Books like 'Masterminds'
Readers who enjoyed Masterminds by Kristine Kathryn Rusch also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
sc-fi mystery space action / adventure crime aliens space-opera space-travel exploration first-contact
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Fields of Fire by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsVan's next mission has begun, and at the heart of it is the power to save lives.Meanwhile, a hungry galaxy looks to a brilliant young scientist for answers, making her the most wanted person in known space.After years of research, Adayluh Creel perfects a resource to feed sixteen races--or more, all with one golden plant capable of growing on the most hostile worlds...Categorized as:
space-opera aliens galactic-empire space-travel exploration colonization sci-fi military -
![Adverse Possession by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle]()
Adverse Possession by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA planet in dispute. Farmers vs miners, and no one knows the full story.The Federation sends Rivka and her team to resolve a case of settlers squatting on a remote planet when the owners finally came calling.Not what it seems. Three generations of settlers and more. A planet that isn’t as welcoming as it appears. Crops coming ripe. Miners ready to dig. Tempers flare as the sides face off... -
![Rebellion by Joshua Dalzelle]()
Rebellion by Joshua Dalzelle
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThe quadrant is on the brink of all-out civil war, but almost nobody knows it. Now that he knows a malevolent AI that calls itself the Machine has seized much of the ConFed's military apparatus and even controls the Grand Adjudicators themselves, Jason Burke must decide if he risks picking a fight with such an overmatched enemy, or if he runs to hide and fight another day...Categorized as:
aliens first-contact galactic-empire space-opera action-adventure adult audiobook book -
![The Pandora Paradox by Joshua Dalzelle]()
The Pandora Paradox by Joshua Dalzelle
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsIt started with a revolution nobody had even realized occurred…Its cruelty sparked a rebellion that everyone refused to admit existed…Now, the Machine—a terrifying and relentless enemy—reigns supreme in the galaxy, and the real fight is just beginning...Categorized as:
aliens first-contact galactic-empire space-opera action-adventure adult audiobook book -
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![Mountain of Mars by Glynn Stewart]()
Mountain of Mars by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe Mage-King of Mars is deadChaos rocks Olympus MonsA new monarch must rise – but she does not stand alone!As the celebration of the victory at Legatus cools, a shuttle accident claims the lives of the Mage-King of Mars and his heir. The Crown and the Mountain fall to the Mage-King’s daughter, seventeen-year-old Kiera Alexander... -
![Boneshaker by Joshua Dalzelle]()
Boneshaker by Joshua Dalzelle
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsMarine First Lieutenant Jacob Brown is bored.For months he's been sitting around on an alien planet, waiting for command to recall his scout team so they could rest and be re-outfitted. The team went through hell during their previous mission, losing both their commanding officer and their ship... -
![Judas Unchained by Peter F. Hamilton]()
Judas Unchained by Peter F. Hamilton
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsRobust, peaceful, and confident, the Commonwealth dispatched a ship to investigate the mystery of a disappearing star, only to inadvertently unleash a predatory alien species that turned on its liberators, striking hard, fast, and utterly without mercy. The Prime are the Commonwealth's worst nightmare... -
![A House By Any Other Name by Jenny Schwartz]()
A House By Any Other Name by Jenny Schwartz
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsReality is a complicated multiverse of many species and rare magic. Diplomats are the official envoys and investigators who hold the Union of Worlds together.Raisa never intended to be a diplomat. Like so many things in her life, it was her stepmother's idea.Hector is an elf in disgrace. He chose his cyborged brother over his lying, abusive family. Elves revile augmented people...Categorized as:
crime space-travel exploration galactic-empire aliens first-contact colonization romance -
![Deception by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle]()
Deception by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLies & deceit leading to a domino of crimes.The Trans-Pacific Task Force is getting ready to deploy but they don’t have what they need. Someone’s been skimming. A contract won through mistruths. Incomplete payments limiting the army’s readiness.Colonel Marcie Walton is angry and calling anyone who will answer.Magistrate Rivka Anoa is on the job and thrown into the middle of two shooting wars... -
![Eisenhorn: The Omnibus by Dan Abnett]()
Eisenhorn: The Omnibus by Dan Abnett
