Books like 'Hard Lessons'
Readers who enjoyed Hard Lessons by Christopher G. Nuttall also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
sc-fi space action / adventure military, war & conflict space-opera war military aliens space-travel invasion
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Red Bounty by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsVan left his old life behind, but some things remain the same.Even in space, crime still exists.After taking a Peacemaker job to find missing fuel, Perry finds something far more sinister than simple theft—a voice, crying out in a forge of heat and flame, and the discovery reveals a series of acts so vicious that nothing short of revenge will suffice...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera action-adventure -
![Dark Peace by J.N. Chaney, M.F. Lerma]()
Dark Peace by J.N. Chaney, M.F. Lerma
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCole Riker is a free man.Or close enough. He no longer has the weight of his past hanging over him, threatening to put him away for the rest of his days. All it took was finding an unknown alien lifeform and agreeing to escort it back to its homeworld.Except his newfound luck doesn’t want to last... -
![Anvil Dark by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert]()
Anvil Dark by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsThe guild is under attack, and Van is right in the middle of it all.When Master Yewlo is abducted by unknown forces, the Peacemakers are thrown into chaos as the rescue mission begins. Finding Yewlo will be hard, but the search reveals secrets the guild might not survive—secrets about a system so corrupt, it will take Van and his team’s best efforts to untangle the truth...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera action-adventure -
![When Words Fail by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan P. Brazee]()
When Words Fail by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan P. Brazee
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsThe Galaxy is growing...and it's more dangerous than ever before.An all-out war within humanity has been narrowly avoided, and peace is finally at hand.Yeah, right.Human ships are being taken, their crews disappearing... -
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![The Colossus by Jay Allan]()
The Colossus by Jay Allan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Hegemony strikes again… The Confederation and its allies have won their first victory, retaken their capital from he forces of the Hegemony. But the enemy is not beaten, far from it, and they are back, with an unstoppable weapon, a vast superbattleship, a deadly hybrid of imperial and Hegemony technology, called the Colossus...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel -
![The Price of Liberty by D.J. Holmes]()
The Price of Liberty by D.J. Holmes
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWar has been declared. The Indian Star Republic has landed ground troops on the newly discovered colony of Haven as they seek to seize access to the alien worlds of Vestar and Kulthar. The British Star Kingdom has reacted. A battle fleet has been formed with orders to drive off the Indians and retake Haven...Categorized as:
colonization galactic-empire military soldiers space-opera space-travel war action-adventure -
![The Grand Conspiracy by J.N. Chaney, Terry Mixon]()
The Grand Conspiracy by J.N. Chaney, Terry Mixon
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsKeep your friends close.After successfully striking back at the alien invaders, Commodore Jack Romanoff and his crew have liberated the cluster capital at Argent. For the first time, it seems like they might be getting their feet back underneath them.Keep your enemies closer...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera action-adventure -
![Turning Point by Jason Anspach, Nick Cole]()
Turning Point by Jason Anspach, Nick Cole
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsFight to Win. With the galaxy in turmoil, the Legion initiates Article Nineteen, a hard reset designed to halt the corruption and ineptitude that continues to spill forth from the Galactic Core. But when the House of Reason aligns itself with the bloodthirsty zhee extremists, the Legion has no choice but to commit to a savage campaign of Total War... -
![Children of Angels by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan P. Brazee]()
Children of Angels by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan P. Brazee
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsThe war has only just begun.While rescuing a world from Centaur control, the Marines discover that not all humans on the planet are slaves. The Children of Angels believe their masters have been sent by the gods to lift up mankind.Humanity now has two enemies, one from the farthest reaches of the Galaxy and the other from within...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera action-adventure -
![Legacy of Stars by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert]()
Legacy of Stars by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThere are some things you simply can’t escape. For Van, it’s family.Out among the stars, his cousin, Carter Yost, drags Van and his team into a criminal ring run by the High Doctor- a dangerous con artist with delusions of grandeur. Working from the abandoned world of Pathway, the High Doctor has created a cult, stealing a fortune from the fearful, sick, and scared...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera action-adventure -
![The Lost Supernova by Vaughn Heppner]()
The Lost Supernova by Vaughn Heppner
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAndroids used to mingle among us, pretending to be human. Then an alien puppet-master altered their programming. Unknown to us, androids began leaving human society, burning their clothes and peeling off their skin to reveal the chrome-colored bodies underneath. They gathered in a system were a star had exploded, blowing away the atmosphere of a Jupiter-like planet...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel -
![The Grand Alliance by Jay Allan]()
The Grand Alliance by Jay Allan
