Showing results by author "C.R. Daems" in All Categories

Not only is the Ghost Platoon the only permanently configured platoon in the Tasmanian SFG, it only has ten men assigned, never has an assigned objective, and is commanded by a woman whose call sign is Fox. While most in the Tasmanian SFG hunt the enemy like a pack of wolves, the Ghost Platoon is frequently behind enemy lines, like foxhounds, searching for ways to be a general pain in the enemy’s ass.

The Tasmanian's unofficial motto is et anima una: of one mind. Somehow, the elite special forces group performs like they have one mind. Jolie understands on a subconscious level, but not on an intellectual level. This is an important level for Jolie, as she has a platoon and no stated objectives while on assignments and, therefore, easy to lose her connection with the main force. A problem that could make her unfit for the Tasmanians.

Repeated over and over by those answering the call, it would empty bars or a base or a city of Tasmanians, because no member of the elite unit would desert a brother in trouble, reinforcing their unofficial motto, Et Anima Una, Of One Mind. Jolie is the only female in the elite all male Tasmanian special forces group and loving every crazy minute of it; well, except for being made a squad leader. A duty no Tasmanian would want since it means having to make life and death decisions that impact their brothers' lives.

Alisha is the newest Talon of the Raptor Clan, mercenaries prized by rulers, nobles, and the wealthy as elite bodyguards. Her skill with a blade and her foresight won her a prized place as a Talon, but unlike other Talons, she has a unique magical sigil given to her by an unnamed goddess. Alisha's first assignment for the clan is guarding a spoiled young princess. Surrounded by dangerous plots, keeping the girl alive takes all of Alisha's guile.

Based on her unique upbringing, Jolie decides to join the USP military, requesting to be assigned to the Tasmanians SFG, an elite all male unit. The military brass agree to let her enter the school, thinking she couldn't possibly succeed and plan to make an example of her when she fails. Although Jolie is small, she is not what she appears. But can her martial arts enable her to survive the treachery of the military brass, the grueling of the school, the prejudices of the instructors, and the testosterone of an all-male class.

Mountain warriors raid Zara's village and make her a slave. That should have been her destiny, but Zara resists to the amusement of her captives, who let their young warriors train on her, believing they will cripple or kill her eventually. However, she survives the training and escapes—a savage warrior in a civilized land ruled by royalty. Zara tries to avoid the nobility and their unrealistic "requests" to help wipe out the mountain tribes only to come to the attention of a duke who asks her to save the daughter of a baron, captured in a recent raid.

Nisha has trained since a young child to develop her Qi—internal energy—with the goal of becoming a Qi'advisor. She is still a student at the Qi'temple when the unimaginable happens: war breaks out and she is chosen to be a Qi'advisor to a duke, although untried. Rhybac's king is dead, the kingdom in chaos, and warriors out of the Sands are circling for the kill. As a Qi'advisor surrounded by greed, treachery, and civil war, she must risk her life to reveal what others cannot or refuse to see. The fate of Rhybac, its people, and even its enemies are in her young hands.

The Padang Commonwealth Alliance has been invaded by aliens called the Sytorians. The war is in its tenth year, and the Padang Alliance is losing a war of attrition. Initially, the two nations' cruiser-kill ratios were equal. Today, the Sytorians destroy three Padang cruisers for every two Sytorians cruisers. The Padang admiralty is having a difficult time finding replacement crews for those injured and killed. Particularly experienced fleet and squadron commanders.

A young girl dreams of seeing the stars and meeting aliens. Her chance comes in the form of a project offering a college education, a commission in the SAS Fleet, and a partnership with an alien. She successfully qualifies and wins one of the coveted 10 positions. Of Course everything comes with a price - the alien is a parasite that inhabits the body and mind, and is there for life. Is it a dream or nightmare come true? Maybe both?

The threat from the JPU has been eliminated and the empires should be at peace, but fractions within the SAS have revised old resentments against the Riss and Freeland. These anti-Riss groups have distorted the facts of the war with the JPU and dispute the Riss' right to quarantine JPU, insisting the SAS should have exclusive rights to the JPU and the Riss quarantined. While the SAS plots against the Riss, an alien force enters SAS space and is annihilating inhabitable systems.

An insidious cabal has decided to change the direction of the United Alliance of Stars (UAS) with a coup d’etat - but not through a military takeover. They have devised a subtler coup: the manipulation of the Committee, the 15-star system that sets policy for the UAS. The UAS Committee enlists their de facto troubleshooter, Anna Paulus, to shut down the cabal, but they insists she leave the NIA and manage UAS Committee Security. For Anna it’s a nightmare scenario, leaving her safe world for a completely new environment dominated by macho men with years of combat experience.

With the galaxy-traveling aliens defeated, Nadya feels it's time that a new leader be appointed to guide the Riss into the future. At last, they have the freedom to explore the stars with their own navy and their own home planet of Freeland. In the process of defeating the aliens, a friendly alliance between the Sadr Alliance of Stars (SAS), the United Free Nations (UFN), and the Riss nation developed.

Anna survives a deadly virus at age four 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. If she is ever separated from Red, she will die. 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. When the Naval Intelligence Agency, the NIA, recruits her, her adventures grow beyond fending off thieves and killers.

Anna and her Naval Intelligence Agency (NIA) teammates have a new high-priority assignment: foreign raiders who are wreaking havoc within the United Alliance of Stars. They hit high value targets, have access to inside information, kill the security guards, and leave no witnesses. The NIA team soon discovers the raiders' system has been well thought out and has no weak links to exploit. The raiders prove arrogant, resourceful, and in no hurry to leave.

Anna's nice comfortable world is in turmoil. Because of their success in destroying the foreign Raiders, Anna, Kris, and Adrian were promoted to full commander, and the project team was disbanded. Kris and Adrian were given NIA offices to manage on Stone Ring and Westar, and Anna is being pressured to move to Eastar to manage the NIA station.

Nadia is now an experienced naval officer with two engagements with the Raider's cruiser packs. But hosting an intelligent parasite, she continuities to be seen as an alien, generating disgust, fear, hate, and attempts to kill her. To add to her problems, the Raiders have identified her as contributing directly to their bad luck and have designated her a dybbuk - demon - and have set a price on her dead or alive.

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, she discovers to her dismay that the Black Guard may not be as perfect as she had believed.

Anna's success as the Eastar NIA station chief has catapulted her into the position of Director of NIA Stations. Anna is uncomfortable with the promotion and bored. She has a master chief secretary, a lieutenant aide-de-camp, and 15 commanders and their staff to do the work. But she suspects not all of her commanders are happy with their new, very young admiral or are doing their jobs. But she has no way to observe those commanders as their stations reside on distant systems.

The Jax Contract Committee, JCC, has released Rivka to take assignments, and her first involves her in a plot by several Systems within the Helix collection of systems to destroy the Jax. As the plot spreads, she is given assignments to combat the threat. Soon she becomes the JCC's problem solver for ill-advised and potentially ruinous contracts the JCC is forced to accept, including one by the United Freelands who is seeking revenge on her for their embarrassing defeat on Suryah.

With invading aliens determined to confine humans to their planets, one thing is certain: the Aliens' force is technologically superior to the SAS, and even with the new Riss technology the clans have developed under Nadya Reese's supervision, the SAS cannot defeat them alone. But forging an alliance between the SAS, UFN, and JPU will not be easy. It will require the empires to put aside their long history of border wars and mutual dislike. Worse, many in the SAS hate Riss-humans, especially Nadya.