Rise of Mankind (Walker)

Humanity has always looked to the heavens, curiosity urging them to take flight. After a failed mission to go beyond the borders of Earth's solar system, a new fleet has been built ready to tackle any threat they may discover. But sometimes danger seeks out victims and just as they are preparing to depart, two ships arrive on the edge of their space.Unsure if these invaders are friendly or hostile, the Behemoth, the flagship of the fleet and only real military vessel, prepares for battle. When one of their space stations is destroyed, they must come to terms with the possibility that they may be outmatched and outgunned for these intruders seem intent on violence. After no answers to requests to talk and seemingly no offer for quarter, humanity must face the very real possibility of extinction.

Contains books one and two of the Rise of Mankind series. Behemoth, Book 1: Three years ago, Earth was attacked by an invading force so devastating, only one ship in the fleet survived. Their hard won victory came from the aid of an alliance of aliens long at war with an aggressive force. With the aid of advanced technology, humanity retrofitted their surviving vessel. The Behemoth became a shield against any future incursions. Now a strange ship has arrived, heading straight toward Earth. As it is not answering hails, the Behemoth heads out to intercept. The operation is interrupted by other visitors from beyond the solar system. Outnumbered the Behemoth must fend off the invaders once again - but this time, the stakes are much higher. Warfare, Book 2: Barely recovered from a battle against an alien incursion, the Behemoth waits to see how the alliance wishes to leverage their discovery, the weapon code named Protocol Seven. When two warships arrive from their allies with an offer difficult to refuse, they find themselves leant out to travel outside the solar system to a secret research facility across the galaxy. But what was promised to be a milk run turns into something completely different. With limited resources and a new commander on board their companion ship, they must stay alive. Combined with a potential threat from within, the odds are stacked high against them. Only their ingenuity and the perseverance of the human spirit may keep them alive.

Contains books three and four of the Rise of Mankind series. Raid, Book 3: Earth has nearly completed a second ship, a sister vessel to the Behemoth. This crowning achievement is hampered by a lack of a necessary element called ulem, mined in deep space in planetoids and asteroids spread throughout Alliance space. The closest such station failed to deliver their goods. A lone security guard managed to deploy a distress call with a simple message: PIRATES HAVE TAKEN THE STATION. Turning to the Earth military council, the Alliance asks them to send the Behemoth to take back the station. In return, they will provide them with all the ulem they need for two vessels and stay on to complete the construction of the ships. But the Behemoth has just finished a nasty engagement at a research facility and has not even returned home yet. Chances are good that the pirates are merely there to steal an enormous amount of the expensive mineral, but you never know.... Conflict, Book 4: Disaster strikes. The Behemoth, en route home after a successful mission liberating a mining facility from pirates, finds itself drifting in an uncharted sector of space. As the crew comes to, made ill by this jump drive malfunction, they spring into action to restore the ship to operational status so they can get home. However, they quickly find they are not alone. Surrounded by a native fleet of warships, they are viewed with suspicion as an alien force infringing on another culture's space. They attempt to communicate but find themselves moving toward a conflict they do not want. The Behemoth may find themselves stuck in the far reaches of space with no hope of getting home.