The killing of worlds : book two of Succession

Scott Westerfeld, the acclaimed author of Fine Prey, Polymorph, and Evolution's Darling, follows The Risen Empire with the next thrilling space opera in Succession, the Killing of Worlds.Captain Laurent Zai of the Imperial frigate Lynx is a walking dead man. Unjustly held responsible for the death of the Child Empress, sister of the immortal Emperor, Zai has been sent to fight an unwinnable battle. The Lynx must stop a vastly superior Rix ship from reaching the planet Legis, a suicide mission that will almost certainly end in oblivion for Captain Zai and his crew.On the planet Legis below, a Rix compound mind--a massive emergent AI formed from every computer on the planet--as been isolated by their Imperial blockade. But the mind has guided a lone Rix commando, Herd, to the planet's frozen north, and will soon order a desperate attempt to seize a polar communications array and break the blockade. Herd is a single warrior against an Imperial army, but moving silently behind her is the intelligence of an entire planet.Ten light-years away, Captain Zai's true love, the psychic (some say mad) Senator Nara Oxham is engaged in a deadly game of political intrigue. From her position on the Emperor's War Council, Senator Oxham must find a way to forestall the Emperor's final solution if the blockade is broken: a nuclear strike to destroy the compound mind, which will also kill millions of Imperial citizens. She suspects that the Emperor has a hidden weakness discovered, by the mind, a secret so dangerous to his immortal dynasty that to prevent its discovery the Emperor is willing to countenance the ultimate crime.... The killing of worlds.With this powerful conclusion to the first story arc of Succession, Scott Westerfeld confirms his stature as one of the leading writers of high space opera.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied. Scott Westerfeld, the acclaimed author of Fine Prey, Polymorph, and Evolution's Darling , reached new heights of excitement in last spring's T he Risen Empire , and left readers begging for more. Now he comes through with the dazzling payoff in book two of S uccession, The Killing of Worlds. Captain Laurent Zai of the Imperial frigate Lynx is a walking dead man. Unjustly held responsible for the death of the Child Empress, sister of the immortal Emperor, Zai has been sent to fight an unwinnable battle. The Lynx must stop a vastly superior Rix ship from reaching the planet Legis, a suicide mission that will almost certainly end in oblivion for Captain Zai and his crew. On the planet Legis below, a Rix compound mind--a massive emergent AI formed from every computer on the planet--as been isolated by their Imperial blockade. But the mind has guided a lone Rix commando, Herd, to the planet's frozen north, and will soon order a desperate attempt to seize a polar communications array and break the blockade. Herd is a single warrior against an Imperial army, but moving silently behind her is the intelligence of an entire planet. Ten light-years away, Captain Zai's true love, the psychic (some say mad) Senator Nara Oxham is engaged in a deadly game of political intrigue. From her position on the Emperor's War Council, Senator Oxham must find a way to forestall the Emperor's final solution if the blockade is a nuclear strike to destroy the compound mind, which will also kill millions of Imperial citizens. She suspects that the Emperor has a hidden weakness discovered, by the mind, a secret so dangerous to his immortal dynasty that to prevent its discovery the Emperor is willing to countenance the ultimate crime. . . . The killing of worlds. With this powerful conclusion to the first story arc of Succession , Scott Westerfeld confirms his stature as one of the leading writers of high space opera. Captain Laurent Zai Of The Imperial Frigate Lynx Is A Walking Dead Man. Unjustly Held Responsible For The Death Of The Child Empress, Sister Of The Immortal Emperor, Zai Has Been Sent To Fight An Unwinnable Battle. The Lynx Must Stop A Vastly Superior Rix Ship From Reaching The Planet Legis, A Suicide Mission That Will Almost Certainly End In Oblivion For Captain Zai And His Crew. On The Planet Legis Below, A Rix Compound Mind - A Massive Emergent Ai Formed From Every Computer On The Planet - Has Been Isolated By Their Imperial Blockade. But The Mind Has Guided A Lone Rix Commando, Herd, To The Planet's Frozen North, And Will Soon Order A Desperate Attempt To Seize A Polar Communications Array And Break The Blockade. Herd Is A Single Warrior Against The Imperial Army, But Moving Silently Behind Her Is The Intelligence Of An Entire Planet. Ten Light-years Away, Captain Zai's True Love, The Psychic (some Say Mad) Senator Nara Oxham Is Engaged In A Deadly Game Of Political Intrigue. From Her Position On The Emperor's War Council, Senator Oxham Must Find A Way To Forestall The Emperor's Final Solution If The Blockade Is Broken: A Nuclear Strike To Destroy The Compound Mind, Which Will Also Kill Millions Of Imperial Citizens. She Suspects That The Emperor Has A Hidden Weakness Discovered, By The Mind, A Secret So Dangerous To His Immortal Dynasty That To Prevent Its Discovery The Emperor Is Willing To Countenance The Ultimate Crime ... The Killing Of Worlds.--jacket. Scott Westerfeld. A Tom Doherty Associates Book. The immortal Emperor can grant a form of eternal life-after-death, creating an elite known as the Risen, and so has ruled the eighty worlds unchallenged for sixteen hundred years. The only thing he fears are the Rix, machine-augmented humans who worship AI compound minds. They are dedicated to replacing his prolonged rule with an eternal cybernetic dynasty of their own. Brilliant tactician Captain Laurent Zai of the Imperial Frigate Lynx faces a suicide mission: stopping the next thrust of the Rix invasion with just his own vessel. While ship-to-ship combat rages among the stars, Zai's lover, Senator Nara Oxham, is caught in a deadly political fencing match with the Emperor himself. The Emperor has a terrible secret, a secret Nara is in danger of finding out, a secret for which he would countenance the killing of worlds "Captain Laurent Zai of the Imperial Frigate faces a suicied mission: stopping the next thrust of the Rix invasion with just his own ship. While ship-to-ship combat rages among the stars, Zai's lover, Senaotr Nara Oxham, is caught in a deadly political fencing match with the Emperor himself. The Emperor has a terrible secret, a secret Nara is in danger of finding out, a secret for which he would countenance the killing of worlds"--Back cover. Captain Laurent Zai embarks on a suicide mission to stop the next invasion of the Rix, machine-augmented humans dedicated to the destruction of the immortal Emperor with their own eternal cybernetic dynasty, while his lover, Senator Nara Oxham, is engaged in a deadly game of political intrigue. The contrail of a supersonic aircraft blossomed weakly in the thin, dry air, barely marking the sky.