Le capitaine John Geary, dit « Black Jack » rescapé miraculeux d’un sommeil de survie de cent ans, a réussi l’impossible : il a ramené au bercail la flotte de l’Alliance et mis un ternie à la guerre de cent ans qui l’opposait aux Mondes syndiqués. C’est là que nous l’avons quitté à la fin de Victorieux, le dernier livre de « La flotte perdue ». Mais deux menaces restent en suspens : d’une part, l’implosion des Mondes syndiqués fait craindre le chaos dans l’espace colonisé par l’humanité ; d’autre part, au-delà des Mondes syndiqués se tapit une mystérieuse espèce extraterrestre qui est clandestinement intervenue dans la guerre pour conduire les hommes à s’entre-déchirer. Le gouvernement de l’Alliance confie à l’amiral Geary la double mission de pacifier l’espace syndic et d’enquêter par-delà la frontière sur ces extraterrestres inconnus. Nouveaux dilemmes, nouveaux affrontements. Dans la lignée des Honor Harrington, Jack Campbell écrit une SF qui donne la part belle aux batailles spatiales et aux conflits politiques. Moins guerrier que Weber, Campbell situe sa guerre sur un plan plus personnel — son personnage Black Jack Geary est un héros malgré lui —, et défend un système politique de type démocratique.

Admiral Geary's First Fleet of the Alliance has survived the journey deep into unexplored interstellar space, a voyage that led to the discovery of new alien species, including a new enemy and a possible ally. Now Geary's mission is to ensure the safety of the Midway Star System, which has revolted against the Syndicate Worlds empire — an empire that is on the brink of collapse.

Des vaisseaux qui atteignent un âge où leur fiabilité devient problématique, des ordres de mission aberrants, des subordonnés dont la loyauté n’est pas toujours acquise : il n’a pas fallu longtemps à l’amiral John Geary pour comprendre que l’Amirauté de l’Alliance veut se débarrasser de lui après sa victoire contre les Mondes syndiqués. Les extraterrestres y prêtent d’ailleurs volontiers la main. Lai’ rencontre avec les mystérieux Enigmas ne s’est traduite que par des affrontements et voici que l’armada spatiale d’une nouvelle espèce rejette aussi toute tentative de communication et se déchaîne contre la flotte humaine. Aucun contact pacifique ne serait-il décidément possible ? Mais peut-être l’espoir viendra-t-il d’où on ne l’attend pas car, dit-on, l’habit ne fait pas le moine. Invulnérable fait suite à Intrépide.

Jack Campbell bietet dem Leser Action von schwindelerregender Rasanz. Eine höchst plausible Zukunftsvision, deren Held John "Black Jack" Geary zu den eindruckvollsten Figuren der modernen Science Fiction zählt.

L’autorité des Mondes syndiqués s’effondre lentement depuis la victoire de l’Alliance. Partout éclatent sécessions et guerres civiles. Que deviendront ces « étoiles perdues » ? Midway par exemple. À la tête de la rébellion, Gwen Iceni, la commandante en chef des forces spatiales, s’est alliée à Drakon, lui-même en charge des forces terrestres. Et tous deux n’ont d’expérience que celle de la dictature : défiance et trahison, intrigue et assassinat. Leur entreprise commune est-elle vouée à l’échec ? L’ombre de Black Jackplane sur le système, mais le gouvernement de Prime, la capitale syndic, dispose sûrement d’une flotte encore assez puissante pour rétablir sa loi. Et que se passerait-il si les intraitables Énigmas revenaient?Il faut apprendre. Apprendre la confiance, apprendre l’humanité. Mais il reste peu de temps et le chemin est difficile pour ces chevaliers à l’honneur terni.L’auteur de « La flotte perdue », la série de s.-f. militaire à succès que prolonge « Par-delà la frontière »,ouvre un troisième champ de romans imbriqués, celui des « Étoiles perdues ».

Two Syndicate World star systems have fallen prey to a mysterious fleet of warships—a fleet controlled entirely by artificial intelligence—that is now targeting Alliance space. The warships are no mystery to Geary. They were developed by his government to ensure security, but malfunctioned. If the Syndics learn the truth, the war with the Alliance will resume with a vengeance.As the government attempts to conceal the existence of the A.I. warships—and its role in their creation—Geary pursues them, treading a fine line between mutiny and obedience. But it soon becomes…

