The Evolved — Richard Quarry

Forced to flee Earth two centuries before, the people calling themselves the Evolved come roaring back on a mission of conquest and revenge. Now in the form of a Group Mind, they quickly scatter the navies of Earth and its allies.Two soldiers of the Peregrine Alliance strike back. Fast Cruiser Captain Arvada Sattar, young and rebellious, scorns demands from both the Evolved and her own Naval Command to stand down. Her XO, Sahan Kotori, raised in a mystical sect, excels in both meditation and combat.He also loves Arvada. But though relying on his skills, she holds him away.Wounded and haunted by the cries of the dead, Sahan leaves Arvada's ship. Through deep meditation he tries to penetrate a captured holobrain, the Evolved's brain-structured communication node. But as he delves deeper into this twisted landscape, he finds the Group Mind hunting him in turn. And if they find him, they will lock his mind in one eternal scream.But Sahan can't back out. Not after he discovers the Evolved plan to eliminate their top-priority target — Arvada Sattar.