Arla Lightrider is the newest captain of the Profit and Luck, her late father's aether tradeship. She plans to follow in his footsteps, shuttling cargo through the tradelanes as a member of the Galactic Merchants Compact. Though her work is complicated by the new Imperium government's crackdown on the Compact's unregulated free traders, she thinks she can handle anything the stars throw at her. But when a strange alien offers to pay her handsomely for transport to a fringe world, she becomes caught in a conspiracy that could shake the foundations of the new galactic order. For her passenger carries something the Imperium desperately wants; something it is willing to kill to possess or destroy. And, Arla soon learns, despite the new government's brutal consolidation of power, there are still pockets of resistance alive throughout the galaxy. Not everyone is content to live under the heel of the Aether Imperium. Under the Heel of the Aether Imperium is a 12,000 word steampunk space opera novella.

From the Imperium-controlled aetherlanes to a tech noir restitution agency in the Free Zone and from a steampunk, 1894 China with clockwork automatons to a post-1984 Orwellian dystopia with mandatory goodpharm, here are ten science fiction stories of defiance and daring. Split evenly between strong female and male leads, these heroes fight losing battles on principle alone, discover lies hidden deep inside themselves, execute daring rescues and fight for love and liberty in a society where human dignity is cheaper than obsolete swarmbots. These original, never-before-published works are from veteran authors, including William F. Wu, as well as emerging talents.

***For a limited time, you can get another free short story, The Gun Grabbers, from the author's website - click here to find out more > www.jpmedved.com/thriller (just copy and paste into your browser)*** In the near future, a small band of elite military contractors faces off against a ruthless foe. The tiny town of Zawita in southern Kurdistan is little more than a speck on the map for most Westerners. But for Eric Ikenna and the other private security contractors of Justice, Incorporated, it's where they're making their last stand against the brutal army of Mohammad Shadid. The villagers and local militia don't stand a chance without Justice, Inc.'s men and advanced weaponry, and a victory here could bring the PR win the company desperately needs to secure more lucrative contracts. But first, Eric and his employees have to survive an attack by the most vicious, bloodthirsty military in the Middle East. It's a force that has left the charred and smoking wrecks of cities and bodies in its wake, and the Justice, Inc. operators are smack dab in the middle of its next target. Combining cutting-edge technology ripped from tomorrow's headlines with nonstop action and vibrant, bold characters, "The Contractors" is a 3,100 word (12 pages) military thriller short story and the first tale in the Justice, Incorporated series.

OUTER SPACE IS NOT A SAFE SPACE. It is the year 2869 Æx., and the sun is setting on humanity’s golden age. The once glorious Convergency has fallen into the hands of a corrupt elite, and a lone corporation has seized limitless power over the innocent citizens of the galaxy. But when a noble marshal, a lowly temple harlot and a band of unlikely allies find themselves caught in the middle of an insidious conspiracy, it seems that tyranny may have met its match. Part adventure, part political thriller, The Aetherverse artfully blends pop culture with politics and just a hint of Barbarella, telling the story of a democracy fallen and a tragic history dangerously repeated.

The full powers of Chaos are revealed as the Horus Heresy blazes towards Terra. For too long the Vth Legion had ranged out beyond the sight of the wider Imperium, remaining ignorant of the Warmaster’s rebellion and the war that inevitably followed. Only once their primarch, Jaghatai Khan, had satisfied himself that the path before them was just and true did the White Scars choose a side, taking the fight to the traitors on every front. But, four years later, the Legion’s unfettered spirit has been broken by relentless attritional warfare against the Death Guard and the Emperor’s Children. The Khan’s Stormseers must find a clear route to Terra if they are to take part in the final, apocalyptic battle.

Love and tragedy dominate book four of Virgil's most powerful work, building on the violent emotions invoked by the storms, battles, warring gods, and monster-plagued wanderings of the epic's opening. Destined to be the founder of Roman culture, Aeneas, nudged by the gods, decides to leave his beloved Dido, causing her suicide in pursuit of his historical destiny. A dark plot, in which erotic passion culminates in sex, and sex leads to tragedy and death in the human realm, unfolds within the larger horizon of a supernatural sphere, dominated by power-conscious divinities. Dido is Aeneas' most significant other, and in their encounter Virgil explores timeless themes of love and loyalty, fate and fortune, the justice of the gods, imperial ambition and its victims, and ethnic differences. This course book offers a portion of the original Latin text, study questions, a commentary, and interpretative essays. Designed to stretch and stimulate readers, Ingo Gildenhard's incisive commentary will be of particular interest to students of Latin at both A2 and undergraduate level. It extends beyond detailed linguistic analysis to encourage critical engagement with Virgil's poetry and discussion of the most recent scholarly thought.

Explores the dynamic interactions among Latin poets, artists, and audiences in constructing and critiquing imperial power in Augustan Rome.