Flight of the Pangolin - The Pangolin Republic, #1

Somewhere in deep space, a small fleet of probes traverses the black, mapping the galaxy. Launched in secret, Operation Second Egress has been broadcasting data regarding habitable worlds for years - but no one's listening. Until now. Still reeling from its first extraterrestrial incursion, the solar system is attempting to return to normal. Amidst the chaos, a small team of visionaries and misfits hope to move forward with exploration.
Their vessel: the Pangolin, a ship whose glory days are long past. But other forces in the system have their own thoughts on the mission. Can the crew of the Pangolin make it out of the system before running afoul of isolationists, megacorporate interests, regime collapse, oligarchs, and space pirates? Flight of the Pangolin is a thrilling sci-fi adventure, where a team of heroes follows their ambition to discover a fresh start out among the stars against improbable odds.