In Conquest Born

In Conquest Born^[1] is a 1986 science fiction novel by American author C. S. Friedman, which was nominated for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer^[2] in 1988. The novel blends elements of space opera, anthropological science fiction, and military science fiction. The story takes place in the distant future where two societies of humans, the Azeans and Braxins, vie for control of their proximate interstellar territory, each using its distinctive talents and abilities.

First edition (publ. DAW Books)
Cover art by Michael Whelan

Characters

• Zatar – a Braxin general who is a Kaim'era
• Anzha lyu Mitethe – an Azean general with powerful psychic abilities
• Vinir – a Kaim'era and the father of Zatar
• Yiril – a Kaim'era and part of the trio alliances, with Vinir and Sechaveh and then with Zatar and Sechaveh.
• Darmel lyu Tukone – the father of Anzha lyu Metethe

Groups

• Braxins – a human, space-faring society that is stratified, patriarchal, sexually dimorphous, racially disparate, and polygamous. They rule over a region of space called the Holding.
• Azeans – a human, space-faring society that created and now preserves racial uniformity (golden skin and white hair), male and female equality (both in body size and societal power), and monogamous pair-bonding—all through genetic manipulation. They rule over a region of space called the Star Empire, which borders the Holding.
• Braxaná – once an isolated, spartan, warrior tribe of pale-skinned, dark-haired Braxins, they have become the highest caste in Braxin society.
• Kaim'era – a member of the ruling oligarchy of Braxin society. A Kaim'era has the right to kill a commoner at any time for any reason and is not required to state the reason.