Synopses & Reviews
It was at times like this that Jim Raynor, former marine lance corporal, proud citizen of the Confederacy and erstwhile farm boy, felt most alive. At the speed at which he was urging the vulture, the wind cooled his face so that the oppressive heat vanished. He felt like a wolf hunting down prey, except the purpose of todayand#8217;s adventure was not the death of a living being but the death of the empty state of Raynorand#8217;s and Tychusand#8217;s wallets. This was a cargo train, not a passenger train, and inside its silvery innards wasand#8212;if Tychusand#8217;s tip was right, and Jim had every reason to believe it would beand#8212;a very lovely, very large safe filled with Confederate credits. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Why, itand#8217;s a rescue mission, Jim,and#8221; Tychus had rumbled, his blue eyes dancing with good humor as he had filled Raynor in on the plan. and#8220;Those poor credsand#8212;theyand#8217;d just be condemned to lining the pockets of some Old Families who donand#8217;t need any more money. Or else put to some nefarious scheme that could hurt somebody. Itand#8217;s our dutyand#8212;hell, itand#8217;s our andlt;Iandgt;callingandlt;/Iandgt;and#8212;to liberate them creds to where they could do something that really mattered.and#8221; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Like buying us drinks, women, and steak dinners.and#8221; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Thatand#8217;s a good start.and#8221; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Youand#8217;ve got a heart of gold, Tychus. Iand#8217;ve never met such an altruistic man in my life. I got goddamn tears in my eyes.and#8221; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Itand#8217;s a tough job, but somebodyand#8217;s got to do it.and#8221; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Jim grinned as he recalled the conversation. He and Tychus were behind the train, catching up to it quickly. He stayed right and Tychus veered left. Tychus crossed over the maglev tracks, adjusting the magnetic frequency on his bike to compensate so that he, like the train itself, could cross easily. Jim increased his speed, moving alongside the maglev until the right car came into view. He and Tychus had spent hours analyzing all kinds of transportation vessels over the last few years, sometimes simply from blueprints or images, but usually up close and personal, as they were about to do now. They had and#8220;liberatedand#8221; other credits beforeand#8212;it seemed to them like hundreds of thousands over the years, although the liberated credits never seemed to stay with them very long. That was all right too. It was part of the ride that life had become. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;***andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;The year is 2494. Almost five years ago, Jim Raynor and Tychus Findlay were members of the Heavenand#8217;s Devils, an elite Confederate marine unit praised for its nerves of steeland combat expertise. After making a stand against their corrupt commanding officer, the two men were forced to go AWOL or risk being unjustly prosecuted and resocialized. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Now, Raynor and Findlay are outlaws hounded by an unyielding interstellar marshal. Life, however, has never beenbetter. Each day is another chance to pilfer more credits from the Confederacyand#8217;s deep coffers. Each night holds the promise of spending their hard-earned profits in bars, brothels, and gambling halls. But a man can only run so far before the lawand#8212;and his pastand#8212;catch up with him. . . . andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Devilsand#8217; Due recounts an unforgettable period of Jim Raynorand#8217;s life as he descends into the Koprulu sectorand#8217;s criminal underworld alongside the street-savvy Findlay. Here, far from his humble upbringing on the fringe world of Shiloh, Raynor will face some of the most trying challenges of his life. The decisions he makes will alter his destiny forever and put his fatherand#8217;s oft-spoken wisdom, and#8220;A man is what he chooses to be,and#8221; to the ultimate test.
Synopsis
In this tie-in to StarCraft II, bestselling author Christie Golden reveals the exploits that shaped the game’s heroes, Tychus Findlay and Jim Raynor.
About the Author
andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling and award-winning author Christie Golden has written more than forty novels and several short stories in the fields of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Among her many projects are over a dozen andlt;iandgt;Star Trekandlt;/iandgt; novels and several original fantasy novels. An avid player of andlt;iandgt;World of Warcraftandlt;/iandgt;, she has written two manga short stories and several novels in that world (andlt;iandgt;Lord of the Clans, Rise of the Horde, Arthas: Rise of the Lich Kingandlt;/iandgt;, and andlt;iandgt;The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysmandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;Thrall: Twilight of the Aspectsandlt;/iandgt;, and andlt;iandgt;Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of Warandlt;/iandgt;).andnbsp;She has also written the andlt;iandgt;StarCraft Dark Templar Saga: Firstborn, Shadow Huntersandlt;/iandgt;, and andlt;iandgt;Twilightandlt;/iandgt;, as well as the most recent hardcover, andlt;iandgt;Devilsand#8217; Dueandlt;/iandgt;. Golden is also the writer of three books in the major nine-book Star Wars series Fate of the Jedi (in collaboration with Aaron Allston and Troy Denning). Golden lives in Tennessee. She welcomes visitors to her website: ChristieGolden.com.