The Company Wars Series by C.J. Cherryh

A legend among sci-fi readers, C. J. Cherryh's Union-Alliance novels, while separate and complete in themselves, are part of a much larger tapestry—a future history spanning 5,000 years of human civilization. A blockbuster space opera of the rebellion between Earth and its far-flung colonies, it is a classic science fiction masterwork.

The fateful meeting between the owner of a tramp star-freighter that flies the Union planets under false papers and fake names and a proud but junior member of a powerful starship-owning family leads to a record-breaking race to Downbelow Station--and a terrifying showdown at a deadly destination off the cosmic charts.

This omnibus edition of two novels set in Cherryh's most renowned universe--the Union-Alliance Universe--marks the first time these books have been available in more than a decade. Includes "Merchanter's Luck" and "Forty Thousand in Gehenna."

Meet Elizabeth Yeager, "Spacer, machinist, temp." A refugee waiting for a ship to call home, Bet Yeager was once a marine. Now she's on the run. In the action-packed tradition of Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers, David A. Drake's Hammer's Slammers, and her own bestselling Chanur series, C.J. Cherryh returns to the Hugo Award-winning setting of Downbelow Station and Merchanter's Luck for hard-edged, tough-minded adventure beyond the lawless edge of interstellar culture... moreMeet Elizabeth Yeager, "Spacer, machinist, temp." A refugee waiting for a ship to call home, Bet Yeager was once a marine. Now she's on the run. In the action-packed tradition of Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers, David A. Drake's Hammer's Slammers, and her own bestselling Chanur series, C.J. Cherryh returns to the Hugo Award-winning setting of Downbelow Station and Merchanter's Luck for hard-edged, tough-minded adventure beyond the lawless edge of interstellar culture. Here the line between space soldier and star pirate is as thing as a laser, and a lethal struggle for power can be as near as the officers' deck. In this world Yeager has hit bottom, she's jobless, homeless, and starving on Thule, a nearly abandoned station in the by-passed Hinder Stars. Sleeping in toilets, killing to save her body, stealing to stay alive, she feels her hopes die ... until the Loki docks. It's a spook: a mercenary warship barely legitimated by Alliance documents as a free-lance bounty hunter and spy vessel—a ship whose captain has no qualms about signing on a "machinist" with no papers and a shady past, not to mention murder charges hanging over her head. But escape from Thule is no refuge, for Loki is crewed by Bet Yeager's sworn enemies. The spooks are hunting the remnant of the outlawed Earth Company fleet ... fliers considered outlaws only because they lost a war ... fliers form the fleet that Bet Yeager has loyally served her whole life. Now, trapped about a tin can in deep space where a single wrong word might give her away, Yeager must seek and destroy her old comrades without arousing the suspicious of her crewmates. Her position will become even more precarious when she dares to defend the ship's pariah, NG Ramey. A victim unfairly, hellishly abused by Loki's sadistic first officer, Ramey is merely a pawn in a vicious struggle between shipboard factions and ambitious officers for control of the vessel. Suddenly Yeager is in the center of the conflict. Drawing attention from all sides, she had no allies, no way to fight, nowhere to hide, no way to get out. Only Fleet training and fighting skills can save Bet Yeager now. Because once enlisted, no one leaves a spook ship alive ... less

Asteroid miners Bird and Ben encounter an adrift ship in an asteroid belt that's inhabited by a half-crazy spacer named Dekker. When they tow the ship, they find their livelihoods--and their lives--in deadly danger. Proves that high-tech science fiction need not sacrifice literary values.--Publishers Weekly.

