Peter J Aldin

For 3400 years, we conquered the Milky Way, ushering in an age of peace and prosperity. All of humanity, united beneath the banner of the Martianist Imperium. Until civil war struck at the empire's heart... 1700 years after the war, the Imperium is a shadow of its former self. Along the galaxy's Outer Reaches, frontier factions and vicious gangs nip at the empire's heels and jostle for dominance. In the year 5122, Alexis Nales wakes from stasis to find her crew long dead and herself the property of slavers. To survive in the lawless outer region, Alexis must transform a ragtag group of escaped slaves into a tight-knit crew who'll fight for freedom and a better future. Elsewhere, an ancient warrior-captured at the civil war's conclusion-awakens from his own stasis. Expected to lead a team of fellow captives, Jabari Mbaye soon discovers the assignment is off-the-books... and the imperial officer commanding it has gone rogue. When both of their paths converge, Alexis and Jabari must face two questions. Can the other be trusted? And do they have what it takes to win? Losing this battle could result in the deaths of both their teams... and ultimately in the destruction of all human civilisation.

For the last 6 months, Marine Private Westermann has been stuck guarding a hyperspace entry point on the very edges of colonized space.A hyperspace point that no unauthorized ships ever come through. Because the planet she's guarding is somewhere no sane person would ever want to visit.And then a suspicious cargo ship arrives, bringing with it a storm of death and destruction.Outnumbered and outgunned...Her ship destroyed...Her backup days away...And the only place to hide is the most feared planet in colonized space...Private Westermann's bad day at work just became the worst day of her life.***HIGH STAKES ACTION-ADVENTURE FROM THE AUTHOR OF THIRD CONTACT AND EVENTIDE

They took to the stars to build a cleaner society. Now one man is about to get his hands dirtier than he ever imagined.Investigator John Romaine has a deal with his employers: do his job well, and they won't send him into the dirt and danger of their planetary colonies.So he's stunned when they deploy him to an unregistered world to solve the suspicious death of a Marine. And even more astounded to discover that the planet is home to aliens, the first sentient species humans have encountered.When the pressure mounts to charge the local people with murder, Romaine is forced to do two things he's never done before...Fight for his life. And choose a side that's not his own.***"Aldin's talent for writing gripping scifi with memorable characters is among the best in the business." Kevin Ikenberry, author of Sleeper Protocol