Humble Giants

Excerpt

Deep in its tunnel, the machine blinked.

A reflex--a circuit unconnected to the self-awareness module--caused a cleansing membrane to wipe the optic sensors. In the airless tunnel, no dust had settled on the eye, so the reflex was unnecessary, an inefficient vestige of the machine’s remote origin as a human creation. But, inefficient or not, the machine blinked.

It blinked when the probe’s laser flashed.

On system check, it discovered its batteries were depleted, though all its modules appeared functional. Its power supply was low, but it was far from helpless.

The Flying Dutchman of the stars! Rigger and star pilot Renwald Legroeder undertakes a search for the legendary ghost ship Impris—and her passengers and crew—whose fate is entwined with interstellar piracy, quantum defects in space-time, galactic coverup conspiracies, and deep-cyber romance. A stand-alone Star Rigger novel, and an excellent starting point for readers new to the Star Rigger Universe.

A Nebula Award finalist, from the author of The Chaos Chronicles.

Original print publication by Tor Books.

The first book in the epic saga of humankind's war of transcendence

There is a milestone in the evolution of every sentient race, a Tech Singularity Event, when the species achieves transcendence through its technological advances. Now the creatures known as humans are near this momentous turning point.

But an armed threat is approaching from deepest space, determined to prevent humankind from crossing over that boundary—by total annihilation if necessary.

To the Sh'daar, the driving technologies of transcendent change are anathema and must be obliterated from the universe—along with those who would employ them. As their great warships destroy everything in their path en route to the Sol system, the human Confederation government falls into dangerous disarray. There is but one hope, and it rests with a rogue Navy Admiral, commander of the kilometer-long star carrier America, as he leads his courageous fighters deep into enemy space towards humankind's greatest conflict—and quite possibly its last.

The crew of the Triton, a rare, Earth built Space Combat Carrier, make their way to Ossimi Station, a safe haven for independent ships and traders. In a galaxy gripped by conflict and teetering on the verge of chaos, Captain Jacob Valance and his crew will be faced with the unexpected, the unknown, and an opportunity to save thousands of lives. Will their sympathy be their undoing? [Broadcast 5]

Star Crusades Uprising: The Second Trilogy contains the complete text of the novels BATTLE FOR PROXIMA, FALL OF TERRA NOVA and SLAVES OF HYPERION. This epic science fiction series chronicles humanity's first interstellar confederation, torn apart by religious strife and extremism.

BATTLE FOR PROXIMA

In this latest book of the Star Crusades Uprising series the Confederacy is on its knees. Months of war have lost them most of the populated colonies and more will surely follow. Spartan, now a Lieutenant in the Marine Corps has been given his own special platoon, the Vanguards. Using the best weapons and armour in the Confederate arsenal, his unit is thrown back to the Bone Mill to locate information that could change the war.

FALL OF TERRA NOVA

The action shifts to Terra Nova, the shining beacon of humanity and the single most important planet in the Confederacy. Guarding access to this isolated planet is the Anomaly. This mysterious location is the gateway to Terra Nova and the rest of the Confederacy. When the Echidna Union begins moving scores of ships to the Anomaly, Admiral Jarvis must make a critical decision that could win or lose the war. Either she continues Operation Perdition and reclaims the lost colonies of Proxima Centauri, or she sends the fleet to take control of the Anomaly and the route to Terra Nova in one final apocalyptical battle.

SLAVES OF HYPERION

The newly founded Alliance rises from the ruins of the old Confederacy. Scattered groups of the enemy remain, but organised resistance has been crushed. Amnesty has been granted to those still at large and peace has returned to the war torn colonies. Or has it?

This expanding saga includes the Star Crusades Uprising and new Star Crusades Nexus series that follows the story of the Centauri Alliance seventeen years after the end of the Uprising. Novels currently available in the series include:

STAR CRUSADES UPRISING

Siege of Titan (Star Crusades Uprising, Book 1)

Tears of Kerberos (Star Crusades Uprising, Book 2)

Fires of Prometheus (Star Crusades Uprising, Book 3)

Battle for Proxima (Star Crusades Uprising, Book 4)

Fall of Terra Nova (Star Crusades Uprising, Book 5)

Slaves of Hyperion (Star Crusades Uprising, Book 6)

All 6 books are available in Star Crusades Uprising: The First Trilogy and Star Crusades Uprising: The Second Trilogy compilations.

STAR CRUSADES NEXUS

Legions of Orion (Star Crusades Nexus, Book 1)

Scientists are surprised to discover an alien light sail on the edge of the solar system. When the expedition sent to meet them boards the craft, they find beings surprisingly compatible with humans. That two species so similar could have evolved twelve light years from one another seems coincidental. One human soon discovers that coincidence has nothing to do with it.

After a century of warfare, humanity finally discovered the Achilles heel of the Ryall. Spica is the key star system in enemy space. It is the hub through which all Ryall starships must pass. If humanity can capture Spica, they will strangle the Ryall war machine. With the key to victory in hand, Richard and Bethany Drake must conquer human nature if they are to bring down the alien foe …