Women of the United Federation Marines Series by Jonathan P. Brazee

United Federation Marine Lance Corporal Tamara Veal catches the attention of recruiters who nominate her to serve as a Single Combat Specialist. Gladiators, as they are better known, are genetically modified human champions who meet Klethos d’relle in the combat ring when the Klethos issue a challenge for a human world. Win, and the planet stays in human possession; lose, and not only do they lose their lives, but the world as well... moreUnited Federation Marine Lance Corporal Tamara Veal catches the attention of recruiters who nominate her to serve as a Single Combat Specialist. Gladiators, as they are better known, are genetically modified human champions who meet Klethos d’relle in the combat ring when the Klethos issue a challenge for a human world. Win, and the planet stays in human possession; lose, and not only do they lose their lives, but the world as well. With the Klethos much more advanced and militarily powerful, able to defeat humanity in an all-out war, the challenge ring is the only way to retain at least some of the worlds of man. While life as a gladiator is full of celebrity status and the gratitude of humanity, it comes with a heavy price. Not only is there the real risk of death in the ring, if a gladiator survives that, the “Brick,” or Boosted Regeneration Cancer, will claim her life within a few years. Lance Corporal Veal, who has found a home in the Marines, has to decide whether to accept the nomination. She would have to leave her brothers and sisters in the Corps, be assigned to the combined human gladiator course, and undergo extreme genetic modification that will leave her almost unrecognizable from the woman she was before. Becoming a gladiator will enable her to serve humanity to a far greater extent than anything else she could do as a Marine grunt, but at a tremendous personal cost. Author’s note: For those readers familiar with my other Marine-related books, this one is a little different in that there is far less combat action, particularly from a Marine unit standpoint. This novel, which is the first of three planned books that follow three different women serving as United Federation Marines or as a Navy corpsman, is more about duty, sacrifice, and what it means to serve in defense of others. less

After a successful initial tour as a Marine rifleman, Lance Corporal Gracie Medicine Crow volunteers to become a scout-sniper, one of the deadliest—and most dangerous—military specialties in the United Federation Marine Corps. Gracie comes from the Apsáalooke Nation, a people with a long history of military tradition. Small in stature and considered stunningly beautiful, she is often underestimated, but that merely drives her to be the best sniper in the Corps... moreAfter a successful initial tour as a Marine rifleman, Lance Corporal Gracie Medicine Crow volunteers to become a scout-sniper, one of the deadliest—and most dangerous—military specialties in the United Federation Marine Corps. Gracie comes from the Apsáalooke Nation, a people with a long history of military tradition. Small in stature and considered stunningly beautiful, she is often underestimated, but that merely drives her to be the best sniper in the Corps. Driven by her need to excel, she tends to shut others out and focus on the mission at hand. But being a scout-sniper is far more than simple marksmanship. If she wants a career in the Corps, she must learn not only teamwork, but how to be a leader of Marines. less

Staff Sergeant Gracie Medicine Crow, United Federation Marine Corps, is training snipers in the Galeland militia when Intel discovers a High-Value Target is scheduled for a clandestine meeting in the planet’s badlands. Pulled from training, Gracie is given the mission: take out the HVT--permanently. High-Value Target is a short story about Gracie, the protagonist of Sniper, Volume 2 of the Women of the United Federation Marines.

Staff Sergeant Gracie Medicine Crow is quickly becoming the most noted sniper in the United Federation Marine Corps if not in all human space. She’s the go-to Marine for the most difficult missions. Not all of these missions are against human targets, and some missions require more than sniper skills. Gracie is tasked with a “material denial” target, in this case, a BOLO (“Be On The Lookout”)... moreStaff Sergeant Gracie Medicine Crow is quickly becoming the most noted sniper in the United Federation Marine Corps if not in all human space. She’s the go-to Marine for the most difficult missions. Not all of these missions are against human targets, and some missions require more than sniper skills. Gracie is tasked with a “material denial” target, in this case, a BOLO (“Be On The Lookout”). However, the circumstances are such that she will need support getting to the firing point and then exfiltrating, all on a friendly planet. Instead of having a squad of Marines as she would have wished, the powers-that-be decide she needs a SEAL team, the Federation’s ultimate clandestine operators. SEALs are not overly fond of Marines, however, and they resent simply being in a support mode and having a Marine sniper assigned to them take the shot. Gracie isn’t overly pleased with the situation either, but the mission comes first, and she’ll do her best to accomplish it. less

Staff Sergeant Gracie Medicine Crow, United Federations Marine Corps sniper, is pulled off of the front lines to provide security for a meeting between the Marine leadership and the local population. Along with her new spotter, Lance Corporal Christopher Irving, this should be a routine mission. “Should be” are the operative words. Modern warfare, however, rarely discerns between combat and supposedly secure areas... moreStaff Sergeant Gracie Medicine Crow, United Federations Marine Corps sniper, is pulled off of the front lines to provide security for a meeting between the Marine leadership and the local population. Along with her new spotter, Lance Corporal Christopher Irving, this should be a routine mission. “Should be” are the operative words. Modern warfare, however, rarely discerns between combat and supposedly secure areas. When insurgents attack to disrupt the meeting, it is up to Gracie and her spotter to somehow hold off the assault until reinforcements can arrive. "Weaponized Math" was a 2017 Nebula Award Finalist for best novelette. This is not a full-length novel. less

