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John Mott is the captain of the Supernova, the largest of three colossus class star freighters. While on a cargo run, the ship receives an SOS from what appears to be a nearby asteroid. As the Supernova moves closer to investigate, the ship is blasted by a proton torpedo. Captain Mott is then hailed by Admiral Victor Kruel and told he has one hour to comply with his demands or be shot down. Quickly, the crew under Mott's command begin gathering intel on the apparent asteroid and discover that it is made of gold and has a mining settlement. The crew soon realizes that Kruel is a wanted criminal and augmented soldier and has taken over the settlement. It is up to Mott and his crew to stop Kruel and free the people he has taken over.
Dutour's science fiction novel pays obvious homage to popular television shows and films of the same genre. The author is clearly a fan of the classics, referencing Star Trek and Planet of the Apes, among others. The story moves at a decent pace. However, the overall effectiveness of the work would have been enhanced through some additional editing. Still, there are plenty of things for lovers of light-hearted sci-fi to enjoy, as well as some character names that will either delight or distract the reader, depending on one's taste. The work evokes the spirit of being an episode of a quirky sci-fi series that diehard fans can discuss at length and might appeal especially to readers of this persuasion.