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Command Decision (Vatta's War book 4) by Elizabeth Moon
01/12/2007 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
pub: Del Rey/Ballantine Books. 384 page hardback. Price: $24.95 (US), $30.00 (CAN). ISBN: 978-0-345-49159-6 pub: Orbit. 453 page paperback. Price: £ 6.99 (UK). ISBN: 978-1-84149-379-4. Buy Command Decision in the USA - or Buy Command Decision in the UK  check out websites: www.delreybooks.com, www.orbitbooks.co.uk and www.sff.net/people/Elizabeth.Moon
Things are really hotting up for Captain Kylara Vatta although much of the story isn't from her perspective but following that of Rafe Dunbarger. He returns to Nexus II in disguise to see what has happened to his parents and family only to discover they'd been kidnapped. Through old school contacts he arranges for their rescue and finds his father's company had been infiltrated from the inside and becomes the acting CEO.
Ky Vatta, meanwhile, has also discovered not all worlds have become nice to travellers when after supplies and the galaxy ansible communication devices are down. Even so, she picks up more allies and assists a mercenary group which gets them in her debt.
Her Aunt Grace back on Slotter Key is now in charge of the world's defence and has got their ansible working again and in contact with Stella at Cascadia and learns of the portable ansibles.
Elizabeth Moon pulls all these threads together into a cohesive whole which drastically moves the story along, With the lack of communication across the star systems for so long, to suddenly have a couple lines open is probably equivalent of having your telephone not working for a while and coming back. You can tell a palatable difference with the characters. Mind you, with everyone working independently of each other there's now different camps, even within the families, as to are they doing the right thing or doing too much on their own.
The book series 'Vatta's War' is certainly getting more interesting, not least of all because what Moon invests into her characters. The various worlds encountered have inhabitants that are more one-note in their motives and activities. I haven't really made my mind up if that was Moon's intention or just not to get too distracted from the main characters. Although a lot of hints are given about what is going on that led into these stories we still haven't seen much of the opposition. If anything, its seeing some of the pawns removed from the board who've actually fulfilled their task. Although this isn't great Science Fiction in the true sense of the word it uses the devices to make an interesting adventure.
GF Willmetts
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