The Daedalus Job (Outlaws of Aquilia Book 1)
Page 28
In the meantime, we had work to do….
40
BARYCENTER
In the DSA lifeboat…
I straightened slowly, my back killing me from contorting myself half-through the lifeboat’s deck to access the drive systems. I glanced at the two blobs of hull sealant closing up the holes the Daedalus’s beams had cut into us, trying not to think of the storm that raged just a few centimeters beyond.
The lifeboat could only withstand so much abuse, the sealant even less. If we didn’t get clear of the maelstrom soon, we wouldn’t ever make it out.
A vibration shook the lifeboat, and I felt the craft come about.
I met her gaze, my eyes dead serious.
I moved toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
She turned again, her eyes meeting mine.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
Her mouth hung open even further.
Penny’s statements sounded more incredulous with each one she uttered.
Wordlessly, she turned to the console and plotted a course. The lifeboat turned and began to ride the tendrils of cloud down into the center of the interstellar storm, to the center of the L.
I had no idea what sort of reception I’d receive there—well, I had some idea, but I hoped dire circumstances would mitigate those. The Dakota had been what I’d come to find, all those years ago when I’d braved the long journey through the nebula to reach the L. An unimaginable treasure, a relic of ancient times.
But it was not my prize to have, and I’d been stuck in the L ever since. Initially, I’d been focused on getting out again, but now I wasn’t so sure I wanted to leave. Despite its issues, the nebula was safe, and the very needs that had driven me to seek out the Dakota were no longer a factor.
Not only that, but there was my crew…and Kallie.
I did my best not to worry about them, telling myself the Kerrigan had survived; that they were fine.
Penny and I traveled in silence for the better part of a day, eventually killing the lifeboat’s meager thrusters when we were down to five percent fuel.
When we were three lightseconds from the center of the maelstrom—which was still only lightly occluded with the nebula’s clouds—I sent a message identifying myself and our situation.
Then we waited.
It was almost ten minutes before a response came back.
Jax has been separated from his crew, but he hasn’t given up hope that he can find and save them. But before he can do so, he’ll need to deal with the people who want him dead.
And there are a lot of them.
Check out book 2 of the Outlaws of the Aquilian Nebula, Maelstrom Reach to see where the Jax’s adventures in the L take us all.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Thank you for reading The Daedalus Job, book one in Outlaws of Aquilia.
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Other Books By M. D. Cooper
Outlaws of Aquilia
THE DAEDALUS JOB
MAELSTROM REACH
MARAUDER’S COMPASS
The Sentience Wars: Origins (Age of the Sentience Wars – w/James S. Aaron)
- Books 1-3 Omnibus: Lyssa’s Rise
- Books 4-5 Omnibus (incl. Vesta Burning): Lyssa’s Fire
- Book 0 Prequel: The Proteus Bridge (Full length novel)
- Book 1: Lyssa’s Dream
- Book 2: Lyssa’s Run
- Book 3: Lyssa’s Flight
- Book 4: Lyssa’s Call
- Book 5: Lyssa’s Flame
The Sentience Wars: Solar War 1 (Age of the Sentience Wars – w/James S. Aaron)
- Book 0 Prequel: Vesta Burning (Full length novel)
- Book 1: Eve of Destruction
- Book 2: The Spreading Fire
- Book 3: A Fire Upon the Worlds (2020)
Enfield Genesis (Age of the Sentience Wars – w/Lisa Richman)
- Book 1: Alpha Centauri
- Book 2: Proxima Centauri
- Book 3: Tau Ceti
- Book 4: Epsilon Eridani
- Book 5: Sirius
Origins of Destiny (The Age of Terra)
- Prequel: Storming the Norse Wind
- Prequel: Angel’s Rise: The Huntress (available on Patreon)
- Book 1: Tanis Richards: Shore Leave
- Book 2: Tanis Richards: Masquerade
- Book 3: Tanis Richards: Blackest Night
- Book 4: Tanis Richards: Kill Shot
The Intrepid Saga (The Age of Terra)
- Book 1: Outsystem
- Book 2: A Path in the Darkness
- Book 3: Building Victoria
- The Intrepid Saga Omnibus – Also contains Destiny Lost, book 1 of the Orion War series
- Destiny Rising – Special Author’s Extended Edition comprised of both Outsystem and A Path in the Darkness with over 100 pages of new content.
