Gift of Change (Electronic book text)

Jason McCullan was a brilliant Imperial officer in the wrong place, at the wrong time with the right idea. His idea allowed a greatly outnumbered Imperial task force to defeat an in system armada, got him promoted, medals awarded, pronounced a hero of the Empire and made him enemies he didn't even know about. They forced his early retirement from the Imperial Navy and that was only the beginning.

Now he's overworked, understaffed, and betrayed by the Empire he had served. Jason finds himself running a fourteen man freighter alone, his pilot partner, Falon, in jail for brawling, his crewmen fired for stealing, hauling a classified cargo he's not to look at, while working his way through a ship killing asteroid belt. Just another lousy day in space for a down on his luck retired Imperial officer? Maybe!

Jason, his pilot Falon, and their artificially intelligent computer Fred may survive using their wits, a gift from an alien telepath, luck, and superior lost technology, if they can master it before it enslaves them. What a choice - give up, adapt or die!