Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon (English) Paperback Book

Description: Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon The first book of an exciting new military sci fi series that features a swashbuckling spaceship-captain heroine who mixes commerce with combat. "Filled with fast-paced action and well-conceived characters."--"Booklist." FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description "Filled with fast-paced action and well-conceived characters."—BooklistKylara Vatta is the only daughter in a family full of sons, and her fathers only child to buck tradition by choosing a military career instead of joining the family business. For Ky, its no contest: Even running the prestigious Vatta Transport Ltd. shipping concern cant hold a candle to shipping out as an officer aboard an interstellar cruiser. Its adventure, not commerce, that stirs her soul. And despite her familys misgivings, there can be no doubt that a Vatta in the service will prove a valuable asset. But with a single error in judgment, it all comes crumbling down. Expelled from the Academy in disgrace–and returning home to her humiliated family, a storm of high-profile media coverage, and the gaping void of her own future–Ky is ready to face the inevitable onslaught of anger, disappointment, even pity. But soon after opportunitys door slams shut, Ky finds herself with a ticket to ride– and a shot at redemption–as captain of a Vatta Transport ship. Its a simple assignment: escorting one of the Vatta fleets oldest ships on its final voyage . . . to the scrapyard. But keeping it simple has never been Kys style. And even though her father has provided a crew of seasoned veterans to baby-sit the fledgling captain on her maiden milk run, they cant stop Ky from turning the routine mission into a risky venture–in the name of turning a profit for Vatta Transport, of course. By snapping up a lucrative delivery contract defaulted on by a rival company, and using part of the proceeds to upgrade her condemned vehicle, Ky aims to prove shes got more going for her than just her familys famous name. But business will soon have to take a backseat to bravery, when Kys change of plans sails her and the crew straight into the middle of a colonial war. For all her commercial savvy, its her military training and born-soldiers instincts that Ky will need to call on in the face of deadly combat, dangerous mercenaries, and violent mutiny. . . ."Compelling . . . a superior novel . . . Trading in Danger [has] originality and intelligence."—SciFi Back Cover Kylara Vatta is the only daughter in a family full of sons, a young woman who has chosen a military career instead of joining the familys shipping business. Its adventure, not commerce, that stirs her soul. But after a single error in judgment, she is expelled from the Academy in disgrace. The chance to captain a Vatta Transport ship gives her a face-saving shot at redemption. Its a simple assignment: escort one of the Vatta fleets oldest ships on its final voyage to the scrapyard. But keeping it simple has never been Kys style. And even though her father has provided a crew of seasoned veterans to babysit the fledgling captain, they cant stop Ky from turning the routine mission into a risky venture. Business soon takes a backseat to bravery, when Kys change of plans sails her and the crew straight into the middle of a colonial war. For all her commercial savvy, its her military training and born-soldiers instincts that Ky will need to call on in the face of deadly combat, dangerous mercenaries, and violent mutiny.... Author Biography Elizabeth Moon grew up on the Texas border, served three years of active duty in the USMC (1968–71), and now lives with her husband, also a veteran, near Austin, Texas. She has published more than twenty-five novels, including Nebula Award winner The Speed of Dark, Hugo finalist Remnant Population, and the enduring epic fantasy series The Chronicles of Paksenarrion. She has published more than fifty short-fiction pieces in anthologies and magazines and in four of her own short-fiction collections, most recently Moon Flights and Deeds of Honor. When not writing, Moon enjoys photographing native plants and wildlife, knitting socks, and cooking. Review "Bound to appeal to fans of David Webers Honor Harrington series, this sf adventure is filled with fast-paced action and well-conceived characters."—Booklist"Compelling . . . a superior novel . . . Trading in Danger [has] originality and intelligence." —SciFi.comPRAISE FOR ELIZABETH MOON HERIS SERRANO "Dazzling . . . The characters spring to life on the page. . . . The action never flags. . . . Riveting."—Booklist "Excellent world building and appealing characters."—Science Fiction Age AGAINST THE ODDS "Readers will delight in the twisting, thorny adventure in the compelling continuation to this popular series."—Publishers Weekly "A fun fast-paced mix of space and soap opera."—Locus CHANGE OF COMMAND "Fans will relish the clever intrigue, the outstanding characterization and a perfectly applied dash of humor."—Romantic Times "Political intrigue, mutiny in space, and ideological battles of war and weapons lend variety to this fast-moving space opera set in the distant future."