Treachery Among the Stars

Treachery Among the Stars is set in an alternate universe, with elements of political thriller and military action, told from multiple points of view. The differing trading cultures are competitive and steady, but a warring faction wants to control them all. The story focuses on four main groups: the Lledumar, the Cuians, the Jannxians, and the Hrexan. They are spacing faring peoples but have slightly different cultures.

The Hrexan start a galactic war by trying to invade many planets. The Cuian homeworld of Xinar is hit - the largest culture in that region of space. The Cuians, though they've been nasty to most of the other cultures in one form or another in their region, request help from the Lledumar. The Lledumar are still reeling from a trade route plundering issue that other cultures are saying is the work of the Cuians. The hapless Lledumarian duke doesn't know what to do.

The Lledumarian duke must decide whether to help the Cuians. If he doesn't, the Hrexan will invade his planet next. So, he decides to help the Cuians but plans to evacuate Lleddu if the Hrexan win. But no one knows the fervent Hrexan attempt to control this region of space but are shocked when they learn the true reach of Hrexan warring. The combined Cuian-Lledumarian forces do not prevent Xinar from being invaded. But just when a contingent of Cuians escape Xinar, an unknown confederacy attacks the Hrexan.

The Cuians think the unknown confederacy will suffer the same fate as they did, but they head for Lleddu, the Lledumarian homeworld, and forget about the confederacy. The Lledumarians are surprised to learn that a contingent of Cuians is heading their way, expecting only the Hrexan - especially since the rumours of Cuian treachery, the demise of their armed forces and loss of their homeworld. And treachery is still on the minds of the Cuians. The hapless Lledumarian duke is about to learn treachery wears many faces, even the guise of a friend.