Mission Critical

Terran Republic

Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc., Griffin Barber, Chris Kennedy , Chris Kennedy

$35.95

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Miscellaneous
03 January 2023

War & combat fiction; Space opera; Space Opera; Science Fiction; Military

Series: Terran Republic

"Taken from their planet and their century, they are not just the Lost Soldiers: they are Murphy’s Lawless.

Major Rodger Y. Murphy should have died when his helicopter crashed off the coast of Mogadishu in November, 1993. Instead, he woke up in August 2125 in the Tauri 55 binary star system, 152 light years from home. Without any memory of the otherworldly abductors who spirited them away in cold sleep, Murphy and 100 other “Lost Soldiers” have been retrieved and awakened by two officers of the Consolidated Terran Republic: Trevor Corcoran and Richard Downing.

Promising to return after completing an unauthorized rescue mission, they leave the twentieth-century castaways with a daunting objective: establish a base of operations on the main world of R’Bak using local allies they have yet to recruit and enemy equipment they have yet to seize.

If that weren’t hard enough, 55 Tauri A, the system’s primary star, is rapidly approaching, and the technologically superior powers from that neighboring system always use that opportunity to raid, pillage, and “cull” the locals.

But the company of misfits and ne’er-do-wells who’ve taken the nickname Murphy’s Lawless rose to the challenge. They destroyed the makeshift transmitter with which their enemies would have warned their home planet Kulsis, established a beach-head on R’Bak, and led an uprising of the locals that has changed the balance of power in its most valuable region.

But all that was just a tactical prelude to the next operation: beating the Kulsians when they make their now-imminent return. It’s an ambitious plan with three separate parts, none of which can fail. If one does, it means extinction for the Lost Soldiers and their allies. So, naturally, Murphy would be sure to assign his best trained, seasoned, and committed leaders to carry them out. One problem: he doesn’t have anyone like that.

The first part of the plan falls to Horace Earl Chalmers, whose background as an Army investigator has made him Murphy’s counter-intelligence chief. But in this case, it’s the shady skills that Chalmers accrued from a lifetime of dodging and twisting the very laws he was supposed to uphold that are the key to completing his mission critical: infiltrate the enemy-held Downport, secure an essential ship, and get it up to orbit. But they methods he has to use to achieve that won’t make his vow to become a better man any easier.

But once the ship is in hand, there’s a small problem with part two; none of the Lost Soldiers know how to pilot it to a crucial rendezvous point. However, Navy flier Major Kevin Bowden has shown that he can adapt, improvise, and overcome—so all eyes are on him to learn how to pilot not one, but two, different spacecraft in record time. Because the second rendezvous is to lure a Kulsian corvette into a position where it can be seized.

That third part of the plan is the one that almost everyone considers impossible: to take the corvette in a boarding action, using two small assault teams. It’s a hard job that will require a hard, dedicated man. Navy SEAL Harry Tapper is that hard man… but dedicated? He was once, but now . . . ?

Exhausted and resentful after being tasked to lead innumerable raids while the Lawless established and expanded the base on R’Bak, Harry has been living among the indigs for over a year. His only concern now is for his local wife, their infant child, and her tribe. But he is also the only one who has done what they now must: board an enemy warship from an unarmed cargo lighter.

Why is Murphy fixated upon on this Kulsian corvette? Why and how could a single ship be so pivotal to the survival of all the Lost Soldiers and their allies? Only two things are certain:

One: if his plan succeeds, it sets the stage to completely turn the tactical and strategic tables on their Kulsian enemies.

Two: there are plenty of people—even among his “allies”—who will stop at nothing in order to foil that plan.

Including killing Murphy and anyone who tries to complete any part of his bold ploy—which is, in every sense of the word, mission critical.

