The concept of détente shaped most of the Cold War, creating a fragile peace between the United States and the Soviet Union based on mutual assured destruction. Stability depended on both sides showing the ability—and the will—to achieve total annihilation.

Imagine going to work knowing you might be called to kill millions. What kind of person could shoulder that burden?

The Last Titan is set in Tucson, 1979, and follows the 390th Strategic Missile Wing as they man the free world’s most powerful nuclear weapon: the Titan II.

Captain Tom Decker, senior standard board commander, faces added pressure with the introduction of women into the Titan II crew force—especially as he becomes emotionally involved with Captain Elaine Jordan, slated to be the first female missile commander.

As Tom and his fellow officers navigate relentless training and the weight of their mission, he struggles with a bitter divorce and his deepening relationship with Elaine, who is torn between Tom and her ex-fiancé.

Following orders from his mentor, Colonel James Baker, Tom must cover up an evaluation failure by a female crew member, putting lives at risk.

In a pilot-centric Air Force, Tom and his peers endure second-class treatment despite the magnitude of their responsibility. Meanwhile, the aging Titan II system becomes a pawn in arms negotiations, with vital security upgrades ignored—until it’s too late.

Votec Yon Zaplatol, a Czech-born defense contractor, seizes the opportunity. Driven by greed, he sells his knowledge to radical Muslim leaders seeking nuclear catastrophe. His plan: infiltrate and destroy missile site 571-7.

Tom remains in Tucson, drawn by his love for Elaine and the desert. But everything changes when Zaplatol and his Mujahideen soldiers launch a brutal, calculated attack on the missile site. Only Tom’s actions and the bravery of his team give the Air Force time to respond and prevent a disaster of unimaginable scale.