Koban Series by Stephen W. Bennett

Quantum gravity theory revealed hidden dimensions that concealed gravity’s strong link to Tachyon Space. Nearly unlimited cheap energy from tachyons led to the creation of Jump Hole technology and faster than light travel to the stars. In two hundred years, humanity had colonized over seven hundred planets in a volume five hundred light years in radius. Humankind enjoyed the benefits of the end of wars and disbanded its standing armies. Life was idyllic for three hundred years... moreQuantum gravity theory revealed hidden dimensions that concealed gravity’s strong link to Tachyon Space. Nearly unlimited cheap energy from tachyons led to the creation of Jump Hole technology and faster than light travel to the stars. In two hundred years, humanity had colonized over seven hundred planets in a volume five hundred light years in radius. Humankind enjoyed the benefits of the end of wars and disbanded its standing armies. Life was idyllic for three hundred years. Then the Krall came.The Krall, a warrior race with lightning-fast reflexes has used combat for 25,000 years to select the genes of the strongest and fastest warriors. This breeding program created a species fit to dominate the galaxy. Dominate everywhere but on Koban, an uninhabited planet with high gravity, teal colored flora and impossibly fast and savage animals that employ organic superconducting nerves.The Krall captured humans at the fringes of their expansion for testing on Koban. Humanity was useful only if they were adequate fighters. If not, the Krall intended to destroy the species because they already had slave races, and humans were poor tasting meat animals. If humans proved worthy opponents, the Krall would fight with the same weapons humans used, in order to continue their quest for physical perfection.Growing weary of the humans’ incapacity to fight well, the Krall were close to a decision to eliminate the race when they captured their last cargo of humans for testing – a ship containing bio-scientists. The choice was simple: Put up a good fight or condemn humanity to extinction. The Krall will discover more than one species knows how to bypass natural selection. less

Already faster and more powerful than the last 17 species that they have eliminated or subjugated, the Krall have set their sights on humankind.After testing humans on their future home world of Koban and finding them worthy opponents, the Krall start a war of slow extermination with the rest of humanity... moreAlready faster and more powerful than the last 17 species that they have eliminated or subjugated, the Krall have set their sights on humankind.After testing humans on their future home world of Koban and finding them worthy opponents, the Krall start a war of slow extermination with the rest of humanity. This war is intended to last generations as they apply their own version of “natural selection” to cull their weaker warriors in combat, purifying the Krall gene pool with finest warriors for breeding.Why? The Krall desire to become powerful enough to eventually live on the world of Koban, where the impossibly fast and powerful animals have proven to be too much for the Krall to master without technology to help. The only way the Krall survive on Koban is to live in isolated and well-protected domes, safe from the fauna they fiercely desire to dominate. Only through the attrition of war will the Krall perfect their bloodline to become the masters of Koban.Before the Krall departed Koban to start their new war, they destroyed the protections that allowed the Krall to survive on this dangerous planet. The Krall left the humans on the planet to fall victim to the high gravity, to the fast and savage wildlife and its deadly predators. Big mistake. They should have killed the test "animals" themselves! The bio-scientist they left behind add Koban genes to the next generation of humans. They are becoming what the Krall sought to be.The humans on Koban, locked in a struggle for their own survival, return to the stars to help humanity fight and, outnumbered, take the war to the Krall. less

The Kobani use captured Krall ships to return to Human Space. They seek expert training for their genetically modified fighters, modern weapons and new medical technology. There’s a possible block to this help, in the form of death penalty laws of the Planetary Union, prohibiting gene modifications of humans. A holdover from the Gene War, which nearly extinguished humanity.A perilous descent through a war torn planet’s space defenses is a first step... moreThe Kobani use captured Krall ships to return to Human Space. They seek expert training for their genetically modified fighters, modern weapons and new medical technology. There’s a possible block to this help, in the form of death penalty laws of the Planetary Union, prohibiting gene modifications of humans. A holdover from the Gene War, which nearly extinguished humanity.A perilous descent through a war torn planet’s space defenses is a first step. A Krall ship and its heavily armed crew have to be destroyed on the ground, while a watching hostile Special Ops force decides if the Kobani should be trusted or killed. Fighting their way between a rock and a hard place, they prove they are a match for the Krall.Exploration at home reveals startling alien neighbors, and a habitable world next door. A remarkable genetic discovery there will forever alter the Kobani. Winning allies, Captain Mirikami forges a bold and dangerous plan, to strike deep into the heart of Krall territory. A place the enemy is confident that puny “animals” can’t reach, let alone attack.Simultaneous Kobani raids damage Krall war manufacturing, buying time for humanity. However, the Krall have a deadly ancient weapon that none expected. Retaliatory escalation of the war has been triggered, and if it doesn’t go as the Krall plan, entire planets and their populations could be shattered. less