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA Warhammer 40,000 OmnibusInquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn is one of Warhammer 40,000's most beloved anti-heroes. Operating on the very edge of Imperial doctrine, he investigates conspiracies that pit him against aliens, heretics, daemons, and even fellow Inquisitors.READ IT BECAUSEThis is every single one of Dan Abnett's Eisenhorn stories collected together for the first time in one mammoth tome...Categorized as:
space-opera exploration colonization first-contact galactic-empire aliens sci-fi fiction -
![The Last Hunter by J.N. Chaney, Terry Mixon]()
The Last Hunter by J.N. Chaney, Terry Mixon
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThose that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.Two centuries after the Confederation staved off an invasion by the robotic Locusts, Captain Jack Romanoff faces mandatory retirement from an ever-shrinking Navy. Actions speak louder than words. The Confederation doesn’t think the Locusts are coming back... -
![The Saints of Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton]()
The Saints of Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsHumanity is struggling to hold out against a hostile takeover by an alien race that claims to be on a religious mission to bring all sentient life to its God at the End of Time. But while things may look grim in the immediate aftermath of the attack, mankind is busy playing an even longer game than the aliens may have expected...Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult -
![Space Specter by Jenny Schwartz]()
Space Specter by Jenny Schwartz
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Saloon Sector is the Federation’s official frontier, but beyond it lurks the Badstars. Bandits hide there. The Saloon Sector is Sheriff Max Smith’s territory. Since the revelation of his secret identity, life has changed for Max and Thelma. Their relationship is under increased pressure... -
![Heaven's River by Dennis E. Taylor]()
Heaven's River by Dennis E. Taylor
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsCivil war looms in the Bobiverse in this brand-new, epic-length adventure by best seller Dennis E. Taylor.More than a hundred years ago, Bender set out for the stars and was never heard from again. There has been no trace of him despite numerous searches by his clone-mates. Now Bob is determined to organize an expedition to learn Bender’s fate—whatever the cost... -
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![Bane of Worlds by Anthony James]()
Bane of Worlds by Anthony James
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFollowing his successful mission to recover the missing warship ESS Crimson, Captain John Duggan finds himself unredeemed in the eyes of his superiors. His duties resume and this time he’s given something easy - escort a cargo ship to a distant planet and bring it home safely. But war is never so predictable and a straightforward mission becomes something much more important... -
![Winged Hussars by Mark Wandrey]()
Winged Hussars by Mark Wandrey
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFor more than a century, Winged Hussars has been the richest of Earth's mercenary companies, as well as the only one to specialize in space warfare. Led by Alexis Cromwell, they have carved out a reputation in the galaxy for being dependable, unflappable, and lethally efficient. Until people began shooting at them everywhere they went... -
![Salvation Lost by Peter F. Hamilton]()
Salvation Lost by Peter F. Hamilton
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThe comparative utopia of twenty-third century Earth is about to go dreadfully awry when a seemingly benign alien race is abruptly revealed to be one of the worst threats humanity has ever faced. Driven by an intense religious extremism, the Olyix are determined to bring everyone to their version of god as they see it...Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult -
![Earth Below, Sky Above by John Scalzi]()
Earth Below, Sky Above by John Scalzi
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAt last, the Earth and the Colonial Union have begun formal discussions about their relationship in the futurea chance for the divisions in humanity to be repaired. The diplomats and crew of the Clarke are on hand to help with the process, including Ambassador Ode Abumwe and CDF Lieutenant Harry Wilson, both of whom were born on Earth. But not everyone wants The Human Division to be repaired.. -
![The Altreian Enigma by Richard Phillips]()
The Altreian Enigma by Richard Phillips
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsWhen Mark and Heather Smythe saved Earth from the conquest-hungry Kasari Collective, they thought their work was done. But the world’s vast new government continued its quest to make extraterrestrial contact...Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire space-travel action-adventure adult audiobook -
![Slow Time Between the Stars by John Scalzi]()
Slow Time Between the Stars by John Scalzi
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsAn artificial intelligence on a star-spanning mission explores the farthest horizons of human potential—and its own purpose—in a mind-bending short story by New York Times bestselling author John Scalzi.Equipped with the entirety of human knowledge, a sentient ship is launched on a last-ditch journey to find a new home for civilization. Trillions of miles. Tens of thousands of years... -
