Skolian Empire

by Catherine Asaro
Eligible Publication: The Bronze Skies (Skolian Empire, Major Bhaajan #2) (excerpt), Baen, September 2017
Major Bhaajan achieved the impossible. Born to the Undercity, the slums below the City of Cries on the planet Raylicon, she broke free from crushing poverty and crime to become a military officer with Imperial Space Command. Now retired from military duty, she walks the mean streets of Undercity as a private investigator. And she is about to embark on her most challenging case yet.
Summoned by no less than the Ruby Pharaoh herself, Major Bhaajan is tasked with finding a killer. But this is no ordinary murderer. The Ruby Pharaoh witnessed a Jagernaut cut down Assembly Councilor Tap Benton — which shouldn’t have been possible. The Jagernauts are the elite of the elite soldiers in the Imperial Space Command. What’s more, the spinal node implanted in all Jagernauts should have prevented the murder. But the Ruby Pharaoh is sure of what she saw, and she has reason to believe that the Jagernaut will kill again.
Now, Major Bhaajan must hunt down a killer before it is too late. To do so, she must return to the one place on Raylicon she knows best: Undercity.
Saga of the Skolian Empire subseries
1 Skyfall, Baen, 2003
2 Schism, Baen, 2004
3 The Final Key, Baen, 2005
4 The Last Hawk, Baen, 1997
5 Primary Inversion, Baen, 1995
6 The Radiant Seas, Baen, 1999
7 Ascendant Sun, Baen, 2000
8 Spherical Harmonic, Baen, 2001
9 The Moon's Shadow, Baen, 2003
10 The Quantum Rose, Baen, 2000
11 The Ruby Dice, Baen, 2008
12 Diamond Star, Baen, 2009
13 Carnelians, Baen, 2011
14 Catch the Lightning, Baen, 1996
Major Bhaajan subseries
1 Undercity, Baen, 2014
Category:Best Series