One U.G.L.Y. Marine

Could the first Vale settlers have predicted anything but the perfect civilization they were determined to create? How was it possible that their advanced culture and knowledge could one day prove to be their greatest disadvantage? Had they not learned the bitter lessons of man's weaknesses and overcome them? Centuries after being driven from Earth as part of a massive diaspora triggered by an alien invasion, can the Valers face their worst, and unimaginable, nightmare? Can they withstand the might of the Komran Empire as it sweeps across the galaxy in a campaign to conquer all in its path? When the conflict reaches a crisis point, will they recognize that what they see as their greatest strength is their greatest weakness before it's too late? Sometimes, situations are so ugly that only an ugly solution will suffice. Will they have the courage to unleash the secret weapon they have in their cryo hold? Are they desperate enough to resort to the kind of tough and strong that is bold, bad, and brazen enough to turn their society and the enemy on their heads? “Joe Ugly” is undoubtedly the Marine for the job. But is the galaxy ready for One Ugly Marine?

The intergalactic barbarian has started establishing himself in this new future. But with a growing reputation comes the need to accomplish more complex feats. The Komran are happy to oblige, though they may not know it. They have taken a valuable Vale-sanctioned mine, trapping all the residents within and forcing them to work night and day. Curiously, the hostage-takers are not searching for the ore within. Fearful that a large-scale assault could end in nothing more than a pyrrhic victory, Joe and his new teammates are sent in the deal with the situation in the hopes that they can take care of the menace without a massive casualty report. Can Joe and his team find out what exactly the Komran are looking for on this backwater planet?

When a soldier has survived so many "impossible" missions, the word almost loses its meaning. Until that soldier gets a mission brief so brutal the description makes them hesitate... Bring it. Nothing is going to stop Joe. He has taken on every mission they've sent his way to date and come out on top. Having reestablished his cred and made a proper name for himself, Joe has earned some trust from the Vale council, which comes with both perks and downsides. When a known Komran outpost that has recently been upgraded shows signs of staging an invasion, there are only two options: commit to a full-force assault and lose many lives and ships to take the base, or send in a small, elite team to take on an entire base by themselves. The council believes the barbarian has done well so far. Why not risk his team's necks first and see how it goes before scheduling that assault? Joe and his team must make their way to a planet that has been under Komran control for decades, travel through unforgiving and poorly mapped terrain, and destroy a base filled with hundreds of aliens to prevent a potential invasion at the humans' back door. For once, Joe feels that what's being asked of him is more than a challenge. This feels suicidal...

Subtlety is a game Joe is capable of, but he always preferred a more hands-on approach. Unluckily for him, the Komran are no longer satisfied with a war of attrition, and there's no choice but to play. After intercepting the Komran battleplans on his last suicide mission, Joe gets the request to take on the most challenging mission to date: diplomacy. The team are sent to the outer fringes of the Vale system, where the Komran have planted traitors among the populations of three planets. If their plans succeed, the planets' defenses will be taken down and a Komran invasion force will get easy access to stage landing points for a much more expansive push into Vale territory. There's no room for failure. The team must prepare to divert a war that could be ended in a day, or risk the start of a new level of subjugation. For once, Joe needs to rely on his wits and his version of "diplomacy" to accomplish the mission and save the galaxy. Sometimes, he wonders if he would be better off back in the freezer.

Joe and his team pushed themselves to their limits to stop a Komran invasion force from getting a foothold in their galaxy. But moments after the victory cheers were let out, they realize that the attack they routed was not the end game. This was only the beginning... Instead of retreating, the Komran launch an assault on Odin, one of the garden planets in the system that was blitzed in the surprise attack. While it started as simple revenge, the alien empire sees an opportunity to strike and sends an armada to reinforce their forces in the system. Old foes emerge to take part in the invasion as Joe and his team are sent on strike missions to help ensure that the Komran don't gain ground in their system. Joe is a damn good soldier, but this is a hell of a fight. The skirmish quickly devolves toward all-out war. The Komran want to claim the barbarian's head as their trophy as much as they want to envelop Vale space into the empire. Unlike previous missions, this won't end with one small victory at a time. They need to push back the Komran to save their galaxy before the alien invaders claim their home-whether through subjugation or eradication.

This is the final stand for Vale and its system against the Komran Empire. The council doesn't even want to call it a war, but the Vale General and Sergeant of the Army have a plan. They needed one ugly marine when the Komran were getting aggressive, but now that the enemy are here in force, they need as many as they can get. Much to his chagrin, Joe is pulled from the fighting. His help is needed as the older soldiers and technicians are thawed out from the cryo storage. The military leaders have to deal with leading the military campaign and the general populace as they become the highest powers on Vale. The council and many of the citizens are afraid of the consequences of ceding control to those whose interests have always been focused on responding to threats by hitting back harder. But this is war. The only way to avoid defeat is to accept extreme measures. Joe has hundreds of troops that he needs to help get in gear. It's a huge step up from squad leader. It isn't easy going, but when has life ever offered him a smooth path? The old soldiers are hesitant about the new ways of Vale. Being thrust into a massive galactic battle is more familiar territory. While the military are prepared to go to whatever lengths are necessary to repel the Komran once and for all, the Council frets about what is to become of their precious society and their social standing once it is all over. However, they fail to understand that if our heroes fail, their society won't survive the Komran war machine-because the empire only accepts two things from their enemies: Subjugation or destruction.