The Sol Dissolution (The Age of Terra)
- Book 1: Venusian Uprising
- Book 2: Assault on Sedna (2020)
- Book 3: Hyperion War (2020)
- Book 4: Fall of Terra (2020)
The Warlord (Before the Age of the Orion War)
- Books 1-3 Omnibus: The Warlord of Midditerra
- Book 1: The Woman Without a World
- Book 2: The Woman Who Seized an Empire
; - Book 3: The Woman Who Lost Everything
Legacy of the Lost (The FTL Wars Era w/Chris J. Pike)
- Book 1: Fire in the Night Sky
The Orion War
- Books 1-3 Omnibus (includes Ignite the Stars anthology)
- Book 0 Prequel: To Fly Sabrina
- Book 1: Destiny Lost
- Book 2: New Canaan
- Book 3: Orion Rising
- Book 4: The Scipio Alliance
- Book 5: Attack on Thebes
- Book 6: War on a Thousand Fronts
- Book 7: Precipice of Darkness
- Book 8: Airtha Ascendancy
- Book 9: The Orion Front
- Book 10: Starfire
- Book 11: Race Across Spacetime
- Book 12: Return to Sol (2020)
Non-Aeon 14 Anthologies containing Tanis stories
- Bob’s Bar Volume 1
Building New Canaan (Age of the Orion War – w/J.J. Green)
- Book 1: Carthage
- Book 2: Tyre
- Book 3: Troy
- Book 4: Athens
Tales of the Orion War
- Book 1: Set the Galaxy on Fire
- Book 2: Ignite the Stars
Multi-Author Collections
- Volume 1: Repercussions
Perilous Alliance (Age of the Orion War – w/Chris J. Pike)
- Book 1-3 Omnibus: Crisis in Silstrand
- Book 0 Prequel: Escape Velocity
- Book 1: Close Proximity
- Book 2: Strike Vector
- Book 3: Collision Course
- Book 3.5: Decisive Action
- Book 4: Impact Imminent
- Book 5: Critical Inertia
- Book 6: Impulse Shock
- Book 7: Terminal Velocity
The Delta Team (Age of the Orion War)
- Book 1: The Eden Job
- Book 2: The Disknee World
- Book 3: Rogue Planets (2020)
Serenity (Age of the Orion War – w/A. K. DuBoff)
- Book 1: Return to the Ordus
- Book 2: War of the Rosette (2020)
Rika’s Marauders (Age of the Orion War)
- Book 1-3 Omnibus: Rika Activated
- Book 1-7 Full series omnibus: Rika’s Marauders
- Prequel: Rika Mechanized
- Book 1: Rika Outcast
- Book 2: Rika Redeemed
- Book 3: Rika Triumphant
- Book 4: Rika Commander
- Book 5: Rika Infiltrator
- Book 6: Rika Unleashed
- Book 7: Rika Conqueror
Non-Aeon 14 Anthologies containing Rika stories
- Bob’s Bar Volume 2
The Genevian Queen (Age of the Orion War)
- Book 1: Rika Rising
- Book 2: Rika Coronated
- Book 3: Rika Destroyer (2020)
Perseus Gate (Age of the Orion War)
Season 1: Orion Space
- Episode 1: The Gate at the Grey Wolf Star
- Episode 2: The World at the Edge of Space
- Episode 3: The Dance on the Moons of Serenity
- Episode 4: The Last Bastion of Star City
- Episode 5: The Toll Road Between the Stars
- Episode 6: The Final Stroll on Perseus’s Arm
- Eps 1-3 Omnibus: The Trail Through the Stars
- Eps 4-6 Omnibus: The Path Amongst the Clouds
Season 2: Inner Stars
- Episode 1: A Meeting of Bodies and Minds
- Episode 2: A Deception and a Promise Kept
- Episode 3: A Surreptitious Rescue of Friends and Foes
- Episode 3.5: Anomaly on Cerka (w/Andrew Dobell)
- Episode 4: A Victory and a Crushing Defeat
- Episode 5: A Trial and the Tribulations (2020)
- Episode 6: A Deal and a True Story Told (2020)
- Episode 7: A New Empire and An Old Ally (2020)
- Eps 1-3 Omnibus: A Siege and a Salvation from Enemies
Hand’s Assassin (Age of the Orion War – w/T.G. Ayer)
- Book 1: Death Dealer
- Book 2: Death Mark (2020)
Machete System Bounty Hunter (Age of the Orion War – w/Zen DiPietro)
- Book 1: Hired Gun
- Book 2: Gunning for Trouble
- Book 3: With Guns Blazing
Fennington Station Murder Mysteries (Age of the Orion War)
- Book 1: Whole Latte Death (w/Chris J. Pike)
- Book 2: Cocoa Crush (w/Chris J. Pike)
The Empire (Age of the Orion War)
- Book 1: The Empress and the Ambassador
- Book 2: Consort of the Scorpion Empress (2020)
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About the Author
Malorie Cooper likes to think of herself as a dreamer and a wanderer, yet her feet are firmly grounded in reality.
A ‘maker’ from an early age, Malorie loves to craft things, from furniture, to cosplay costumes, to a well-spun tale, she can’t help but to create new things every day.
A rare extrovert writer, she loves to hang out with readers and people in general. If you meet her at a convention, she just might be rocking a catsuit, cosplaying one of her own characters, or maybe her latest favorite from Overwatch!
She shares her home with a brilliant young girl, her wonderful wife (who also writes), a cat that chirps at birds, a never-ending list of things she would like to build, and ideas…
Find out what she’s working on at www.aeon14.com.
Follow her on Instagram at www.instagram.com/m.d.cooper.
Hang out with the fans on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/aeon14fans.