ass keeping emotions at bay. This outlook has resulted in some notable achievements but at the cost of friends and her relationship with her twin brother Noah a price she is willing to pay. First as an infantry platoon commander then as a Recon Marine Esther develops as a tactical commander all the time putting her career first and foremost. As she grows into her billets however she begins to realize there is more to being a leader of Marines than simply the mission at hand. A true leader cannot consider her subordinates as mere chess pieces in her rise to the top and a true Marine has to put the needs of the Corps and Federation above her own.