Challenger's Hope — David Feintuch

THE SEAFORT SAGA
The silent hell of deep space holds certain death for the unwary. The innocent. The untrained. It is the task of the U.N. Navy to defend the starways, no matter the danger...the cost in lives. Facing light-years of travel between Earth and the interstellar colonies, only an iron-willed leader can bring his ship safely through the infinite night.

An alien attack and an admiral's betrayal leave a wounded Commander Nicholas Seafort stranded aboard a doomed ship of arrogant colonists and violent street children. His crew is rebellious, his ship short of weapons, fuel, food. Easy prey for the alien predators now massing to attack.

Only Nick Seafort's will stands between his charges and violent death. But is he merely postponing their end?