Narvan

At long last, peace emerges from the bitter war that ravaged the words of the Narvan. Anastassia Kazan brought about the end to the fighting between Vayen Ta'set's homeworld of Artor and their rival, Jal. When she offers Vayen a job on her team of bodyguards, he leaps at the opportunity. He'll do anything to keep Artor on the path to recovery. Protecting the paranoid and mercurial woman whose deals and threats keep everyone in line is a tough, thankless task. One drunken night with Anastassia makes Vayen question why he got the job and whether he should keep it. But no one else on the team is willing to earn Anastassia's disfavor by calling her out on her reckless choices. Reckless will get her killed and send the Narvan back into chaos. Not everyone is happy with Anastassia's changes on his homeworld and beyond. She's also on less-than-friendly terms with her deadly ex-partner. Then Vayen discovers that Anastassia is only middle management. The Council she works for has ambitious plans for the Narvan's military forces. How much is Vayen willing to sacrifice to keep the Narvan at peace?

Life outside the Narvan is not as ideal as Vayen would like. His job is unfulfilling, the people aren't his, and even after five years, Anastassia still hasn't quite forgiven him for stranding them in obscurity. Vayen's idle daydreams of returning to the Narvan turn into a nightmare with an assassination attempt. Old friends have become enemies and old enemies are even less happy to see him. Threats barrage him from all sides, endangering not only his own life, but those of his family. There are too many hands vying for the Narvan, sinking the system into chaos. Vayen's well-intentioned plans have blown up and his homeworld, along with everyone else is suffering. Putting the Narvan together again means showing his face to the High Council, who will want to make an example of him for betraying their trust. Staying out of it will get him killed. Unfortunately, his odds with jumping into it aren't much better.

Political upheaval threatens to erupt into a war that will tear the Narvan apart. The alteration undergone by Vayen and his hunters may have saved everyone from the Arpex but it also created the possibility of bullet-proof soldiers. Vayen's fellow advisors will do anything to get that prize for themselves. Not only is Vayen's daughter not speaking to him, he's been stuck at home for weeks recovering from surgery and being smothered by Anastassia's efforts to keep him safe and healthy. Attempting to advise three worlds from his home office has him on his last nerve. Vayen slips out to search for a new bodyguard. A few strong drinks later, he ends up on a distant colony, busting up a slave operation. The adrenaline rush and possibility of having done something good to get back into his daughter's favor offers a momentary release. He even has a host of well-trained bodyguard slaves to pick from. He's also gained a new enemy, discovered his bond to Anastassia isn't what it used to be, and reawakened his old drug addiction. In spite of doing everything he can to be good, the public has labeled Vayen a mutant and a tyrant. To bring peace to the Narvan and beyond, he'll need to become exactly what they say he is.

Rumors of Tyrant Ta'set's killing sprees have spread throughout the known universe. Or are they truths? Vayen's hold on his deadly Arpex abilities is slipping. If he loses control, he'll be executed and his mission of unification and peace will die with him. Desperate to help Vayen maintain his precarious balance, Anastassia is willing to offer him a week with another woman as a diversion from his dark urges. Can she live with her decision if he wants more? In the public spotlight by association, Daniel unwittingly ignites a political uprising when, in the spirit of love and unity, he adopts the Jalvian practice of taking a second wife. While he works with Neko to guide the debate within the Narvan, he must also work alongside his volatile, tyrannical father as they race the rumors to seek out amiable worlds for their advisory union. Daniel struggles to take on the brunt of his parent's mission while facing his own darkness. Spending a guilt-free week with Vayen is a dream come true for Buria. She's had her eye on him for years. Securing a place within his inner circle could mean a serious job upgrade and notoriety. Managing Vayen's addictions and temper will require every skill beaten into her as a slave if she is to stand a chance at coming out on top. Is the Ta'set family, the Narvan, and the newly-formed advisory union prepared for a future where Vayen takes the one life that will send him over the edge?

Vayen's quest to keep the Narvan at peace has left him scarred both inside and out. Struggling to hide his hallucinations, memory loss, and flashbacks from everyone, he's been advising the Narvan on a consultant basis from the distant colony of Pentares, but he longs for the comfort of home. When Anastassia thinks she might again be able to host a link, she's eager for them to return to the Narvan. Stepping back into the advisory position they'd both left behind, now side by side, is a dream come true. Except home doesn't offer the ease Vayen had hoped for. Surrounded by reminders of Merkief and the High Council, his PTSD becomes impossible to ignore. He's falling apart inside. The Narvan is attacked by an enemy Vayen prayed he'd never face again. His nightmares come alive as havoc spreads across the system. Now he must face his darkest terror before everything he loves is ripped away.