Primary Inversion (Saga of the Skolian Empire Book 1)

The first book in Catherine Asaro's Skolian Empire saga. Soz Valdoria is a bioengineered fighter pilot and first in line for military command of the Skolian people. She finds temporary refuge with her squad on the sanctuary planet of Delos, away from the ongoing war between the Skolians and their enemies, the Traders. However, they must remain vigilant, as Trader soldiers also visit the sanctuary. While in a bar, Soz encounters an Aristo from the Trader ruling caste who appears to be hunting for a "provider." His presence triggers memories of her time as a prisoner of war, when she was held captive by a sadistic Aristo. Something about this man seems wrong to her. Following her instincts, Soz tracks him to a secured mansion, breaches its defenses, and uncovers a shocking truth: he is not a true Aristo but a genetic anomaly like herself—one of the rare few capable of handling the neurological demands of the psibernet, the technology that gives Skolians their advantage over the Traders. This false Aristo is actually the heir to the Trader throne, created by the emperor to infiltrate and control the Skolian network. Despite this revelation, Soz finds herself drawn to him in an unprecedented way, a connection that could threaten everything.