Search Worlds Without End

Time travel is a dream long held by human beings. Who hasn't had fond thoughts about showing Nicola Tesla their personal Tesla Coil or taking him for a drive in an electric car that bears his name? The devil is in the details of the technology, which is what ties together this collection of short fiction--the stories in this collection appeared in Analog science fiction magazine between 1990 and 2000.

The magic of Polia is broken, the delicate connection between its male and female elements, sundered. Blame for this and other calamities both natural and political has long been laid at the feet of the White Mothers-rare adepts who can handle both male and female elements. The young widow, Kassia Telek, is one such woman. Barred from the legitimate use of her talents, she peddles herbs in the town square to feed herself and her son, Beyla... until, one day, she comes to the attention of Master Lukasha, head of Polia's foremost center of arcane learning.

Lukasha sees in the young widow a chance to mend his broken and besieged land and save Polia's king from the necessity of a disastrous political marriage to a daughter of the Frankish Empire. It seems his dearest hopes will be realized when Kassia's native curiosity and talent lead her to discover a trove of hidden knowledge. But Kassia gradually discovers that not everything that can be known should be known. The magic to which she holds the key, thrusts her into a battle with forces that can save Polia from its enemies or destroy everything she holds dear.

SOME GAMES ARE PLAYED FOR LIFE OR DEATH.

Javul Charn is the most famous pop star in the galaxy--and the runaway bride of a violent lieutenant in Black Sun, the crime syndicate commanded by Prince Xizor. Or so Javul says. Soon after Dash Rendar, broke and desperate, agrees to be Javul's bodyguard, he realizes that openness is not her strong suit--and that murder is stalking her tour. Between the discovery of dead bodies in a cargo hold and an attack by an unidentified warship, Dash and co-pilot Eaden Vrill desperately try to understand who is terrorizing Javul's tour and why. When Han Solo suddenly joins Javul's road show, the stakes are raised even higher. Now Dash, who has a history with Han and an even worse history with Prince Xizor, follows his instincts, his discoveries, and Javul herself--straight into a world that may be too dangerous to survive.

KNIGHT OF RECKONING

The Emperor's ruthless Order 66 has all but exterminated the Jedi. The few remaining who still wield the Force for good have been driven into exile or hiding. But not Jax Pavan, who's been steadily striking blows against the Empire--as a lone guerrilla fighter and a valued partner of Whiplash, a secret Coruscant-based resistance group. Now he's taking on his most critical mission: transporting a valued Whiplash leader, targeted for assassination, from Coruscant to safety on a distant world.

It's a risky move under any circumstances, but Jax and his trusted crew aboard the Far Ranger, including the irrepressible droid I-Five, are prepared to pit their combat skills and their vessel's firepower against all Imperial threats--except the one Jax fears most. Reports have raced across the galaxy that the dark lord of the Sith has fallen in a duel to the death with a Rebel freedom fighter. But Jax discovers the chilling truth when he reaches out with the Force... only to touch the dark, unmistakable, and malignantly alive presence that is Darth Vader. And Jax knows that Vader will stop at nothing until the last Jedi has fallen.