![Activated by Ell Leigh Clarke, Michael Anderle]()
Activated by Ell Leigh Clarke, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn the Future, Even the Broken Can Make a Change... When Molly gets called onto a case that she is uniquely qualified for, the team discovers a little more about her past.In the race against the clock to prevent the city of Spire from being subjected to a deadly toxin, it takes both new team members and new allies working together in order to save the millions of lives...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire space-opera action-adventure adult audiobook book -
![Salvage System by Kevin Steverson]()
Salvage System by Kevin Steverson
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThey couldn’t afford a ship or a fleet…and now they have a whole system to defend! Harmon Tomeral, along with friends Clip, Zerith, and the artificial intelligence Jayneen, were heroes. They’d brought back the battlecruiser Salvage Title from an unknown system and had defeated the alien Squilla and saved their home system of Tretrayon, not once, but twice... -
![A Pocket Full of Lies by Kirsten Beyer, Martin Frei]()
A Pocket Full of Lies by Kirsten Beyer, Martin Frei
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Full Circle Fleet has resumed its unprecedented explorations of the Delta Quadrant and former Borg space. Commander Liam O'Donnell of the U.S.S. Demeter makes a promising first contact with the Nihydron—humanoid aliens that are collectors of history...Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult book -
![Chains of Duty by Anthony James]()
Chains of Duty by Anthony James
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFor Captain John Duggan, it seems like war never ends. Each success brings another mission and more death. Following events at the Helius Blackstar, Duggan is given the Space Corps’ newest warship – a heavy cruiser armed to the teeth with the latest weapons and technology... -
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![Reconnaissance in Force by Terry Mixon]()
Reconnaissance in Force by Terry Mixon
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen going to war, it pays to know your enemy. Particularly when they can crush you like a bug.Princess Kelsey Bandar has one slim chance to steal the tech her people needs to survive. Only a bold strike deep into enemy space keeps the New Terran Empire alive.Success gives them a chance. Failure dooms them to death and worse.Kelsey and her friends once again risk everything for their people...Categorized as:
aliens exploration galactic-empire space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult ai -
![Méridien by S.H. Jucha]()
Méridien by S.H. Jucha
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe Méridiens are fleeing to their far colonies—and they have reason to run. Over the course of decades, they have lost hundreds of ships, billions of people, and seven Confederation colonies to an alien enemy: an advancing swarm of silver ships transported in the bowels of a gigantic, spherical vessel... -
![Discovery by Ken Lozito]()
Discovery by Ken Lozito
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsExploring New Earth should be a thrilling undertaking. Instead, the more the colonists learn about the planet, the more alarmed they become. Alien ruins hint at a species who fought great wars among themselves and disappeared centuries ago.When Connor Gates discovers a hidden bunker, he finds something he never expected...Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult -
![The Dreaming Void by Peter F. Hamilton]()
The Dreaming Void by Peter F. Hamilton
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsThe year is 3589, fifteen hundred years after Commonwealth forces barely staved off human extinction in a war against the alien Prime. Now an even greater danger has surfaced: a threat to the existence of the universe itself...Categorized as:
aliens exploration space-opera space-travel 21st-century action-adventure adult audiobook -
![Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke]()
Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsAn all-time science fiction classic, Rendezvous with Rama is also one of Clarke's best novels--it won the Campbell, Hugo, Jupiter, and Nebula Awards. A huge, mysterious, cylindrical object appears in space, swooping in toward the sun. The citizens of the solar system send a ship to investigate before the enigmatic craft, called Rama, disappears...Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact space-opera space-travel 20th-century action-adventure adult -
![The Dark of Light by Audrey Sharpe]()
The Dark of Light by Audrey Sharpe
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn the mid twenty-third century, unexplained planetary destruction threatens Earth’s sister planet, Gaia, and the nearly one million humans who call it home. Colonized when Earth faced environmental collapse, the planet has been a valuable agricultural resource, but the recent devastation threatens Gaia’s future. The Galactic Council assigns the crew of the Starhawke to investigate...Categorized as:
colonization exploration space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult book female-mc -
![Starship Revenant by Tripp Ellis]()
Starship Revenant by Tripp Ellis
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe extermination of mankind has begun!Lieutenant Commander Zoey Bryant is the best pilot in the fleet. But her loyalty to Captain Slade gets her kicked out of the Navy. She teams up with a ruthless band of mercenaries to rescue the wrongly dishonored captain...Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration galactic-empire space-travel action-adventure adult book -
![Starship Guardian by Tripp Ellis]()
Starship Guardian by Tripp Ellis
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe invasion has begun. Humanity is doomed!Captain Slade, a legendary hero of the first Verge War, is in command of the last star destroyer in the galaxy. Along with her ragtag crew, she must battle a superior alien fleet as they invade New Earth. To save mankind, Slade will need help from a former enemy.Presley Johnson is a military brat who dreams of becoming a Navy pilot...Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration galactic-empire space-travel action-adventure adult book -
![Blood Ties by K. Gorman]()
Blood Ties by K. Gorman
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTogether again, and ready to bring the system to its knees.Karin Makos has spent the last two months running from one thing or another—but all that's about to change. Her sister's back, and Nomiki's ready to grab their problems by the horns, throw them on their backs, and rip into them with her modified carbon steel blades...Categorized as:
space-opera aliens galactic-empire first-contact space-travel colonization sci-fi space -
![Salvage Fleet by Kevin Steverson]()
Salvage Fleet by Kevin Steverson
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThey couldn’t afford a ship, much less the cost of registering one…and now they need an entire fleet! Harmon Tomeral, along with friends Clip, Zerith, and the artificial intelligence Jayneen, were heroes... -
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![Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray]()
Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsAn unexpected offer threatens the bond between Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi as the two Jedi navigate a dangerous new planet and an uncertain future.A Jedi must be a fearless warrior, a guardian of justice, and a scholar in the ways of the Force. But perhaps a Jedi’s most essential duty is to pass on what they have learned...Categorized as:
aliens galactic-empire space-opera action-adventure audiobook book far-away-galaxy female-author -
![Orion Uncharted by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan Yanez]()
Orion Uncharted by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan Yanez
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Orion has fallen.After barely escaping with their lives, the crew of the Orion has scattered across an unknown world. With a diminishing hope of returning home, they have no choice but to band together.But between the local wildlife, lack of supplies, a missing crew, and a strange, ominous door that can't be opened, Dean and his new friends will need everything at their disposal to survive...Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult audiobook -
![Mere Mortals by David Mack]()
Mere Mortals by David Mack
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsOn Earth, Federation President Nanietta Bacco gathers allies and adversaries to form a desperate last line of defense against an impending Borg invasion. In deep space, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Captain Ezri Dax join together to cut off the Collective's route to the Alpha Quadrant...Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact space-opera space-travel 21st-century action-adventure adult -
![Junkyard by Lindsay Buroker]()
Junkyard by Lindsay Buroker
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMcCall Richter works as a skip tracer, tracking down criminals, con men, and people who stop making payments on their fancy new spaceships. Her job description says nothing about locating vast quantities of stolen maple syrup, but thanks to her helpful new android employee, she finds herself tramping through a “sugar house” on a frosty moon full of suspicious characters... -
![Final Days: Escape by Nathan Hystad, Jasper T. Scott]()
Final Days: Escape by Nathan Hystad, Jasper T. Scott
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAndrew and Kendra have learned what's on the other side of the ridge, but it leaves them with more questions than answers. Their colony has turned into a dictatorship under the thumb of its delusional self-appointed leader, the Reverend, making their lives a living nightmare...Categorized as:
aliens colonization first-contact galactic-empire space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult -
![The Face by Jack Vance]()
The Face by Jack Vance
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsKirth Gersen tracks Lens Larque across several worlds, most notably Aloysius, the desert world Dar Sai and the more temperate Methel. He eventually learns that Larque is a Darsh, born Husse Bugold. He had been deprived of an earlobe and made a rachepol or outcast from his clan for a crime considered "repulsive but not superlatively heinous... -