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHell is Unleashed The Hegemony controls Megara, the Confederation’s capital. War has raged for five years. Millions are dead, vast fleets of ships have been destroyed. But in the stronghold where Tyler Barron and his comrades have gathered their allies and the last of their strength, a plan is being devised...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel -
![The Lost Swarm by Vaughn Heppner]()
The Lost Swarm by Vaughn Heppner
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsStar Watch stands guard over the Commonwealth, having defeated New Men, massed Swarm fleets and android attackers. The victories have cost lost ships, slain crews and smashed star systems. The accumulated damage means that Star Watch now strains to keep order as political instability, increased space piracy and rebellions stretch the stellar organization to the limit...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel -
![Song of Redemption by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan P. Brazee]()
Song of Redemption by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan P. Brazee
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsIn the midst of humanity’s greatest fight for survival, old rivalries threaten to pull allies apart in a rush for rumored alien tech.With the newly weaponized Sergeant Reverent Pelletier and his Marine Raiders at the tip of the spear, only they stand a chance at holding the shaky alliance together long enough to meet the enemy...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers action-adventure adult -
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![Sword of the Legion by Jason Anspach, Nick Cole]()
Sword of the Legion by Jason Anspach, Nick Cole
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsChoose your legacy. Captain Chhun’s Dark Ops squad is reunited with Wraith, and they are entrusted with the task of denying Goth Sullus the shipyards he so eagerly desires. But when the mission doesn’t go as planned, Chhun and Wraith must find a way to stop the Black Fleet’s advance—even if it costs them their lives... -
![The Lost Earth by Vaughn Heppner]()
The Lost Earth by Vaughn Heppner
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt finally happened. Commander Thrax Ti Ix created a hyper-spatial tube for the Swarm Imperium. Across thousands of light-years, a vast armada of warships is heading for Earth to burn the homeworld down to its bedrock as the Swarm begins its genocidal campaign against the human race. No one—not the New Men, the Spacers, the Wahhabi Caliphate or Star Watch—has faced such staggering odds...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel -
![The Lost Artifact by Vaughn Heppner]()
The Lost Artifact by Vaughn Heppner
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsStar Watch defeated the Swarm Invasion Fleet, but at a terrible cost in destroyed star systems, smashed battleships and billions of dead. In the aftermath of the costly victory, chaos threatens as worlds leave the Commonwealth of Planets, face mass starvation or succumb to increased piracy. The war against the Swarm Imperium has just begun. Humanity needs unity or each planet will fall alone...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel -
![Kinetic Strike by Rick Partlow]()
Kinetic Strike by Rick Partlow
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsThe war made him a hero. Now the Marines need him to be a leader.Cam Alvarez is a Drop-Trooper. A warrior-knight wrapped in the futuristic armor of a high-tech battlesuit, and he’s one of the best. When he’s promoted to sergeant and asked to become a leader, he faces a whole new challenge. The Marines are striking deep into enemy territory and the casualties are mounting...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel -
![Leviathan's Fear: A Military Sci-Fi Series by Craig Martelle]()
Leviathan's Fear: A Military Sci-Fi Series by Craig Martelle
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTrapped in Ga’ee space, Leviathan runs for its life.And the lives of its crew.Declan Payne and Harry Wesson decide to go on the offensive. They have no choice.They can’t go home. It only delays the inevitable.The Ga’ee march relentlessly into the space of the seven races while turning an inward eye toward the interloper, the ship they call God1...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel -
![Darkness Beyond by Glynn Stewart]()
Darkness Beyond by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA newly-founded human colony world burned from orbit A warship squadron of the galaxy’s oldest race ambushed and destroyed An ancient enemy reborn in the darkness beyond the known stars The A!Tol Imperium and their new human subjects have had fifteen years of relative peace. New colonies have been founded, new worlds explored, new ships built... -
![Danger Close by Rick Partlow]()
Danger Close by Rick Partlow
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAll Cam Alvarez has known is war.For three years, he’s fought the marauding alien Tahni on one God-forsaken planet after another, leading a squad of armored Drop Troopers.But the war is about to change.Cam is an officer now, fresh out of OCS and taking charge of his old platoon, and things have reached a tipping point...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel -
![Survivors by Toby Neighbors]()
Survivors by Toby Neighbors
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNothing in the Corps is guaranteed!Staff Sergeant Eli Vanhorn isn’t the man he used to be. Once a proud member of the Fleet Marine Corps’ elite Terrestrial Advance Combat teams, the battle on colony planet Luyten C left him broken and scarred. But after a year of surgeries and physical therapy, he’s ready to complete his enlistment as Master of Arms on the exploration vessel Rihla...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire military soldiers space-travel war action-adventure -
![Galactar by Anthony James]()
Galactar by Anthony James
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFollowing decades of war and the recent catastrophic loss of an entire planet, the Human Planetary Alliance is riven by internal disputes and rivalries. The military’s old guard fights for power against those who see a chance to turn things around.After a series of hard-fought victories, Captain Carl Recker is becoming recognized as a man who gets results - a man who knows how to beat the Daklan...Categorized as:
