Foundation and Empire — Isaac Asimov

THE BIG AND THE LITTLE

When the Galactic Empire began dying, the great psycho historian Hari Sheldon set up the Foundation to preserve human culture and shorten 30,000 years of chaotic barbarism to a mere millennium. Located on a bleak world at the edge of the galaxy, it seemed helpless before the greed of neighboring warlords. But somehow, by science and wit, it had survived and even gained control of a small federation of planets.

Yet it was still small And against it stood the greatest power of all -- the huge power of the Empire, mighty even in decay. When an ambitious general turned an Imperial fleet toward the Foundation, the only hope lay in the prophecies of Hari Seldon.

But even Hari Salon could not predict the birth and mutant talent of the Mule -- one small man with power greater than a dozen battlefleets.

Between big and little, the foundation seemed doomed.