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# The Shiva Option ## DEFEAT WAS NOT AN OPTION The war wasn't going well. The mind-numbingly alien Arachnids were an enemy whose like no civilized race had ever confronted. Like some carnivorous cancer, the "Bugs" had overrun planet after planet . . . and they regarded any competing sentient species as only one more protein source. They couldn't be reasoned with, or even talked to, because no one had the least idea of how to communicate with a telepathic species with no recognizable language . . . and whose response to any communication attempt was a missile salvo. No one knew how large their civilization—if it could be called a "civilization"—actually was, or how it was organized, but the huge fleets they threw against their opponents suggested that it was enormous. The Grand Alliance of Humans, Orions, Ophiuchi, and Gorm, united in desperate self-defense, have been driven to the wall. Billions of their civilians have been slaughtered. Their most powerful offensive operation has ended in shattering defeat and the deaths of their most experienced and revered military commanders. The edge in technology with which they began the war is eroding out from under them and whatever they do, the Bugs just keep coming. But the warriors of the Grand Alliance know what stands behind them and they will surrender no more civilians to the oncoming juggernaut. They will die first . . . and they will also reactivate General Directive 18, however horrible it may be. Because when the only possible outcomes are victory or racial extermination, only one option is acceptable. The Shiva Option ### ABOUT THE AUTHORS David Weber is the science fiction phenomenon of the decade. His Honor Harrington novels (The New York Times bestseller Ashes of Victory being the ninth and latest) can't come out fast enough for his devoted readers. He and Steve White co-authored a top-selling series of space adventures set in the Starfire game universe: Insurrection, Crusade, In Death Ground, and now, The Shiva Option. Weber's other science fiction novels, all for Baen, include Mutineers' Moon, The Armageddon Inheritance, Heirs of Empire, and Path of the Fury. He has also begun an epic fantasy series with Oath of Swords and its sequel, The War God's Own. He is married and lives in South Carolina. Steve White was an officer in the Navy, and completed a tour of duty in Vietnam. In addition to the Starfire series with David Weber, he has written several popular science fiction adventure novels for Baen. These include the trilogy comprising The Disinherited, Legacy, and Debt of Ages, which combines fast-paced space opera with Arthurian mythology. He has also written the galaxy-spanning adventure Prince of Sunset, and its sequel Emperor of Dawn. His latest is Eagle Against the Stars. He currently works for a law firm outside Washington, D.C. specializing in constitutional law. He is married and has a daughter. Illustration by David Mattingly Interior Maps by Hunter Peddicord Cover design by Carol Russo Design
Hardcover Paperback This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental. First printing, February 2002 Distributed by Simon & Schuster 1230 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020 Printed in the United States of America | ### ISBN: 0-671-31848-9 Copyright © 2002 by David Weber & Steve White All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form. A Baen Books Original Baen Publishing Enterprises P.O. Box 1403 Riverdale, NY 10471 http://www.baen.com Production by Windhaven Press Auburn, NH Electronic version by WebWrights http://www.webwrights.com
#### The authors would like to extend their sincere thanks to Fred Burton, war gamer and friend, who personally designed the entire Star Union of Crucis and not only made it live, but also gave us permission to steal . . . er, borrow it for our story. #### Thanks, Fred. Also in this series: Insurrection Crusade In Death Ground Baen Books by David Weber Honor Harrington: On Basilisk Station The Honor of the Queen The Short Victorious War Field of Dishonor Flag in Exile Honor Among Enemies In Enemy Hands Echoes of Honor Ashes of Victory Edited by David Weber: More than Honor Words of Honor Changer of Worlds Mutineers' Moon The Armageddon Inheritance Heirs of Empire Path of the Fury The Apocalypse Troll The Excalibur Alternative Oath of Swords The War God's Own With John Ringo: March Upcountry March to the Sea Baen Books by Steve White Eagle Against the Stars Emperor of Dawn Prince of Sunset The Disinherited Legacy Debt of Ages

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