aliens galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel action-adventure -
![Fulcrum Gun by Anthony James]()
Fulcrum Gun by Anthony James
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLost in hostile space and pursued by the most powerful warship in the known universe, Captain Carl Recker is losing hope and running out of options. His battleship Fulcrum is no match for this enemy and the Meklon aliens who might have helped him are dead, killed by the Galactar’s murderous weaponry.Somehow, Recker must find a way to succeed where the might of an alien empire already failed...Categorized as:
aliens galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel action-adventure -
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![Winds of Vengeance by Jay Allan]()
Winds of Vengeance by Jay Allan
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEarth Two. A new home for the survivors of the fleet, the men and women who battled against seemingly insurmountable odds to survive the assault of the First Imperium and to destroy the homicidal Regent, the artificial intelligence committed to their destruction...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel -
![Laws of Ancidium by Anthony James]()
Laws of Ancidium by Anthony James
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHaving fought his hardest battle, Captain Carl Recker returns to planet Lustre, bringing the alien battleship Fulcrum with him.Recker is under no illusions that he’ll be offered backdated shore leave, but his feet don’t even touch the ground before trouble shows up. A heavily armed fifty-thousand-metre Meklon interstellar drops out of lightspeed near the planet...Categorized as:
aliens galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel action-adventure -
![The Dark Invaders by Raymond L. Weil]()
The Dark Invaders by Raymond L. Weil
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom USA Today Best Selling Author Raymond L. Weil comes the second book in the Star Cross series. Over fourteen months have passed since Fleet Admiral Kurt Vickers drove the Profiteers from Earth. Eighty million people died while the planet was being ransacked and its wealth stolen. Now a new and deadlier threat comes from intergalactic space...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel -
![Archangel Rising by Evan Currie]()
Archangel Rising by Evan Currie
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsArchangel Squadron faces off against the forces of the brutal Protectorate to claim a prize, and save humanity, in a gripping novel of deep space jeopardy by the author of the Odyssey One series. At the helm of a commandeered freighter, Captain Steph Michaels has infiltrated the Free Star systems... -
![Relics of Eternity by Glynn Stewart]()
Relics of Eternity by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe edge of Imperial expansionFar from Earth and the other homeworldsHere lie the secrets of ancient godsHere…there be dragonsSeeking to escape the shadow of Annette Bond’s success, Captain Morgan Casimir has taken a posting on the far side of the A!Tol Imperium. Here, she hopes to begin a legend for herself that stands apart from her stepmother the Duchess... -
![Border Wars by Evan Currie]()
Border Wars by Evan Currie
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe mission continues as Sorilla, the Green Berets of the Fifth, and the Lucian Sentinels take their investigation to the colony world claimed by Islamic separatists during the very earliest of Earth's Diaspora period... -
![Fracture by Ken Lozito, Scott Aiello]()
Fracture by Ken Lozito, Scott Aiello
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsColonel Sean Quinn is stranded in another universe, along with two thousand people under his command. They've been hiding from the enemy long enough, now it’s time to return home. Outnumbered against a superior foe, Sean must risk everything in a daring operation, but the mysterious enemy has a few surprises of their own... -
![The Lost Star Gate by Vaughn Heppner, Mark Boyett]()
The Lost Star Gate by Vaughn Heppner, Mark Boyett
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe Swarm is coming!This time, enemy science vessels study us as Hive Masters gather hundreds of thousands of starships for an avalanche invasion.Instead of facing massed bug fleets in hopeless battle, we have a desperate plan: use a Builder nexus, create a hyper-spatial tube and send suicide-ships thousands of light-years into Swarm territory...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel -
![Backyard Starship by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert]()
Backyard Starship by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsWhen Van Tudor returns to his childhood home, he inherits more than the family farm.His grandfather used to tell him fantastic stories of spacemen and monsters, princesses and galactic knights. Little did Van realize, the old man's tales were more than fiction. They were real.Hidden beneath the old barn, Van’s legacy is waiting: a starship, not of this world...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera action-adventure -
![Direct Fire by Rick Partlow]()
Direct Fire by Rick Partlow
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsFrom street criminal to war hero.From outcast to Marine officer.The journey has been a long one, but now it’s reaching the end.Cam Alvarez leads his platoon of Drop-Troopers into the Tahni Imperium, into the final days of the war and the bloodiest battles yet...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel -
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![Raven's Peace by Glynn Stewart]()
Raven's Peace by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsTen thousand stars, once chained, taste freedom An eternal empire, once undefeated, falls to pieces An alliance, once united, now lacks a common foe War was hard enough. Peace may be impossible For seventeen years, Colonel Henry Wong and the United Planets Space Force have fought the Kenmiri Empire...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire military soldiers space-opera war action-adventure -
