Victory Conditions
Victory Conditions, book five of Vatta's War: When Ky Vatta takes command of the Slotter Key privateers and a few allies, she knows she's still outnumbered and outgunned by Gammis Turek and his allies. Worse, she realizes that he is planning to attack shipyards where large warships are under construction... not to destroy those ships, but to steal them. Most of the ships in her fleet were built as merchanters, and have already sustained structural damage – and every combat stresses them more, sometimes to the point of failure.
Meanwhile, her distant cousin Toby is abducted by pirate agents who want to learn the secrets of the new Vatta shipboard ansibles, and Rafe Dunbarger, CEO of the beleaguered InterStellar Communications, is embroiled in a political and economic battle with ISC's Board of Directors and the government of Nexus. Prejudice against the Vatta family is so great that Nexus refuses to ally with Cascadia against Turek because Ky Vatta commands the fleet. Alone, with only the outdated ships of the ISC fleet to protect it, Nexus looks like easy prey for Turek... and controlling Nexus means gaining control of the galaxy-spanning communications system. Ky Vatta is the only hope if Nexus – and ISC – are to survive.
Elizabeth Moon
Elizabeth Moon is an American fantasy and science fiction author. She was born born 1945. She grew up on the Texas-Mexico border. She has degrees in history and biology, and she programmed computers while in the Marine Corps.
She began writing stories in childhood, but didn't make a fiction sale until she was forty. She has several books in print, including The Speed of Dark. She and her husband live in Central Texas; their son, in his early twenties, is autistic.
She loves the outdoors, rides horses, sings in a choir, and would rather do anything than clean house.
Vatta's War
Vatta's War consists of five books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
Main series Vatta's War Universe