Nova Esperança offers no future for Liege Neves as a gangrat and daughter of the favelas. With one goal in mind—to save her younger sister and ailing grandfather from a difficult and hopeless future—Liege’s only option is the Federation Navy. Scoring higher on her entrance exams than anyone had expected, Liege enlists as a corpsman and hopes for a safe career that will allow her to get her Avó the help he requires... moreNova Esperança offers no future for Liege Neves as a gangrat and daughter of the favelas. With one goal in mind—to save her younger sister and ailing grandfather from a difficult and hopeless future—Liege’s only option is the Federation Navy. Scoring higher on her entrance exams than anyone had expected, Liege enlists as a corpsman and hopes for a safe career that will allow her to get her Avó the help he requires. The needs of the Navy always take precedence, however, and instead of an expected hospital billet, Liege’s life takes a dangerous turn when her first set of orders is to the Fleet Marine Corps instead. After being trained to heal and save lives, she is suddenly issued a weapon and thrust into combat to defend the Federation. Face-to-face with war, destruction, and the probability to both save and take lives, Liege must find the strength, discipline, and courage within herself to protect her family and brothers-in-arms and earn the time-honored title of "Doc." This is the third book in the series. Each book focuses on the careers of three women: two Marines and a Navy corpsmen. While all three protagonists are connected at one point, each of the novels stands alone in its own right. less

The Women of the United Federation Marines is the omnibus version of the three books in the series. Each book follows the career of one of three women who first cross paths while members of the Second Battalion, Fourth Marines before the needs of the service lead them on her own journey of service to the United Federation. Gladiator United Federation Marine Lance Corporal Tamara Veal catches the attention of recruiters who nominate her to serve as a Single Combat Specialist... moreThe Women of the United Federation Marines is the omnibus version of the three books in the series. Each book follows the career of one of three women who first cross paths while members of the Second Battalion, Fourth Marines before the needs of the service lead them on her own journey of service to the United Federation. Gladiator United Federation Marine Lance Corporal Tamara Veal catches the attention of recruiters who nominate her to serve as a Single Combat Specialist. Gladiators, as they are better known, are genetically modified human champions who meet Klethos d’relle in the combat ring when the Klethos issue a challenge for a human world. Win, and the planet stays in human possession; lose, and not only do they lose their lives, but the world as well. With the Klethos much more advanced and militarily powerful, able to defeat humanity in an all-out war, the challenge ring is the only way to retain at least some of the worlds of man. While life as a gladiator is full of celebrity status and the gratitude of humanity, it comes with a heavy price. Not only is there the real risk of death in the ring, if a gladiator survives that, the “Brick,” or Boosted Regeneration Cancer, will claim her life within a few years. Lance Corporal Veal, who has found a home in the Marines, has to decide whether to accept the nomination. She would have to leave her brothers and sisters in the Corps, be assigned to the combined human gladiator course, and undergo extreme genetic modification that will leave her almost unrecognizable from the woman she was before. Becoming a gladiator will enable her to serve humanity to a far greater extent than anything else she could do as a Marine grunt, but at a tremendous personal cost. Author’s note: For those readers familiar with my other Marine-related books, this one is a little different in that there is far less combat action, particularly from a Marine unit standpoint. Sniper After a successful initial tour as a Marine rifleman, Lance Corporal Gracie Medicine Crow volunteers to become a scout-sniper, one of the deadliest—and most dangerous—military specialties in the United Federation Marine Corps. Gracie comes from the Apsáalooke Nation, a people with a long history of military tradition. Small in stature and considered stunningly beautiful, she is often underestimated, but that merely drives her to be the best sniper in the Corps. Somewhat wary of her fellow snipers’ attention and interaction with her, she maintains what she considers a professional front, but one that is not as well received by others—and one that earns her the nickname of “Ice Princess.” A technically skilled sniper, Gracie feels her shooting should speak for itself. But being a scout-sniper is far more than simple marksmanship. If she wants a career in the Corps, she must learn not only teamwork, but how to be a leader of Marines. Corpsman Nova Esperança offers no future for Liege Neves as a gangrat and daughter of the favelas. With one goal in mind—to save her younger sister and ailing grandfather from a difficult and hopeless future—Liege’s only option is the Federation Navy. Scoring higher on her entrance exams than anyone had expected, Liege enlists as a corpsman and hopes for a safe career that will allow her to get her Avó the help he requires. The needs of the Navy always take precedence, however, and instead of an expected hospital billet, Liege’s life takes a dangerous turn when her first set of orders is to the Fleet Marine Corps instead. After being trained to heal and save lives, she is suddenly issued a weapon and thrust into combat to defend the Federation. less