The greatest warriors, engineers and scientists of the age blaze a path to the worlds of T’Karan and Helios, far away from the human worlds of the Alliance. There they will meet alien races and become embroiled in intergalactic politics and conflict. Characters such as Spartan, the illegal pitfighter turned war hero of the Great Uprising, Teresa Morato, senior commander in the Marine Corps and a deadly warrior and Gun, the synthetic warrior giant turned General, a figure with a burning desire to hunt time and destroy the enemies of his tortured people. All of them will play their part in shaping humanity’s future in the galaxy. This complete box set contains the full text of every Star Crusades: Nexus novel. That’s right, all nine books! Buy the box set today and read the entire series from start to finish: Legions of Orion A chance discovery on the jungle world of Hyperion leads Alliance scientists on a path to creating a permanent spacebridge to the distant Orion Nebula. In a matter of days, great fleets of military and civilian ships depart for the single greatest expedition since the colonisation of Alpha Centauri. Machine Gods After decades of war, the Alliance reached the Orion Nebula and discovered the advanced but shattered remnants of the T'Kari. People and ships are diverted to this rich area of space to continue its exploration and exploitation. At the same time a secretive faction of the T'Kari, known simply as the Raiders unleash attacks on any ships or facilities left unguarded, be it human or T'Kari. Heroes of Helios A strike group of the dozen most advanced ships in the Alliance is assembled and sent to a summit of the remaining great powers of Orion. It is a measure of the reputation and military prowess of humanity that they are to be allowed to participate in joint exercises with the Narau Navy, a combined military force made up of ships from the five alien empires. The Great Betrayal The ancient prophecy spreads to the colonies of the Alliance and ignites a public debate on the rumour of the coming comet. The origins of the rumour revolve around the dark days of the last war fought on Helios. The prophecy speaks of the return of the 'Great Enemy' that will be signalled by the coming of a burning star. Prophecy of Fire The fragile Centauri-Helion Alliance is being tested to the limits as Alliance ground forces under the command of General Daniels deploy on Eos, a strategically placed moon. Call to Arms The Great Biomech War is now inevitable and the citizens of the Alliance ready themselves for what is to come. Ships and soldiers from a hundred worlds set their eyes on Helios, some looking to defend it and others making their plans to bring about its destruction. As each day passes, the defenders around Helios grow, and each day brings the prophetic comet closer to them. Battle for Helios For a thousand years the Helions have predicted the return of the Biomechs and their hordes, and for a thousand years they have done little to prepare. The Prophecy of Fire has spread like a disease through every world, infusing fear to civilian and soldier alike. Wrath of the Gods The opening battles of the bloodiest war in human history have been fought, and now the enemy spreads from world to world, exterminating all before them. This is no war for territory or resources, it is one of genocide. The Black Rift.

    "Doc Travis" Taylor and best-selling ebook author Darrell Bain have combined talents to produce a new science fiction thriller. Several alien lifeboats make it to earth in widely separated spots after their interstellar spaceship malfunctions. One of the aliens comes down near the home of Kyle Leverson, a former army intelligence officer and now a widowed science journalist. The aliens think they can never go home but they are able to convert their bodies into duplicates of human beings over a period of time. Kyle helps the alien during the process as it becomes a human female, yet retains its previous knowledge and abilities, including a powerful perceptive sense unlike anything known to humans. What Kyle doesn't realize is that the alien intends to become a human female in every aspect, with him as the teacher. How does one instruct an alien from a wildly different culture in every characteristic of human behavior, including sex? It's a chore far harder than Kyle Leverson ever imagined, especially since he and his alien guest have to contend with the other aliens, who are being instructed (or in a couple of cases, captured and abused) by different groups of people in several other nations. Their outlook on what it means to be human is different from Kyle's and the results will be evident when the aliens have to fight each other, even though they've never done such things before. Fortunately for Kyle, his alien is a fast learner. But it also becomes such a compatible and beautiful human female that he finds himself falling in love. A truly thoughtful and sophisticated science fiction novel, by Travis S. Taylor, the author of Warp Speed, The Quantum Connection and Von Neuman's War (in collaboration with John Ringo) and Darrell Bain, the multiple award-winning author of Alien Infection, Strange Valley, Savage Survival and The Melanin Apocalypse.

