[Special Forces: FJ One 02] • Artifice

The Rhalbazani have come to Earth with messages of peace and friendship. But Captain Dieter Chen of Special Forces unit FJ One and his boss, Department 6C Director Huizhong McAllister, had their suspicions about the visitor’s real intent – an intent that’s made clear when the Rhal launch a devastating surprise attack on the Fallschirmjäger, and make it look as if the FJ units were the aggressor, turning Earth against the team…and against its only hope.

The Rhal have “requested” that the Director visit their homeworld, where she becomes a prisoner in a gilded cage. She must now play a dangerous game of chess with rival factions at the Imperial Rhal court, as she learns more about the highly militaristic culture whose aim is galactic domination…and how Earth could take advantage of the flaws in the sclerotic, hidebound Empire.

But it’s not all bad news for FJ One. There is a source of potential help, deep within Rhal space. The bad news is, it’s Alex, the artificial intelligence who launched a massive nuclear strike on Earth to prevent a global pandemic. Threatened with total shutdown, Alex engineered his escape to a distant planet.

Now FJ One must penetrate deep into enemy territory, to encounter an AI who may assist them in their bid for freedom…or whose deep rage at humanity’s betrayal may doom the planet to eternal slavery…