Steadfast has even smaller stakes than the prior books, as Geary has to take a part of the fleet to deal with some humanitarian issues in the Syndic world. The basic political instability of the Alliance in the peace is an issue that can't be solved with appeals to honor and political supremacy over the military, and things are falling apart all over the place.

The ground action, which takes place on the quarantine moon of Europa, and saves two members of the crew from an ancient super-plague, is better than most. The last fight, against an AI controlled fleet run by a simulation of Geary's own tactics, is the first real threat in a while.