The Duke of Uranium — John Barnes

In this spectacular tale of action and intrigue, a thirty-sixth-century young man discovers that the galaxy is far more complex, and deadly, than he'd ever imagined...

THE BAD SIDE OF ENTROPY
For eighteen-year-old Jak Jinnaka, life in the Hive space colony is a simple routine of schoolwork and partying. But his world irrevocably turns topsy-turvy one night when strangers viciously attack Jak and kidnap his girlfriend, Sesh. Then Jak learns that Sesh is really a princess from a distant world and that his Uncle Sib is actually a spymaster who is running a covert cabal vying to control the galaxy. Adding to his shock, Jak comes to the startling realization that he has been groomed since birth to become--a secret agent. And his first assignment is to ransom Sesh from her captor, the mysterious Duke of Uranium. Yet the one truth nobody tells Jak is that the thirty-sixth century itself is based on lies, where no one and nothing are as they seem. And the only way for Jak to make sure his maiden mission is not his last is to discover what his true mission really is!