Sten Series by Chris Bunch, Allan Cole

Vulcan is a factory planet, centuries old, Company run, ugly as sin, and unfeeling as death. Vulcan breeds just two types of native—complacent or tough. Sten is tough. When his family are killed in a mysterious accident, Sten rebels, harassing the Company from the metal world's endless mazelike warrens. He could end up just another burnt-out Delinquent. But people like Sten never give up.

Sten's boss - The Eternal Emperor - is back and he's ready to reveal his most precious secrets! No, not the secret of AM2, you silly clots. There are more important things than the Galaxy's ultimate energy source. We're talking food, folks. A cookbook filled with mouth watering set- your-head-on-fire recipes the Emperor has been hoarding for thousands of years. Dishes like: Nuked Hen and Asparagus Normandy and Son Of A Scrote Soufflé. He's even got the recipe for that fiery Bhor booze - Stregg... moreSten's boss - The Eternal Emperor - is back and he's ready to reveal his most precious secrets! No, not the secret of AM2, you silly clots. There are more important things than the Galaxy's ultimate energy source. We're talking food, folks. A cookbook filled with mouth watering set- your-head-on-fire recipes the Emperor has been hoarding for thousands of years. Dishes like: Nuked Hen and Asparagus Normandy and Son Of A Scrote Soufflé. He's even got the recipe for that fiery Bhor booze - Stregg. And, never fear, the Emperor's hangover cure is here in the form of Angelo Stew. Read. Cook. Eat. And enjoy! less

Raised on the factory planet of Vulcan, Sten soon learns about the survival of the toughest. The Eternal Emperor of the entire galaxy commands vast armies but turns to Sten and his Mantis Team of militant problem-solvers to pacify the Wolf Worlds, a small cluster of planets who have raised space piracy to a low art.

Sten had fought his way up from slave labor on a factory world to commander of the Eternal Emperor’s bodyguard, the Imperial Gurkhas. But during his first three months on Prime World, the most dangerous weapons Sten had encountered were the well-phrased lies of Court politicians. It seemed no place for an honest fighting man. But when a bomb destroys a local bar, Sten discovers the danger and corruption behind Court intrigue... moreSten had fought his way up from slave labor on a factory world to commander of the Eternal Emperor’s bodyguard, the Imperial Gurkhas. But during his first three months on Prime World, the most dangerous weapons Sten had encountered were the well-phrased lies of Court politicians. It seemed no place for an honest fighting man. But when a bomb destroys a local bar, Sten discovers the danger and corruption behind Court intrigue. Only quick work by Sten, Alex Kilgour, and a tough female detective can keep the Empire together and the Emperor alive. less

Sten’s luck seems to have deserted him. Having been assigned a tacdivision in the Fringe Worlds, he soon discovers that the Imperial Officers are more interested in having fun than honing their fighting skills. The enemy Tahn couldn’t have picked a better time or place to launch their long-planned attack against the Empire. Sten and his men are outgunned and outmanned—but Sten isn’t going to give up without a fight.

Sten had fully expected to die in a blaze of glory, taking his Emperor's greatest foe with him. Instead he was a slave laborer in a POW camp deep in the heart of enemy territory. But sitting out the action had never been Sten's style. And now that the war was building to a climax, the Eternal Emperor needed him more than ever. Not even the toughest prison in the known universe could keep Sten from his mission.

Book 6 of the million-selling STEN series.

THE SIGNS POINT TO WAR When rebels plot to murder the Emperor during a diplomatic delegation, Imperial bodyguard Sten only just manages to save his master's life. But the same plot took out the visiting Tahn delegation, causing relationships between the two powers to crumble completely. While both sides gather their forces, the Emperor 'suggests' that Sten join the Imperial Air Force, where he'll train for space combat... moreTHE SIGNS POINT TO WAR When rebels plot to murder the Emperor during a diplomatic delegation, Imperial bodyguard Sten only just manages to save his master's life. But the same plot took out the visiting Tahn delegation, causing relationships between the two powers to crumble completely. While both sides gather their forces, the Emperor 'suggests' that Sten join the Imperial Air Force, where he'll train for space combat. Sten finds himself back in basic training, with what feels like the same brash sergeants and raw recruits from his army days. But one thing is certain, he's never seen a war like the one that's coming . . . This omnibus edition contains: FLEET OF THE DAMNED, REVENGE OF THE DAMNED and THE RETURN OF THE EMPEROR less

The Eternal Emperor had returned at last from the dead to pick up the pieces of his crumbling Empire. But even that great leader could not halt the Empire’s decline alone. And so Sten—master spy, military strategist, and assassin—found himself appointed Ambassador Plenipotentiary to the Altaic Cluster, where a brewing civil war threatened the stability of the Empire itself... moreThe Eternal Emperor had returned at last from the dead to pick up the pieces of his crumbling Empire. But even that great leader could not halt the Empire’s decline alone. And so Sten—master spy, military strategist, and assassin—found himself appointed Ambassador Plenipotentiary to the Altaic Cluster, where a brewing civil war threatened the stability of the Empire itself. Quelling a civil war is nothing new for Sten, but as the war intensifies, he begins to suspect that he is up against more than a mere local disturbance. Someone operating in deep-cover and seemingly backed by the highest authorities is working behind the scenes to manipulate events and escalate disaster. And that someone wants nothing more than to see Sten dead. less

The Empire is in chaos. The once-great Imperial Navy has been shattered in battle and lies burning in space, riven by a civil war that threatens to engulf humanity’s future. For the revered Eternal Emperor is not the man his subjects thought him to be—and may not even be human at all. And it is Sten—Imperial bodyguard, spy, assassin, renegade—who now leads humanity’s fight for survival... moreThe Empire is in chaos. The once-great Imperial Navy has been shattered in battle and lies burning in space, riven by a civil war that threatens to engulf humanity’s future. For the revered Eternal Emperor is not the man his subjects thought him to be—and may not even be human at all. And it is Sten—Imperial bodyguard, spy, assassin, renegade—who now leads humanity’s fight for survival. Taking command of the last rebel fleet, he sets out on a desperate quest to seek and destroy the dark source of his former master’s power. Denounced as a traitor, hunted by forces loyal to the Emperor, Sten must risk everything to annihilate the Empire he vowed to protect. less