At the pinnacle of his naval career, Commander Nathan Buckman, while torn between the two most passionate and beautiful women in his life, must concentrate on his most important task so far. Commander Nathan Buckman and the crew of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan have been ordered to deploy to the Sea of Japan to confront an uncertain future. Despite the continual protests from the United States and the UN Security Council, the North Koreans have accelerated their nuclear weapons building program. The North Korean government has deployed their latest project, the Taepo Dong III. Once again deadly, long-range nuclear missiles could be targeted at the United States. Can the United States impede the North Korean build-up peacefully and prevent a regional war in the Pacific or will the Reagan and her crew be pushed to the breaking point to preserve an already fragile peace? With his personal life forever on his mind, Commander Buckman struggles each day to remain vigilant and make the hard decisions that will return him safely to the woman he loves when, undeterred by neighboring nations and pressure from the United States, the North Korean government, run by a fanatical dictator, plays its final hand.