Venus Rising

After crash landing on a strange planet in the forbidden Empty Sector, Commander Tarik and Lieutenant Narisa must cooperate to survive. Tarik’s relaxed attitudes infuriate the spit-and-polish Narisa, until they find traces of a lost colony and she’s caught up in the history left by Dulan, one of the colonists, which Tarik translates. Then she begins to question Jurisdiction laws. The appearance of large, intelligent birds adds to the strangeness of their surroundings. Slowly, they fall into love, but the arrival of a Cetan warship threatens their happiness. The birds help to remove the Cetans, except for one fellow, who was about to be killed by his companions. His name is Gaidar and he is a most unusual Cetan, who hates violence. He tells them of a new Cetan weapon, Starthruster, which can move ships through space much faster than Jurisdiction ships. The Cetans are planning a strike against Capital. With Gaidar’s help, Tarik and Narisa capture the Cetan ship and head for Capital, to warn the Leader.

But they aren’t believed, and their story endangers not only the three of them, but Tarik’s parents, Almaric and Kalina, as well. Then Suria, an old flame of Tarik’s, warns of a plot by the Leader to kill Tarik’s entire family, as he fears their popularity. Just when it seems they will all die, Tarik’s brother, Admiral Halvo, reaches Capital and takes a hand in events. An interstellar war is brewing, but the Jurisdiction is unprepared to defend itself.
Halvo orders Gaidar to take his parents to a safe haven, while he, Tarik, and Narisa join the battle.

It’s a close call, but the Jurisdiction wins and the Cetans agree to a peace treaty. Still, Halvo doesn’t trust these old enemies. At Tarik’s suggestion, Halvo and Almaric arrange for a secret colony to be founded on the world they have named Dulan’s Planet, which is near the Cetan homeworlds.

Tarik and Narisa, Suria and Gaidar are married and with a group of other would-be settlers, they head back to the Empty Sector.