![Emergence by Ken Lozito, Scott Aiello]()
Emergence by Ken Lozito, Scott Aiello
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAs the colony grapples with the realization that New Earth is not as uninhabited as they’d once thought, tensions between the colonial settlements rise to new heights, and the Colonial Defense Force finds itself caught in the middle. When Connor uncovers evidence of a militant colonial faction secretly exploiting the NEIIS, he has to investigate... -
![Sanctioned by Ell Leigh Clarke, Michael Anderle]()
Sanctioned by Ell Leigh Clarke, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsGeneral Lance Reynolds needs Molly’s team for a clandestine operation. The only problem? It kicks off in one week, and the Syndicate needs cleaning up once and for all. So what is a girl to do? Go on the offensive, of course. But with the ultimate take down planned for the bad guys of Planet Estaria, you know it’s going to be EPIC...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military space-opera space-travel action-adventure -
![Blue Shift by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert]()
Blue Shift by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert
Rated: 4.68 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWhen Van gains rank as a Peacemaker, he becomes a bigger target for the criminals scattered among the stars.And he wouldn’t have it any other way.On a distant world under an alien sun, hunters and their companions—the Rovan—bond in a ritual as old as their civilization. But one of the hunters is missing, and Van, along with his growing crew, knows where to look...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera action-adventure -
![Blood World by B.V. Larson]()
Blood World by B.V. Larson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA dirty deal was struck. Humanity was allowed to keep three hundred rebellious worlds. In return, we declared war on a powerful enemy from beyond the frontier. A frantic build-up of forces has begun, but the task is hopeless. Seeking allies, Earth’s legions are sent to BLOOD WORLD. A planet on the fringe of known space, where the people only respect masters of combat...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel -
![The Others by Jay Allan]()
The Others by Jay Allan
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsFrom the deepest darks of unknown space, evil comes… Admiral Tyler Barron and the Confederation navy face a new threat, darker and deadlier than any that have come before...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel -
![Dark Moon Arisen by Chris Kennedy, Mark Wandrey]()
Dark Moon Arisen by Chris Kennedy, Mark Wandrey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe war continues! The Omega War is in full swing. Earth has fallen to General Peepo’s army, and the surviving Human mercenaries have taken refuge at the hidden Winged Hussars’ base in New Warsaw...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel -
![Star Force: Temple Wars by Aer-ki Jyr]()
Star Force: Temple Wars by Aer-ki Jyr
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingshe bell has been rung, and the Return of the Reignor has come...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel -
![Alpha Contracts by Chris Kennedy, Mark Wandrey]()
Alpha Contracts by Chris Kennedy, Mark Wandrey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“Before CASPers were the lords of the battlefield, men tested their metal against aliens one-on-one.” First contact has been made, and Earth’s militaries and its premier mercenary companies stand ready to take their first tentative steps outside the Solar System...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel -
![Kill Box by Rick Partlow]()
Kill Box by Rick Partlow
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBook 9 in the Amazon Bestselling Drop Trooper series by Rick Partlow is here...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera action-adventure -
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![Star Force: Maty by Aer-ki Jyr]()
Star Force: Maty by Aer-ki Jyr
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe universe is not predictable, no matter how much experience you gain. You may delude yourself into thinking so...until the universe educates you otherwise in dramatic fashion...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera action-adventure -
![Star Force: Phoenix by Aer-ki Jyr]()
Star Force: Phoenix by Aer-ki Jyr
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCal-com's journey is not at an end. In fact, it's just beginning..Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel -
![Acheron Redemption by Ken Lozito]()
Acheron Redemption by Ken Lozito
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSentinel warships were the answer to the Federation Wars. They brought peace and stability....or so they thought.The Sentinels are a menace, terrorizing spacers across the galaxy in their hunt. But change is coming, and spacers across the galaxy will have to choose whether to fight for their future or not...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera action-adventure -
![Star Force: Reclaimers by Aer-ki Jyr]()
Star Force: Reclaimers by Aer-ki Jyr
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDoes Star Force have enough races in it yet? No...not even close...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera action-adventure -
![Star Force: The Powers That Be by Aer-ki Jyr]()
Star Force: The Powers That Be by Aer-ki Jyr
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn youth you'd lay awake at night and scheme..Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel -
![Valkyrie's Daughter by John E. Siers]()
Valkyrie's Daughter by John E. Siers
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe alien Akara have a secret. They've discovered the location of a planet that is home to a primitive human civilization, another ancient "seeding" of the legendary Progenitors. But this planet lies in the territory of the Otuka, spacefaring alien predators who consider human flesh to be a delicacy and the planet to be their private hunting preserve...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel
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