    Young Penelope has long had a price on her head, and Carlos Mendoza now knows how she has outwitted her captors—and the awesome powers behind her success. As Carlos moves in for the kill, Mouse is hard-pressed to preserve her life, defend Penelope, and in so doing, save humanity. For Carlos "Iceman" Mendoza, only one thing becomes clear: in a universe of giant men, ruthless bounty hunters, and interstellar war, his greatest fear is this one girl.

    One thing is clear: the five inhabited worlds of the sector are on the brink of civil war and the once peaceful coexistence of the three leading races -- human, Selonian, and Drallan --  has come to an end.

    Subterranean Press is proud to publish The Sagan Diary, a long novelette that for the first time looks at the worlds of the Hugo-nominated Old Man's War and its sequel The Ghost Brigades from the point of view of Lieutenant Jane Sagan, who in a series of diary entries gives her views on some of the events included in the series... and sheds new light into some previously unexplored corners. If you thought you knew Jane Sagan before, prepare to be surprised.

    Other outlandish tales include John Wayne battling cancer using a highly alternative therapy, a gene for integrity being harvested from the brain of an unwilling donor, and the landing of Christopher Columbus in modern-day Manhattan. Included are the Locus and Nebula Award-nominated novelette Auspicious Eggs and several previously unpublished pieces.ContentsIntroduction by Michael Swanwick“Auspicious Eggs”“Come Back, Dr. Sarcophagus”“Director’s Cut”“Fucking Justice”“Isabella of Castile Answers Her Mail”“Martyrs of the Upshot Knothole”“The Cat’s Pajamas”“The Eye That Never Blinks”“The Fate of Nations”“The War of the Worldviews”“The Wisdom of the Skin”“The Zombies of Montrose”

    Afraid of being thrown into an isolation chamber, Michael goes home, but quickly falls violently ill. By the time he recovers and returns to work scary things are happening. Everyone who has come into contact with that patient is being systematically killed. On the run, he accidentally infects a woman living in the shadows of the underworld. She becomes ill as well, but survives. Then they begin feeling younger-and younger. Why would the government want to suppress something like this? After barely escaping federal gunmen, the two of them set out to discover what kind of infection they are harboring even though it might mean the end of their freedom.

    Now mankind is reclaiming the galaxy, and a brave man or woman could become very wealthy. But there are wars springing up, with new tyrants seizing whole planets, while other planets are rebelling. And lurking in the dark spaces are pirates.

    Nigel Sheldon, one of the founders of the Commonwealth, receives a visit from the Raiel—self-appointed guardians of the Void, the enigmatic construct at the core of the galaxy that threatens the existence of all that lives. The Raiel convince Nigel to participate in a desperate scheme to infiltrate the Void.Once inside, Nigel discovers that humans are not the only life-forms to have been sucked into the Void, where the laws of physics are subtly different and mental powers indistinguishable from magic are commonplace. The humans trapped there are afflicted by an alien species of biological mimics—the Fallers—that are intelligent but merciless killers.Yet these same aliens may hold the key to destroying the threat of the Void forever—if Nigel can uncover their secrets. As the Fallers’ relentless attacks continue, and the fragile human society splinters into civil war, Nigel must uncover the secrets of the Fallers—before he is killed by the very people he has come to save.

