The Raider clans have been defeated and their planet under the supervision of the Riss, with Captain Reese the station commander. But while Reese see the Clans as on probation, many in the SAS task force she commands, perceive them as prisoners and hope to break the Treaty in order to get revenge. As Nadya attempts to maintain the fragile peace, the three empires are being invaded. They know the invading force is far more technology advanced than the SAS. But who are they, where did they come from, and what do they want? One thing appears certain. The SAS cannot defeat the aliens alone. But...

As the least favored child, it was no surprise when Rivka's father selects her, at age six, to comply with the country's conscript law. Sent away to the military to be raised and trained, she struggles to keep from falling into an abyss of despair. Only when she adopts a new friend's dream of becoming a member of the elite Black Guard does she find a new reason to live. Few make it into the Black Guard, but Rivka is determined. Yet when she makes it and is sent on her first mission, to protect a ruling family during a revolution, she discovers to her dismay that the Black Guard may not be as...

Ryana, a worthless girl-child, is sold to a mysterious woman who takes her to the home of the Shadow Sisters who are prized for their abilities as spies and assassins. She survives years of training in spite of being unconventional: adopting poisonous bats as familiars--something no one else would dare to do; choosing the blow dart as her weapon of choice--a weapon the Sisters don't teach; and relying on intuition rather than logic. As she completes her training, the Shadow Sisters are under attack. The senior Sister selects Ryana to find out who is killing Sisters and why--because her...

The combined forces of the SAS, UFN, and JPU with help from the Riss have defeated the galaxy-traveling aliens. In the process, a friendly alliance has evolved between the SAS, UFN, and the Riss nations, and the SAS has agreed Freeland belongs to the Riss nation and is not in SAS space. As a result, the Riss now have their own navy, mutual support agreements with the SAS and the UFN, a planet, and are free to explore the stars. Consequently, Nadya feels it's time that a new Leader be appointed-a Riss-to set the future for the Riss nation. But the SAS and the UFN's navies encountered heavy...

Anna nearly dies, along with all her family, at age four from the deadly Cacao virus. But she survives, thanks to a poisonous red-headed krait. The medical community is excited since there is no known cure for the virus, but Anna and her snake, Red, have a symbiotic relationship-containment, not cure. If she is ever separated from Red, she will die. Anna struggles through foster homes. As her krait becomes known and valuable throughout the three star empires as one of only a handful of such snakes, she fights off attempts to kill her and snatch Red. She even comes to wonder if her brilliance...