About the Terran Republic series featuring Caine Riordan:

About Caine's Mutiny:

“This is military Science Fiction the way it’s supposed to be written. . . . All in all, a highly satisfying tale of the Terran Republic that moves the story forward and setting us up for the next chapter, which promises to be interesting at worst and explosive at best.” —SFcrowsnest

About Raising Caine:

“Raising Caine unveils a lot of thought-provoking ideas, but ultimately this is a space opera adventure. There are space battles, daring emergency landings, desperate quests, hand-to-hand combat, and double-and-triple crosses. It’s an engrossing read. You owe it to yourself to read the two previous books in order. Then enjoy Raising Caine. It’s an intergalactic thrill-ride.” —Fantasy and Science Ficton Book and Audiobook Reviews

“This is science-fiction adventure on a grand scale.”—Kirkus

“Gannon’s harrowing . . . military space opera (following Trial by Fire) builds well on his established setting . . . Gannon’s signature attention to developing realistic alien worlds makes this installment satisfying.”—Publishers Weekly

“[A]n incredibly active book . . . as our protagonists are confronted by the beautiful, terrible, and sometimes lethal variety of the universe and its inhabitants. . . . A whole mess of fun . . . that manages to be scientifically accurate while refraining from excessive wonkiness. Those who value meticulous worldbuilding . . . will certainly have their needs met.”—BN Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog

About Nebula-nominated Trial by Fire:

“I seriously enjoyed Trial by Fire. This one’s a tidal wave—can’t put it down. An excellent book.” —Jack McDevitt

""Gannon's whiz-bang second Tales of the Terran Republic interstellar adventure delivers on the promise of the first (Fire with Fire) . . . The charm of Caine's harrowing adventure lies in Gannon's attention to detail, which keeps the layers of political intrigue and military action from getting too dense. The dozens of key characters, multiple theaters of operations, and various alien cultures all receive the appropriate amount of attention. The satisfying resolution is enhanced by the promise of more excitement to come in this fascinating far-future universe.”—Publishers Weekly starred review

“[D]efinitely one to appeal to the adventure fans. Riordan is a smart hero, up against enormous obstacles and surrounded by enemies. Author Gannon does a good job of managing action and tension to keep the story moving, and the details of the worlds Riordan visits are interesting in their own right.”—Analog

“. . . offers the type of hard science-fiction those familiar with the John Campbell era of Analog Science Fiction will remember. Gannon throws his readers into an action-packed adventure. A sequel to Fire With Fire, it is a nonstop tale filled with military science-fiction action.” —The Galveston County Daily News

About Compton Crook Award-winner for best first novel Fire with Fire:

“Chuck Gannon is one of those marvelous finds—someone as comfortable with characters as he is with technology, and equally adept at providing those characters with problems to solve. Imaginative, fun, and not afraid to step on the occasional toe or gore the occasional sacred cow, his stories do not disappoint.”—David Weber

“If we meet strong aliens out there, will we suffer the fate of the Aztecs and Incas, or find the agility to survive? Gannon fizzes with ideas about the dangerous politics of first contact.”—David Brin

“The plot is intriguing and then some. Well-developed and self-consistent; intelligent readers are going to like it.”—Jerry Pournelle

“. . . the intersecting plot threads, action and well-conceived science kept those pages turning.”—SFcrowsnest"

By: Griffin Barber, Chris Kennedy, Chris Kennedy
Other: Diamond Comic Distributors Inc.
Imprint: Miscellaneous
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 25mm
Weight: 395g
ISBN: 9781982192600
ISBN 10: 1982192607
Series: Terran Republic
Pages: 400
Publication Date: 03 January 2023
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Charles E. Gannon is the author of the Compton Crook Award-winning, Nebula-nominated Caine Riordan series, as well as two novels in John Ringo's Black Tide Rising series. With best seller Steve White, Gannon is the coauthor of several entries in the Starfire series. With Eric Flint, he has written several novels in the best-selling Ring of Fire series. Griffin Barber spent his youth in four different countries, learning three languages, and burning all his bridges. Finally settled in Northern California with a day job as a police officer in a major metropolitan department, he lives the good life with his lovely wife, crazy-smart daughter, needy dog, and indifferent cat. He is the author, with Eric Flint, of 1636: Mission to the Mughals and 1637: The Peacock Throne. Mike Massa has lived an adventurous life including stints as a university researcher, a tech entrepreneur, an investment banker and a U.S. Navy officer (1130). In addition to the usual military deployments, he has lived outside the US for several years as a civilian, mostly in South America and Europe. Newly published, Mike is married and enjoys the challenges of three sons and a growing cohort of grandsons all of whom check daily to see if today is the day they can pull down the old lion. Not yet . . . A Webster Award winner and three-time Dragon Award finalist, Chris Kennedy is a Science Fiction/Fantasy author, speaker, and small-press publisher who has written over 30 books and published more than 200 others. He lives in Coinjock, North Carolina, with his wife, and is the holder of a doctorate in educational leadership and master's degrees in both business and public administration.