    Military science-fiction adventure at its best!---GABRIEL'S REDEMPTION, Book OneNorth American Federation Navy Commander Evan Gabriel was dishonorably discharged after losing his covert team on a far off world called Eden. Now, he’s being offered an opportunity to command a new team, on a new world, with a new mission, but the true motives behind the mission are unclear.From the decaying Caribbean to politically-charged South America, from the slums of Mars to a tiny colony on a planet six hundred light years from Earth, Gabriel's Redemption is a near-future military science fiction story of a personal journey seen from the perspective of a soldier who has lost everything; one who desperately needs to redeem himself not only in his government’s eyes, but also his own. Interstellar action and political intrigue mix with one-on-one battles on the surface of a frozen planet in this exciting tale of salvation.Approximately 66,000 words.GABRIEL’S RETURN, Book TwoOn the far-off icebound planet of Poliahu, North American Federation Navy Commander Evan Gabriel suffered the loss of several team members in order to free a native species and save his brother. Now he is being called away on a new mission by a friend in trouble, and by a name from his distant past. He and his surviving team must again travel across the galaxy to the planet where he lost his naval command, and his original team, so many years ago: Eden.Evan Gabriel must face three distinct threats on Eden: the well-armed terrorist group that has been raiding Eden City, the dangerous planet itself, and his own haunting memories of his past.Gabriel's Return continues the epic science fiction/adventure trilogy with characters new and old, devious political intrigue on the moon and Mars, and deadly jungle combat on Eden.Approximately 87,000 wordsGABRIEL’S REVENGE, Book ThreeA missile has no conscience. It is an inanimate steel object: cold, emotionless. But once ignited, it burns white hot inside, and cannot be shut off. Fired in combat, it has but one objective: the total destruction of its intended target. And it will only stop when its objective has been achieved, or it runs out of fuel.Not all missiles are made of steel.North American Federation Navy Commander Evan Gabriel thought it was over. Returning from a mission on the far-off world of Eden, he finds that Mars is in a state of political upheaval. Two major dome cities are now under the control of ambitious and ruthless men backed by the scheming South American Republic. Friends are in trouble, Renay Gesselli is missing, and the future of a world is in flux while rival governments bicker behind closed doors. From the ice-bound planet of Poliahu, to the dangerous jungle world of Eden, and back to his adopted home of Mars, Evan Gabriel has witnessed death follow him. Now, he's turning the tables, and no force would stand in his way.Approximately 80,000 wordsREVIEWS:“The action in this series rocks, complete with super-cool weapons and technology. Umstead takes a complex cast and gives them each a distinct personality that makes the team dynamic just great.” - L. Petersen“I am a huge fan of well-written science fiction, and the Evan Gabriel series hasn't disappointed... layered with dimension and feeling unlike quite a few other sci-fi titles out there.” - N. Holderby“Umstead has created what I can only describe as a Tom Clancy-esque world a few hundred years into the future.” - W.E. Linde

    One day, Colonel Fred Johnson will be hailed as a hero to the system. One day, he will meet a desperate man in possession of a stolen spaceship and a deadly secret and extend a hand of friendship. But long before he became the leader of the Outer Planets Alliance, Fred Johnson had a very different name. The Butcher of Anderson Station. This is his story.Word Count: ~9,000 words

    Eleven exploratory ships carrying humans escaping a degenerating Earth are discovered by a more advanced space-faring civilization, the Ildaran Empire. The empire helps the refugees - by now the several-generations-later offspring of the original voyagers - settle suitable planets and sends diplomats with a few of them to Earth to establish trade and diplomatic relations.Meanwhile, both Terran and Ildaran authorities bring hidden agendas to their first-contact discussions, and asEarth attempts to become a player in this new arena, its ambassadors are thrust into a foreign world of alien life forms, backstabbing politics, bitter feuds, and a deadly struggle to become the supreme force in the universe.

    The Inner World leaders of the Terran Federation seem to have forgotten this simple truth. After fighting the Khanate—with the Fringe Worlds to supply the raw material and the fighting men—the Inner Worlds found it hard to give up the powers they had seized during the war. So they decided not to—rather than allow the rapidly expanding Fringe Worlds representation in the Federation, they are inviting the Khanate in, to keep the colonial upstarts in their place. The Fringers have only one answer to that:

    Athena Lee had everything going for her. She graduated the Space academy and had become an Engineer. Her first posting was to an Support fleet building a secret outpost. When her ship is attacked and destroyed she is left alone and forgotten. Athena has to enginner her way home. Rescued many years later. She is arrested for letting an Idiot kill himself by noyt following orders. Now she has a bounty on her head and is beign chased by assassins. Joining a navy not her own she fights for truth while surrounded by corruption and greed. Pirates and bounty hunters bar her way.

    It is a lonely job, and a thankless one for the most part. Until something goes wrong. Until a ship is in distress. In the 23rd century, this job has moved into outer space. A network of beacons allows ships to travel across the Milky Way at many times the speed of light. These beacons are built to be robust. They never break down. They never fail. At least, they aren't supposed to.