In the near future, humans have colonized Mars, joined pirates in space, and divided Earth into two vastly different nations: The United Empires and Liansa. When a mission to Mars goes awry, Ailee Chambers---a Sergeant in Earth's Interstellar Force---is left for dead in a spaceship with no life support, and an alien contraption wrapped around her neck.
She is rescued, but there's no cause for celebration, because her saviors are pirates, disgusting monsters who kill Martians and Earthers for sport. Yet, when the Captain of the pirates' ship, Felix Oringo, enlists her help to unravel the plans of Boss---the leader of all pirates---Ailee begins sympathizing with her snarky captor. Boss claims he will liberate Liansans from their dictatorship, but Ailee remains unconvinced. After all, what do men in power want? More power.
However, in her quest to unveil the leader's plans, the irresistible Boss falls for her, complicating her relationship with Felix, her loyalty to the United Empires, and matters of the heart. For the first time in history, Mars and Earth combine forces to eliminate Boss and retrieve Ailee---why is she so important?---and it's a toss up as to who makes it out alive.
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Ranking:
#5 in femmefatale
In the distant future of the 28th century, mankind had survived near extinction then made it into the wider galaxy. With almost no other sapient life in the Milky Way to stop humanity's expansion. Space was ripe for the pickings. Now mankind and the enigmatic Voidrians formed the U.S.S.A. The (United Solar Systems Alliance). Before Mankind became the dominant force in the Milky Way, Earth was in shambles. natural resources were nearly depleted, diseases were rampant and most of Earth's population was in poverty. Then by some miracle of discovery or a cruel cosmic joke, In the mid-23rd century when all humanity could do was go out into space to search for a new home, a small planet that was black as the void around it was discovered. The humans who landed on the little planet had nearly lost all hope until they stumbled upon unknown ancient ruins beneath the planet's surface where they discovered untold amounts of bizarre advanced technology. Earth and humanity were saved, and the little planet to thank for their salvation was named Umbra.
Alice is a xenoarchaeologist, her passion in life has always been the study of ancient cultures, and now she has the opportunity to study the most ancient one of them all. The very one that modern Human civilization was built on. Alice and her boyfriend accepted a posting on the famous and ancient ship, the U.S.S.A Umbra.