Set in the same universe as The Parafaith War (but two centuries later, and intended to be readable independently), The Ethos Factor is the story of Com-mander Van C. Albert of the Republic Space Force of Taran. This brave and resourceful officer once indirectly caused the loss of a civilian liner while defeating a larger enemy ship. Cleared by the board of inquiry, he was allowed to continue his career, but is not popular with the high command. After he is seriously injured while heroically preventing an assassination, his superiors leap at the chance to promote and retire him with honors while he is still unconscious. After a long recovery, Van finds that there are few jobs for ship captains of his experience and decides to take a chance on a somewhat mysterious non-aligned foundation. Its bland name- Integrated Information Systems-turns out to disguise a surprisingly powerful force in the inhabited galaxy-perhaps the only one that anticipates the coming interstellar war. As Van's responsiblities grow, the choices he faces are profound. The collapse of worlds, when it comes, is sudden and violent.

Genre: Science Fiction