The discovery of a drug-runner's derelict boat, with extensive and inexplicable damage, leads Coast Guard Officer Ben Wyporek and his crew on a dangerous mission to locate a crashed alien vessel before a transnational criminal organization, known as the 252 Syndicate, can find it.

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Driven by Dr. Peter Simmons, a mysterious government agent obsessed with secrecy, the crew of the aging Coast Guard Cutter Kauai is ill-prepared to handle the mission. The operation quickly turns into a life-and-death race with the technologically-advanced 252 Syndicate to find and contact the first known extraterrestrial visitors to Earth.

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For DIA Agent Simmons, the objectives are clear; he must preserve the secret of the aliens' arrival and discover if they are hostile or benign. Either way, he must keep the 252s from accessing alien technology. From his perspective, his ultimate mission is to save the world, no matter the costs.

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Lieutenant Samuel Powell, Commanding Officer of the Kauai, distrusts Intelligence specialists like Simmons, and despite his best efforts to protect his crew, he still can't prevent his First Officer and best friend Ben from being drawn into the fight of his life.

Exploring the friendship and teamwork of a typical ship's crew, in the face of unexpected and hazardous challenges, Engage at Dawn: First Contact illustrates the bonds and humor common to Coast Guard and other military units.