—Library Journal Review Quote PRAISE FOR ELIZABETH MOON HERIS SERRANO "Dazzling . . . The characters spring to life on the page. . . . The action never flags. . . . Riveting." Booklist "Excellent world building and appealing characters." Science Fiction Age AGAINST THE ODDS "Readers will delight in the twisting, thorny adventure in the compelling continuation to this popular series." Publishers Weekly "A fun fast-paced mix of space and soap opera." Locus CHANGE OF COMMAND "Fans will relish the clever intrigue, the outstanding characterization and a perfectly applied dash of humor." Romantic Times "Political intrigue, mutiny in space, and ideological battles of war and weapons lend variety to this fast-moving space opera set in the distant future." Library Journal From the Hardcover edition. Excerpt from Book Chapter One Kylara Vatta came to attention in front of the Commandants desk. One sheet of flatcopy lay in front of him, the print too small for her to read upside down. She had a bad feeling about this. On previous trips to the Commandants office, she had been summoned by an icon popping up on her deskcomp. Those had all been benign visits, the result of exams passed in the top 5 percent, or prizes won, and the Commandant had greeted her with the most thawed of his several frosty expressions. Today it had been "Cadet Vatta to the Commandants office, on the double," blaring out over the speaker right in the middle of her first class period, Veshpasirs lecture on the history of the first century pd. Veshpasir, no friend to shipping dynasties, had given her a nasty smirk before saying, "Dismissed, Cadet Vatta." She had no idea what this was about. Or rather, she hoped she didnt. Surely she had been careful enough . . . "Cadet Vatta," the Commandant said. No thawing at all, and his left eyelid drooped ominously. "Sir," she said. "I wont even ask what you thought you were doing," he said. "I dont want to know. I dont care." "Sir?" She hated the squeak in her voice. "Dont play the innocent with me, Cadet." Rumor had it that if his left eyelid actually closed, cadets died. She wasnt sure she believed that, but she hoped she wasnt about to find out. "You are a disgrace to the Service." Ky almost shook her head in confusion. What could he be talking about? "Going outside the chain of command like this"--he thumped the sheet of paper--"embarrassing the Service." "Sir--" She gulped, caught between the etiquette that required silence until she was given leave to speak, and a desperate need to find out what had the Commandants eyelid hovering ever nearer to its mate. "You have something to say, Cadet?" the Commandant asked. His voice, like his face, might have been carved out of a glacier. "Do go ahead . . ." It was not a generous offer. "Sir, with the greatest respect, this cadet does not know to what the Commandant is referring . . ." His lips disappeared altogether. "Oh, you can play the innocent all you want, Cadet, and maintain that formal folderol, but you dont fool me." He paused. Ky searched her memory, and came up empty. "Well, since you insist, lets try this: do you recall the name Mandy Rocher?" "Yes, sir," Ky said promptly. "Second year, third squad." "And you can think of no reason why I might connect that name and yours?" "Sir, I helped Cadet Rocher locate a Miznarii chaplain last weekend, when Chaplain Oser was away . . ." A dim glimmer of what might be the problem came to her but she couldnt believe there would be that much fuss about a simple little . . . "And just how did you locate a Miznarii chaplain, Cadet?" "I . . . er . . . called my mother, sir." "You called your mother." He made it sound obscene, as if only the lowest criminal would call a mother. "And told your mother to do what, Cadet?" "I asked her if her friend Jucha could refer me to a Miznarii chaplain near the Academy." "For what reason?" "I told her that one of the underclassmen was overdue for confession and the Academy chaplain was out of town." "You didnt tell her what he wanted to confess?" Ky felt her own eyebrows going up. "Sir, I dont know what he had to confess. I only know that he was in distress, and needed a chaplain, and I thought . . . I thought it would save trouble if I just got him one." "Youre not Miznarii yourself . . . ?" "No, sir. Were Modulans." Actually, they were Saphiric Cyclans, but that was such a small sect that nobody recognized it, and Modulans were respectable and undemanding. You could be a Modulan without doing anything much at all, a source of some humor to more energetic sects. Ky found Modulan chapel restful and had gone often enough to acquire a reputation for moderate piety--the level most approved by Modulans. "Hmmph." The Commandants eyelid twitched upward a millimeter; Ky hoped this was a good sign. "You had no idea that what he wanted to confess concerned the honor of the Service?" Her jaw dropped; she forced it back up. "No, sir!" "That he made a formal complaint to this Miznarii, in addition to his confession, which the chaplain took immediately to the Bureau of War, where it fell into the hands of a particularly noxious bureaucrat whose sister just happens to be on the staff of Wide Exposure, so that I found myself on the horn very early this morning with Grand-Admiral Tasliki, who is not amused at all . . . ?" It was not really a question; it was rant and explanation and condemnation all in one. "The