Lt. Ben Pollard thinks he's traded the perils of the Belt for security as an Earth-based computer jockey for United Defence Command. Then he's forced to perform a mission of mercy - and lands on an isolated, intrigue-riddled space station. In Hellburner, her newest novel, Hugo Award winner C. J. Cherryh returns to the best-selling universe of Heavy Time, Cyteen, and Downbelow Station, and creates a story of multi-global conspiracy, power politics, and military in-fighting... moreLt. Ben Pollard thinks he's traded the perils of the Belt for security as an Earth-based computer jockey for United Defence Command. Then he's forced to perform a mission of mercy - and lands on an isolated, intrigue-riddled space station. In Hellburner, her newest novel, Hugo Award winner C. J. Cherryh returns to the best-selling universe of Heavy Time, Cyteen, and Downbelow Station, and creates a story of multi-global conspiracy, power politics, and military in-fighting. Here the stakes are nothing less than the future of humanity. When Pollard finds himself stranded on the Sol II battle installation without his orders, I.D., and possessions, he discovers something equally disturbing. He's been named next-of-kin to a man he never wanted to even see again: Paul Dekker, a young pilot who attracts crises like dead flesh draws flies. The centerpiece of a top-secret war project, Dekker has just lost his entire crew in a mysterious freak accident and lost his mind to amnesia from an attempted suicide. Or attempted murder. Suddenly two more faces from Dekker and Pollard's past are shanghaied to Sol II: their occasional lovers, renegade pilots Meg Kady and Sal Aboujib. Together they had once smashed the criminal cover-ups of a mining cartel. Now, they're all caught in a shadowy, deadly maze of power-mongering rivalries between UDC and Fleet Strategic Operations, the Senate and Peace Lobby, and the corporate lords of both Earth and Mars. In this subtle, dark contest with mysteries that deepen by the hour and rules that change without warning, Pollard, Kady, Aboujib and Dekker must survive kidnapping, sabotage, ambush, riots, kangaroo courts, conspiracy, and treason - only to become lab animals in the frontline of an endless war for humanity's soul. The two couples are being programmed to crew an experimental deathship no one has been able to control. And to escape the quagmire of manipulation, Pollard and his companions must master and wield the awesome power of - Hel less

C. J. Cherryh's upcoming new science fiction novel Hammerfall (Avon Eos, 7/01), is the perfect opportunity to revisit this author's strong backlist, including the latest book, Devil to the Belt (Warner, 12/00). Ranging from Earth to the asteroids and beyond, the acclaimed novels first published as Heavy Time and Hellburner are knife-edged thrillers of deadly intrigue in an era of dangerous transition... moreC. J. Cherryh's upcoming new science fiction novel Hammerfall (Avon Eos, 7/01), is the perfect opportunity to revisit this author's strong backlist, including the latest book, Devil to the Belt (Warner, 12/00). Ranging from Earth to the asteroids and beyond, the acclaimed novels first published as Heavy Time and Hellburner are knife-edged thrillers of deadly intrigue in an era of dangerous transition. In the future world of the Merchanters and the Alliance, emerging new forces, including the Union and the Fleet, are challenging the strangle-holds of global governments and world-spanning corporate cartels. But it will be ordinary people -- the innocent and the unlucky -- who are trapped in the turmoil when interstellar powers collide. less

Merchanter Cargo Chief Marie Hawkins has never forgiven the crime, nor sought justice. Only vengeance. And, for 23 years, the Hawkins's clan ship, Sprite, has lived with her vendetta - and with her son, Tom, the boy sired in the violent assault.Marie's attacker, Austin Bowe, is captain of the Corinthian. When both ships dock at Mariner Station, Marie vanishes and Tom searches for his mother.. moreMerchanter Cargo Chief Marie Hawkins has never forgiven the crime, nor sought justice. Only vengeance. And, for 23 years, the Hawkins's clan ship, Sprite, has lived with her vendetta - and with her son, Tom, the boy sired in the violent assault.Marie's attacker, Austin Bowe, is captain of the Corinthian. When both ships dock at Mariner Station, Marie vanishes and Tom searches for his mother...only to find himself trapped on Austin's ship with a half-brother he never knew he had and a crew fanatically loyal to Bowe. Now as the Corinthian flees the pursuing Sprite and a raider guns after both, the lives on board the two Merchanter ships are in the hands of Tom Hawkins. To save them all, Tom must trust his sworn enemy...His father. less

Finity's End is the oldest Merchanter ship in the universe. In an era of spies, pirate traders, and uneasy alliances, the Company Wars are now over, the hunt for the fleet is winding down, and the ship is coming home to reclaim her trade routes. Having lost an entire generation, the youngest crew members, bred and trained for war, must face their most critical battle of all--survival in a time of lasting peace.