The Course of Empire

Space Opera novel by Eric Flint and K. D. Wentworth:

Long ago the Ekhat bred the Jao as slaves for their incomprehensible purposes. The Jao escaped from their tyranny and fled to form a glorious empire that stretched out among the stars. They conquered many primitive worlds. Then they turned their eyes on an Insignificant Little Blue Planet and sought to bring the blessings of civilization to it.

The initial results of this enterprise were not as auspicious as might be hoped.

Twenty years later Aille krinnu ava Pluthrak, a young prince of one of the most prestigious houses in The Empire comes to take up his duties. He learns that things were not as reports had indicated. Casualties from the conquest had been immense, the governor, named Oppuck, was arrogant and insane and The Natives Were Restless. Aille set to work. He looked over the planet, began to take humans into his service, and learned about their culture. Much had to be done for the Ekhat were on their way and humans and jao must work together to survive.

In the end all is well. Aille leads a fleet into battle to destroy the Ekhat fleet, composed of submarines retrofitted for space combat while the governor cowers in safety. He wins popularity among both the humans and the Jao stationed on Earth, and becomes head of all the Jao on Earth while meanwhile his efforts cause The Empire to grant the humans the Jao equivalent of "home rule". And everyone lives happily ever after.

The sequel is The Crucible of Empire.


 * Benevolent Alien Invasion: Played with. The Jao are not particularly benevolent. They are just no worse then human conquerors would be.
 * Blue and Orange Morality: Jao and humans to each other. Definitely the Ekhat.
 * The Caligula: Governor Oppuck
 * The Clan: Jao political rivalries are centered on various clans.
 * Culture Clash
 * Deadly Decadent Court: the Jao
 * Depleted Uranium Beats Laser : During the invasion humans confounded the Jao's lasers with steam grenades. Then shot them to bits with ordinary ammunition.
 * Dying Moment of Awesome: The US Army had that during the Alien Invasion.
 * The Empire: The Jao
 * In many ways it is a Federation. It is an alliance of several different clans with a sort of council ruling above them.
 * Fantastic Racism
 * Humans Through Alien Eyes
 * Humans Are Special: Humans are the first race the Jao had come across since the founding of their empire that could actually maintain a technological civilization. The Jao after Oppucks disastrous governorship decided that the easiest way to get along with humans was to call them a "taif" rather then try to assimilate them.
 * Humans Are Warriors: The human held off the Jao until they could only be subdued by throwing asteroids at their cities. Allie begins to realize that they are better on his side then as enemies.
 * La Résistance: The Resistance. Exactly What It Says on the Tin.
 * Military Science Fiction
 * Omnicidal Maniac: The Ekhat
 * Pragmatic Villainy : Jao are so pragmatic that they don't even "execute" those that offend the authorities. They "put them down".
 * Redshirt Army: The Jinau, or human troops in Jao service.
 * The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized: much of the resistance.
 * Scary Dogmatic Aliens: The Ekhat
 * Space Battle: A Space Battle inside the sun to be precise.
 * Space Opera
 * Vichy Earth: a more sympathetic take then most.