A Vow to Sophia — John Bowers

When twelve year-old Onja Pedersen vowed before Goddess Sophia to free her mother and sister from Sirian slavery, she had no idea how to make it happen; six years later, when the Sirian Confederacy attacks the Solar Federation, she sees her chance and joins the United Federation Fighter Fleet. From the day she enlists, Onja faces opposition - a skeptical recruiter, a sadistic drill instructor, a vengeful XO - but there are good men as well, and eventually she falls in love. Consumed by hatred of the Sirians, Onja lusts only to kill, and quickly becomes the deadliest gunner in the Fighter Service. In just two years of combat, she destroys dozens of enemy fighters, two troop transports, and faces down an enemy carrier. Then Fate hits back, and takes from Onja her most prized possession.A Vow to Sophia is the story of a girl facing impossible odds in a galaxy gone mad. It's a story of courage, bravery, passion, and single-minded determination. Onja's hatred fuels her success, but in the end, love is her salvation. Rated "R"136,300 words (equivalent to 511 pages in mass market paperback format).