Station in Crisis

Glasvyr Station is an independent space station, orbiting a planet on the boundary of the Republic of United Planets. Beyond it is the Edge, the uncivilized – or perhaps more accurately – the unregulated part of the galaxy. The Republic of United Planets, ruled by the Burokratika Senaat, is more about control and regulation than anything else.

“Station on the Edge: Rebellion's Edge Book 1,” by Becky R. Jones, follows Ezekiel “Zeke” Udinesi, Glasvyr Station manager, and Lina Stoval, Zeke’s assistant stationmaster (and owner of Glasvyr Station) as they deal with unwanted attention from Burokratika Senaat members.

One of the attractions of Glasvyr Station is its distance from the Core. The Burokratika Senaat (or BS, as most call it). It controls the Core’s population with the community contribution coefficient, a measure of loyalty to the Republic. Too low, and citizens are deemed unacceptable for any employment, living as Wards of the Republic, in minimally-livable government housing. People relocate to Glasvyr Station to get away from the Senaat’s heavy hand, especially once Lina bought the station, turning it into a haven for those seeking freedom.

Now, the Republic is turning up the heat. First, Glasvyr Station gets a visit from a BS vice-president. She is on an inspection tour, seeking excuses to revoke Lina’s ownership. Next, they are assigned a political commissar, something the station never had before. Finally, the Blackfall Brigade is sent to Glasvyr Station. Officially the reason is to protect Glasvyr Station from pirates, but the Blackfall Brigade does the Republic’s dirty work.

All Zeke Udinesi wanted was a quiet career at a job he was good at, a space station chief. Preferably on a space station with a good pub, and real (not vat-grown) meat and vegetables. Now the Senaat is threatening that dream.

He has to decide whether to knuckle under to their demands or stand up to them. Once he decides, he discovers unexpected allies, both within the Republic and in the Edge. The result is a fast-paced story, one crackling with energy and filled with unexpected turns.

The style will remind readers of H. Beam Piper’s stories in his Terro-Human Future History and Piper’s competent man. Jones shares many themes used by Piper, pitting free-market capitalists against statist bureaucrats. Jones’s Republic of United Planets shows what the European Union would do if it ran an interstellar empire. “Station on the Edge” is both entertaining and thought-provoking.

“Station on the Edge: Rebellion's Edge Book 1,” by Becky Jones, Independently published, October 2026, 230 pages, $23.99 (Paperback), $4.99 (E-book)

This review was written by Mark Lardas, who writes at Ricochet as Seawriter. Mark Lardas, an engineer, freelance writer, historian, and model-maker, lives in League City, TX. His website is marklardas.com.