bureaucrat spoke on Wide Exposures Night Affairs program at 0115--clever timing, that--and this morning all the media channels had something on it. Thats only the beginning." Ky felt hot, then cold, then hot again. "S-sir . . ." she managed. "So even if you did not know, Cadet Vatta, what Cadet Rocher wanted to confess, you may be able to grasp that by going outside the chain of command you have created a very very large public rela- tions problem, embarrassing the entire general staff, the Bureau of War, and--last but not least--me personally." "Yes, sir." She could understand that. She could not, she thought, have anticipated it, and now she was consumed by curiosity: what, exactly, had Mandy Rocher said? They werent allowed access to things like Wide Exposure except on weekends. "You are an embarrassment, Cadet Vatta," the Commandant said. "Many, many people want your hide tacked on the wall and your head on a pike. The only reason I dont--" His eyelid was up another millimeter. "The only reason I dont, is that I have observed your progress through the Academy and you have so far been, within the limits of your ability, an exemplary cadet. When I thought youd done it on purpose I was going to throw you to the wolves. Now--since I suspect that you simply fell for a sob story and your entire barracks knows you have a soft spot for underdogs and lost lambs--Im simply going to take the hide off your back in strips and see your resignation on my desk by 1500 hours this afternoon." "S-sir?" Resignation . . . did that mean what it sounded like? Was he kicking her out? Just because shed tried to help Mandy? Now the eyelid came all the way back up. "Cadet Vatta, you have--unwittingly, perhaps--created a major mess with implications that could damage the Service for years. Your ass is grass, one way or the other. You could be charged, for instance, with that string of articles beginning with 312.5--I see by your expression that you have, belatedly, remembered them . . ." She did indeed. Article 312.5 of the Military Legal Code: failure to inform superior officer in a timely manner of potentially harmful personnel situations. Article 312.6: failure to inform superior officer in a timely manner of breaches of security involving sensitive personnel. Article 312.7: failure to inform superior officer in a timely manner of . . . rats, rats, and flying rats. She was majorly doomed. "I . . . wasnt thinking, sir." That was not an attempt at apology, merely a statement of fact. "Fairly obvious. What did you think might happen?" "I thought . . . Mandy--Cadet Rocher--was so upset that day--I thought if he could see a chaplain and confess or whatever, hed settle down until the regular chaplain got back. He had those exams coming up, and they were group-graded; if he didnt do well, his squad would suffer for it . . ." "What you dont know, Cadet, is that Rocher had been avoiding the regular chaplains cycle; his so-called emergency was of his own making. He wanted to talk to someone outside the Academy, and you made that possible." "Yes, sir." "And you didnt tell anyone at all about this, did you?" "No, sir." "Easier to get forgiveness than permission, is that what you were thinking?" "No, sir . . . not really." One of the places where Modulans and Saphiric Cyclans disagreed was about the giving of aid. Modulans felt that moderate assistance should be moderately public--one did not make a huge display of charity, but one allowed others to know charity was going on, to set a good example. Saphiric Cyclans, on the other hand, believed that all help should be given as anonymously as possible. Now was probably not the time to talk about that difference. "I am so reassured." The Commandants eyelid quivered. "Cadet Vatta, it is unfortunate that you have to suffer for a generous impulse, but we need naval officers with brains as well as kind hearts. You will not return to class. You will, as I said, present a letter of resignation which does not mention any of this, and cites personal reasons as the cause, by 1500 hours. Sooner, Cadet, is better than later, but first you will go to Signals, and make contact with your family, so that you will be able to leave quietly and quickly when that resignation is approved." The look he gave her now was warmer by a few degrees, but still not cordial. "Staff will pack up your things; they will be at the gate when you depart." "I . . . yes, sir." "And yes, you infer correctly that you are not to speak to any of your former associates. Your departure will be explained as seems most expedient for the Service." "Sir." Not speak to anyone. Not to Mira or Lisette . . . not Details ISBN0345447611 Author Elizabeth Moon Short Title TRADING IN DANGER Pages 384 Language English ISBN-10 0345447611 ISBN-13 9780345447616 Media Book DEWEY FIC Year 2004 Publication Date 2004-08-31 Imprint Del Rey Books Place of Publication New York Country of Publication United States Alternative 9781615458127 Residence Austin, TX, US Series Vattas War DOI 10.1604/9780345447616 Series Number 1 AU Release Date 2004-08-31 NZ Release Date 2004-08-31 US Release Date 2004-08-31 UK Release Date 2004-08-31 Publisher Random House USA Inc Format Paperback Audience General We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:7158800;

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