Ember — James K. Decker

Plagued by overpopulation, disease, and starvation, humanity was headed for extinction -- until an alien race called the haan arrived. And then the real trouble began.

Dragan Shao is a dedicated soldier, but he's seen -- and delivered -- too much death and despair as a border zone guard. After he secures a discharge, he travels to the gritty city of Hangfei, where he hopes being a security guard patrolling the impact rim -- the wasteland that surrounds the haan spaceship since it crash-landed fifty years ago -- will be a less devastating duty. But that's before he receives a distress signal from a girl more in need of saving than himself…