It was the first of the Royal Navy's latest hunter-killer class of submarine. With the recent completion of a major refit, including technical upgrades, it would be the stealthiest ever put to sea, by any nation. HMS Astute could operate anywhere in the world's oceans completely unseen when rendered invisible. That was until a highly trained foreign force pirated it away. It was Captain Robert Southward’s pride and joy; a command for which he had worked hard. Stealing HMS Astute and her technology was Captain Dmitri Sparrov’s mission, one that could earn him riches beyond the imagination. Two men, two careers, two women. This is the first in the Commander Southward series of books.