Ze Światami Syndykatu Sojusz walczy od 100 lat, ale właśnie stanął na krawędzi totalnej porażki. Jego flota została pokonana i uwięziona w głębi terytorium wroga. Jedyną nadzieją na jej ocalenie jest człowiek, który po wybudzeniu ze stuletniej niemal hibernacji odkrywa, że stał się obiektem... kultu. Czyny kapitana Johna „Black Jacka” Geary’ego zna każdy uczeń Sojuszu. Po stoczeniu pierwszej bitwy wojny stuletniej uznano go za martwego. Wiek później, cudem ocalony z kapsuły ratunkowej, wbrew swojej woli zasiąść musi w fotelu dowódcy skazanej na nieuchronną zagładę floty. Okazuje się człowiekiem dalekim od propagandowego obrazu. Wie jednak, że dowiezienie wykradzionego klucza hipernetowego do przestrzeni Sojuszu jest jedyną szansą na zakończenie długiej i krwawej wojny. By tego dokonać, Geary musi stawić czoła nie tylko wrogowi, ale i legendzie Black Jacka…

Flota Sojuszu, ścigana przez przeważające siły Syndykatu, przemierza wrogie systemy gwiezdne. Dowodzi nią legendarny John „Black Jack” Geary, heros z zamrażarki, bohater wracający między żywych po 100 latach hibernacji. Załogi jego okrętów nie ustają w wysiłkach, by wrócić do macierzystych portów i dostarczyć tam klucz do zwycięstwa, czyli klucz do wrogiego hipernetu. Geary — świadom, że Syndycy chcą wciągnąć jego flotę w zasadzkę — musi działać z zaskoczenia. Stąd pozornie szalony plan ataku na system Sancere. Argumenty „za” są solidne: z Sancere flota Sojuszu ma do wyboru wiele dróg powrotu i ominięcia pułapek, a udany atak na stocznie wroga solidne nadszarpnie kondycję wojenną Syndykatu. „Przeciw” są zmęczeni nieustannym pogotowiem bojowym marynarze i oficerowie Sojuszu. Nie wierzą w sens zapuszczania się na terytorium wroga. Narasta bunt, który coraz poważniej zagraża pozycji Geary’ego.

Beznadziejna wojna pomiędzy Sojuszem a Światami Syndykatu trwa już od stu lat. Losy tego konfliktu odmienić miało odnalezienie kapitana Johna „Black Jacka” Geary’ego. Czy legendarny dowódca, wybudzony po dziesięcioleciach hibernacji, zdoła ocalić flotę Sojuszu przed bezlitosnym wrogiem? Po serii krwawych starć Sojusz utracił większość zapasów i znaczną część sprawności bojowej. Geary, pomimo dręczących go niepokojów, musi zatrzymać się w systemie Baldura, aby zdobyć potrzebne surowce w tamtejszych kopalniach. Jaki będzie jego następny ruch? Syndycy zaczynają rozgryzać strategię komodora i uciekająca flota z każdym skokiem traci przewagę nad wrogiem. W miarę zagłębiania się w raporty wywiadu Geary odkrywa kolejną prawdę: w tej wojnie nie chodzi tylko o starcie dwóch systemów wartości. Na planszy znajduje się także trzeci — kto wie — czy nie znacznie niebezpieczniejszy gracz, którego celem jest unicestwienie rodzaju ludzkiego…

A thrilling spin-off from Jack Campbell's The Lost Fleet series, The Lost Stars: Tarnished Knight delivered “excellent tales of space battles and struggles against tyrants and aliens.”Now the New York Times bestselling author returns with the next chapter in the overthrow of the Syndicate Worlds' oppression…Following a successful coup, the leaders of the rebel Midway Star System struggle to forge a government free enough to please its citizens yet strong enough to secure power. But in a world where former rulers have become new foes, an alien threat to humanity may turn old adversaries into uncertain allies.General Artur Drakon knows three words describe someone who confides in a Syndicate CEO: Stupid. Betrayed. Dead. Despite his misgivings, he partnered with another former CEO to overthrow Syndic forces. Now, with an enigma fleet menacing their hard-earned independence, he can ill afford to trust her—or lose…

After successfully freeing Alliance POWs, “Black Jack” Geary discovers that the Syndics plan to ambush the fleet with their powerful reserve flotilla in an attempt to annihilate it once and for all. And as Geary has the fleet jump from one star system to the next, hoping to avoid the inevitable confrontation, saboteurs contribute to the chaos.

The authority of the Syndicate Worlds government is crumbling. Civil war and rebellion are breaking out in many star systems despite the Syndic government’s brutal attempts to suppress disorder. Midway is one of those star systems, and leaders there must decide whether to remain loyal to the old order or fight for something new.CEO Artur Drakon has been betrayed. The Syndic government failed to protect its citizens from both the Alliance and the alien enigmas. With a cadre of loyal soldiers under his command, Drakon launches a battle for control of the Midway Star System assisted by an ally he is unsure he can trust.CEO Gwen Iceni was exiled to Midway because she wasn’t ruthless enough in the eyes of her superiors. She’s made them regret their assessment by commandeering some of the warships at Midway and attacking the remaining ships still loyal to the Syndicate empire. Iceni declares independence for the Midway Star System on behalf of the people while staying in charge as President. But while she controls the mobile fleet, she has no choice but to rely on General Drakon’s ground forces to keep the peace planet-side.If their coup is to succeed, Drakon and Iceni must put their differences aside to prevent the population of Midway from rising up in rebellion against them, to defend Midway against the alien threat of the enigma race and to ferret out saboteurs determined to reestablish Syndic rule.

