VIPER One — Richard Swan

The United Nations and the Provar Ascendancy are at war, and across the galaxy, human politicians, generals and diplomats are being abducted as part of a brutal campaign of psychological warfare.

While the vast armies of humanity battle frantically to stem the Ascendancy advance, UN Joint Intelligence Command orders the formation of a new unit: VIPER, Very Important Person Recovery, an experimental squad of mission specialists with the latest in military hardware and an unlimited mandate.

When news that Vaughn Almeida, a senior diplomat in the United Nations' Xeno Division, is being held by the provar on Iepthae, it's a chance for Captain Adrian Vasco to prove that VIPER can work.

But with UN forces poised to retake the planet within days, the clock is ticking…