![Building Victoria by M.D. Cooper]()
Building Victoria by M.D. Cooper
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Intrepid is drifting slowly between the stars. After near calamity at LHS 1565, the ship is headed for Kapteyn's Star to make repairs. There, the crew will need to spend decades building a temporary industrial base. Across the void, the Noctus prepare to leave Sirius for the same destination. Their plan is to colonize the system and forge a new lives for themselves ..Categorized as:
colonization exploration galactic-empire space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult alpha-mc -
![Hail the Hero by Timothy Ellis]()
Hail the Hero by Timothy Ellis
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThis is an alternate cover edition for ASIN: B015AYA7CGAs the war comes to an end, Jonathon Hunter sees the good and bad sides to being considered the hero, but which is which? All he wants to do is go home, but home isn’t any closer than it was a month ago, and this time, he's going the long way around...Categorized as:
crime exploration space-opera space-travel action-adventure book coming-of-age cyberpunk -
![Homeward by Jerry Aubin]()
Homeward by Jerry Aubin
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLife on the Ship has changed, and for Zax it means a return to the top. The Pilot Academy finally beckons and Zax battles for position against a competitor who brings a fascinating advantage. Meanwhile, his friendship with Kalare remains strained as he refuses to drop his suspicions about the Flight Boss and the officer's knowledge of the mysterious humans...Categorized as:
colonization exploration space-opera space-travel action-adventure audiobook book fiction -
![Exo-Hunter by Jeremy Robinson]()
Exo-Hunter by Jeremy Robinson
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author, Jeremy Robinson, takes readers on a pulse-pounding journey to a dark and twisted future... and makes them laugh.THE YEAR IS 1989Callsign: Dark Horse and his Marine Rapid Reaction Force team have been sent to recover a strange artifact near Antarctica's Soviet-controlled Vostok Station...Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult -
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![Crimson Tempest by Anthony James]()
Crimson Tempest by Anthony James
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFifty-three years after it vanished, Earth's only Super-Devastator warship, the ESS Crimson sends out a distress signal... Humanity is fighting against an implacable foe. The Ghasts – a ruthless alien race - seem hell-bent on wiping out mankind. They have a vast warfleet and their technology is advancing at a terrible rate... -
![Rare Earth by Kurt Allan, Derek Shoales]()
Rare Earth by Kurt Allan, Derek Shoales
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA lost mining crew, 400 million miles from Earth. A retired miner journeys to find out why. “There’s something out there…” Waldo Packwood has had a rough time of things lately. He’s lost his job, his friends, and finally his family. At 50 years old, he’s living alone in a small apartment wondering what’s happened to his life... -
![The Observers by John Scalzi]()
The Observers by John Scalzi
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn an effort to improve relations with the Earth, the Colonial Union has invited a contingent of diplomats from that planet to observe Ambassador Abumwe negotiate a trade deal with an alien species. Then something very bad happens to one of the Earthings, and with that, the relationship between humanitys two factions is on the cusp of disruption once more... -
![The Gentle Art of Cracking Heads by John Scalzi]()
The Gentle Art of Cracking Heads by John Scalzi
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsUnited States Diplomat Danielle Lowen was there when one of her fellow diplomats committed an unthinkable act, which had consequences for the entire planet. Now shes trying to figure out how it happened before it can happen again. Putting the puzzle pieces together could solve the mystery or it could threaten her own life... -
![Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky]()
Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe modern classic of space opera that began with Children of Time continues in this extraordinary novel of humanity's battle for survival on a terraformed planet. Earth failed. In a desperate bid to escape, the spaceship Enkidu and its captain, Heorest Holt, carried its precious human cargo to a potential new paradise... -
![Legacy by Ken Lozito]()
Legacy by Ken Lozito
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHold the line. After narrowly defeating the invading enemy fleet, there is evidence that the attack isn’t over. Thousands have died and all that stands between human extinction and the invaders are the remnants of the colonial military. Connor must find a way to rally the colony using every scrap of ingenuity to stop the invaders...Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult
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