The Kobani continue their offensives against the Krall, attacking production worlds, and destroy or steal ships from the Krall fleet, which the enemy needs to resupply their invasions. The Kobani create a multispecies settlement on Haven, a gentler habitable world near deadly Koban. They gain the trust and technological assistance of freed former Krall slave species, the Torki, Prada, and resurrected Raspani... moreThe Kobani continue their offensives against the Krall, attacking production worlds, and destroy or steal ships from the Krall fleet, which the enemy needs to resupply their invasions. The Kobani create a multispecies settlement on Haven, a gentler habitable world near deadly Koban. They gain the trust and technological assistance of freed former Krall slave species, the Torki, Prada, and resurrected Raspani. Their ranks and Mind Tap learned skills are increased by spec ops recruits from Human Space. Mirikami engineers an assault on the Krall base world, K1, in cooperation with a skeptical human navy by sharing new technology, revealing Kobani physical capabilities, and providing intelligence on new Krall invasion plans. Despite knowing the Kobani use illegal gene mods, the navy high command decides to hit the Krall first, with the help of their secretive tough Kobani ally. After the attack, a mauled Krall fleet still heavily outnumbers the navy, and the damaged human fleet withdraws. A vengeful Krall warlord, the Kobani’s old nemesis Telour, summons an ancient Olt’kitapi ship that can shatter an entire planet. He has a devious plan for remote strikes that will initiate delayed deaths on multiple human worlds, all before a ship imbued with morality can learn it’s been duped. Telour wants the home world of humanity to see death approaching, one world at a time. Mirikami expected a strong Krall reaction, but not this extreme. He scrambles to head off inexorable destruction of multiple planets. Failing to save some worlds, he’s the final hope for billions of people on others. The Kobani will need the strength and speed their genes provide, plus luck to save humanity. less

When the enemy discovers their hidden home, Mirikami is forced to lead 117 Kobani ships in a desperate attack against 3,000 Krall ships and uncounted warriors. Armed with a 22,000-year-old computer virus, and sheer courage, they must disable every enemy ship and weapon. The last time this tactic was tried against them, the Krall eradicated the entire Olt’kitapi civilization. That’s just one foe the Kobani face... moreWhen the enemy discovers their hidden home, Mirikami is forced to lead 117 Kobani ships in a desperate attack against 3,000 Krall ships and uncounted warriors. Armed with a 22,000-year-old computer virus, and sheer courage, they must disable every enemy ship and weapon. The last time this tactic was tried against them, the Krall eradicated the entire Olt’kitapi civilization. That’s just one foe the Kobani face. The PU president rejects diplomatic recognition of the new Galactic Federation, and diplomat Mirikami is ordered arrested for genetic crimes and for provoking Krall attacks on Hub worlds. To reveal the president’s duplicity in a secret deal with the Krall leader, he accepts a life or death challenge fight with an old enemy, right on the capitol steps, with news cameras rolling. Then, proving the galaxy remains a dangerous place, the huge Thandol Empire, a former Olt’kitapi enemy, forcefully announces that its elephantine rulers intend to annex the Orion Spur. That happens to be where both the Kobani led Galactic Federation, and Human Space reside. Naturally, the Kobani decline the Empire’s violently phrased demands, doing it in their typically harsh and forceful manner. In leading up to that confrontation, the Kobani learn the basis of the Empire’s claim to Federation Space, and it predates the Krall conquests. The prior owners may have a claim. The Empire’s initial punitive reaction to Kobani rejection reveals they have a pain causing nerve weapon, used for crowd control in the Empire. This mild sounding weapon proves to be devastating to those with organic superconducting nerves. Life on Koban could be wiped out by a riot control ship. less

Koban Book 6: Conflict and Empire The Galactic Federation is confronted by the vast and implacable Thandol Empire, which has coveted the former Krall region of space for eons. A region of space now occupied and claimed by the upstart Kobani. Outnumbered, they face an opponent who possesses new and deadly weapons... moreKoban Book 6: Conflict and Empire The Galactic Federation is confronted by the vast and implacable Thandol Empire, which has coveted the former Krall region of space for eons. A region of space now occupied and claimed by the upstart Kobani. Outnumbered, they face an opponent who possesses new and deadly weapons. An enemy that had thousands of years to develop the means to take on the Krall Empire, and now present the supermen with a weapon that turns their greatest genetic asset into their greatest weakness. The new Federation must find a way to survive the most powerful threat yet to their existence. Once again, the Kobani are between a rock and a hard place, poised on the brink of death and destruction. Book 1 - Koban, Book 2 - The Mark of Koban, Book 3 - Rise of the Kobani, Book 4 - Shattered Worlds, Book 5 - A Federation Forged in Fire less

The end of the main series: Under threat of destruction or servitude to the Empire, facing the fleets of the Ragnar, Finth, and Thack Delos, and the larger force of the Thandol, Mirikami prepares the Federation for all-out war. The Planetary Union, allied with the Federation, receives a squadron of new technology Federation Scouts, equipped with gravity controlled weapons. They conduct a preemptive strike on a Thandol base... moreThe end of the main series: Under threat of destruction or servitude to the Empire, facing the fleets of the Ragnar, Finth, and Thack Delos, and the larger force of the Thandol, Mirikami prepares the Federation for all-out war. The Planetary Union, allied with the Federation, receives a squadron of new technology Federation Scouts, equipped with gravity controlled weapons. They conduct a preemptive strike on a Thandol base. The Emperor blames it on the Federation, unaware of the PU’s existence, and orders simultaneous attacks. Mirikami sends teams of Federation Scouts to the Security forces, to subvert them. They carry diplomat-soldiers, with tough messages. The messages are not well received, and the Kobani must improvise, in their typically hostile manner. Unexpectedly, a mystery silver alien, The Silha, demands a meeting with Mirikami and the Olt’kitapi. It seems there are restrictions for species once they achieve advanced gravity control. The Kobani are told of limits they must obey, or else. To a god-like elevated species, survival of primitives is not their concern, so long as they don’t use gravity technology in forbidden ways. After Security force fleets attack Federation and PU worlds, Mirikami leads a combined fleet against the Thandol Capitol world. He uses a new tactic that bypasses the weapons limits of The Silha. Vastly outnumbered, he faces the Thandol fleet with a great defense. less