Débordé par la puissance de feu des Mondes syndiqués, le légendaire capitaine « Black Jack » Geary poursuit son dangereux repli à travers l’espace ennemi. « Ressuscité des morts » au bout d’un siècle d’animation suspendue et rendu à la flotte de l’Alliance, il tente désespérément de la ramener au bercail avec son précieux trophée, la clef de l’hypernet du Syndic, qui est aussi celle de la victoire… La flotte ne comptait pas s’attarder dans le système en déshérence de Sutrah, mais c’était avant d’apprendre qu’il hébergeait des milliers de prisonniers de guerre. Dont le flamboyant capitaine Francesco Falco, autrefois adoré des médias et des foules, adulé par ses troupes, privé de combats et de gloire par vingt ans de captivité. Héros contre héros, « Black Jack » contre Falco le « battant », un duel d’influence se prépare au sein de la flotte. Le plus grand danger désormais ne vient-il pas de l’intérieur ?

For centuries, the two Great Guilds have controlled the world of Dematr. The Mechanics and the Mages have been bitter rivals, agreeing only on the need to keep the world they rule from changing. But now a Storm approaches, one that could sweep away everything that humans have built. Only one person has any chance of uniting enough of the world behind her to stop the Storm, but the Great Guilds and many others will stop at nothing to defeat her.Mari is a brilliant young Mechanic, just out of the Guild Halls where she has spent most of her life learning how to run the steam locomotives and other devices of her Guild. Alain is the youngest Mage ever to learn how to change the world he sees with the power of his mind. Each has been taught that the works of the other’s Guild are frauds. But when their caravan is destroyed, they begin to discover how much has been kept from them.As they survive danger after danger, Alain discovers what Mari doesn’t know—that she was long ago prophesized as the only one who can save their world. When Mari reawakens emotions he had been taught to deny, Alain realizes he must sacrifice everything to save her. Mari, fighting her own feelings, discovers that only together can she and Alain hope to stay alive and overcome the Dragons of Dorcastle.

For centuries, the two Great Guilds have controlled the world of Dematr. The Mechanics and the Mages have been bitter rivals, agreeing only on the need to keep the world they rule from changing. But now a Storm approaches, one that could sweep away everything that humans have built. Only one person has any chance of uniting enough of the world behind her to stop the Storm, but the Great Guilds and many others will stop at nothing to defeat her.Mari is a brilliant young Mechanic, just out of the Guild Halls where she has spent most of her life learning how to run the steam locomotives and other devices of her Guild. Alain is the youngest Mage ever to learn how to change the world he sees with the power of his mind. Each has been taught that the works of the other’s Guild are frauds. But when their caravan is destroyed, they begin to discover how much has been kept from them.As they survive danger after danger, Alain discovers what Mari doesn’t know—that she was long ago prophesized as the only one who can save their world. When Mari reawakens emotions he had been taught to deny, Alain realizes he must sacrifice everything to save her. Mari, fighting her own feelings, discovers that only together can she and Alain hope to stay alive and overcome the Dragons of Dorcastle.

The series is set one-hundred-plus years into an interstellar war between two different human cultures, the Alliance and the Syndics. The protagonist of the story is discovered floating in a suspended animation escape pod one-hundred years after he made a "heroic last stand" against an enemy fleet. In the present, he's a renowned hero to the Alliance and his name and actions are used to justify poor tactics and decisions. Awakened after being discovered during a secret mission that turns out to be an enemy trap, he's suddenly dropped into the fleet commander's chair and expected to live up to the legend that has grown around him.

Geary and the crew of the Dauntless have managed to safely escort important alien representatives to Earth. But before they can make tracks for home, two of Geary’s key lieutenants vanish. The search for his missing men leads Geary on a far-flung chase, ultimately ending at the one spot in space from which all humans have been banned: the moon Europa. Any ship that lands there must stay or be destroyed—leaving Geary to face the most profound moral dilemma of his life.To make matters worse, strains on the Alliance are growing as the Syndics continue to meddle. Geary is ordered to take a small force to the border of Syndic space. But what he finds there is a danger much greater than anyone expected: a mysterious threat that could finally force the Alliance to its knees.As Geary spearheads a desperate battle to protect the Alliance against a shrewd and powerful enemy, he’s left with just one question: Who are they?

The Lost Fleet: Courageous (2007) is the third book in Jack Campbell's The Lost Fleet series.

Outnumbered by the superior forces and firepower of the Syndicate Worlds, the Alliance Fleet continues its dangerous retreat across the enemy star system. Led by legendary Captain John “Black Jack” Geary, the Alliance is desperately trying to return home with its captured prize: the key to the Syndic hypernet.