Matter of Oaths

Set three thousand years in the future, at a time when spaceships travel between the worlds with the help of "webbers." Human worlds are organised in two empires - the "Old Empire" and the "New Empire" - and each of the two emperors is immortal. The two emperors have each signed an oath to respect the interests of the guild of Webbers which is seen as central to keeping the peace between the worlds. In place of a single commanding officer, ships are run by a trirumvirate or "Three." At the start of the book, the patrol ship Bhattya needs a new first officer. Commanda Rallya and her two colleages who make up Bhattya's "Three" decide to offer the post to Rafe, a brilliant webber who looks twenty five, and believes himself to be thirty, but has had his memory erased on defecting from the New Empire to the old one. As the Bhattya gets caught up in events which appear to threaten the stability of the galaxy it becomes very clear that there is something very unusual about Rafe. He is every bit as talented as Rallaya and her colleages had hoped, but his background seems to be very mysterious - and hint at an age rather greater than the 25 which his physical condition suggests or the 30 which he admits to. And whatever his past is, both of the two emperors are taking a close personal interest in him. Who or what is Rafe - and why is he so important ? I really liked this book and am surprised that it didn't become a bestseller. Good for a try if you want to read a science fiction book which is a bit different from the usual run.

Rafe is a member of the Guild of Webbers, the individuals who make space travel possible by using an implanted web to directly interface their minds to the ship's systems.Webbers must work in teams and trust is important. Unfortunately for Rafe, he's been identity-wiped (a fate usually reserved for criminals,but he has no apparant record) and no one wants to risk trusting him. Commander Rallya needs another qualified webber and takes Rafe on with some reservations. These reservations soon turn to concern --not over Rafe's competency,because he knows more tricks than he should for his rank--but Rafe apparantly has unremembered enemies from both empires who think nothing of arranging to get rid of Rallya's ship! Why do highly placed officials on both sides of the unofficial "cold" war want Rafe and anyone next to him dead? What does he know but can't remember? Who is he? Rallya and her crew must unlock a conspiracy in Rafe that involves both empires.