In March 2004, EOS published Karen Traviss's first novel, The City of Pearl. It's a story of a cop on an alien world, playing politics to keep probing scientists, the human colony, marines, and three aliens at peace, but time is running out. Synopsis: Three separate alien societies
have claims on Cavanagh's Star. But the new arrivals—the gethes from
Earth—now threaten the tenuous balance of a coveted world. Environmental Hazard Enforcement
officer Shan Frankland agreed to lead a mission to Cavanagh's Star,
knowing that 150 years would elapse before she could finally return
home. But her landing, with a small group of scientists and Marines, has
not gone unnoticed by Aras, the planet's designated guardian. An
eternally evolving world himself, this sad, powerful being has already
obliterated millions of alien interlopers and their great cities to
protect the fragile native population. Now Shan and her party—plus the
small colony of fundamentalist humans who preceded them—could face a
similar annihilation . . . or a fate far worse. Because Aras possesses a
secret of the blood that would be disastrous if it fell into human
hands—if the gethes survive the impending war their coming has
inadvertently hastened.
Environmental Hazard Enforcement officer Shan Franklin, on what's supposed to be her last job, is asked by Foreign Minister Eugenie Perault to lead a joint government and commercial reconnaissance team--comprised of marines and scientists--to Cavanagh's Star to find out something from Constantine colony. She doesn't remember because of Suppressed Briefing. Her mission was crammed into her head and only specific thoughts will unlock the hidden data. Upon arrival in Cavanagh's Star, the spaceship breaks down du to a (as we later learn) wess'har energy barrier. Everything except life support is shut down. Josh Garrod, the leader of the Christian colony of Constantine, allows only Shan to land. They talk and let the scientists and marines land, so long as the scientists don't harm or kill the plants/natives, meaning some non-obtrusive scans and photos and journals. The camp is set up and Shan breaks the news to the scientists. They aren't happy, especially when they learn about the aquatic race, the bezeri, and the wess'har and an invading race, the isenj, are out there. A couple of the scientists see why when out on an excursion.
The camp accidentally shoots Aras Sar Iussan--a wess'har with c'naatat (a virus that keeps reorganizing its host and keeps them alive--out of the sky. Shan and Josh go to rescue him and Shan helps Aras get out of the downed ship. The camps defenses are taken down. The next day, Shan meets with Josh and Aras. They talk, during which Shan offers Aras food, an intimate gesture in wess'har society and culture. Aras shows Shan the bezeri council, in pods that are underwater. After a couple of days getting to know each other, Aras tells Shan that the bezeri want to meet with her and to have her people build her an underwater suit. Surendra Parekh--one of the scientists--brings a juvenile bezeri back to camp and, after Shan and the reporter Eddie tel her to put it back, experiments on it. The juvenile bezeri dies painfully. Shan restriscts Parekh to quarters. She tells Aras, who tells Shan to give him Parekh because she has to die for her crime. Shan gives Aras her pistol and Parekh. Aras kills Parekh; this causes a rift in the scientists. A second ship, Actaeon, arrives from Earth. They're allied with the isenj. Aras tells Shan. She tells him she needs the farmers food gene bank. She finds out about the c'naatat and what it can do.
Shan's horrified and tells Aras to stay away from the scientists. Actaeon arrives and Shan confines the scientists and marines to base. Dr. Rayat and Dr. Galvin flee the base, going to the isenj. Shan, Aras, Bennett, and Qureshi leave base and track Rayat and Galvin. Meanwhile, Lindsey confirms that Shan had Parekh executed for killing a kid to Actaeon's skipper. Shan, Aras and the marines find the isenj base. The isenj go to kill Aras and a fight breaks out. Galvin dies from her wounds and SHan dies after a projectile blows half her head off. The isenj die and Aras puts some of the c'naatat into Shan (depsite her hatred of it). Bennett takes a wounded Qureshi and Rayat back to base. Aras takes Shan to Constantine. Shan wakes up and soon realizes that she has c'naatat in her and rages at Aras for breaking his promise to kill her should it infect her. Shan meets with the wess'har matriarchs and they tell her to remove her charges, but Shan may stay as one of the wess'har. Lindsey rages at Shan for refusing to use the c'naatat to save her still-born son. Actaeon's CO demands Shan be brought to justice, but the wess'har relocate her to their moon. The marines, apart from Lindsey, just want to leave; Lindsey wants Shan dead. The marines, scientists, and Actaeon leave with the food gene bank. Shan and Aras look after Constantine colony.
All in all, a decent, well thought out science fiction novel that captures just how alien alien species are. Karen Traviss really proves just how good an author she is and how much attention to detail she dishes out with the world-building. Great character arc and richly detailed story for any sci-fi fan.
