Hand of Steel

by Jessi L Roberts

  However, the planet is rich in metal deposits, much more so than Saddat or Chibbink, making it a top exporter of metal. Unfortunately, the Company has taken control of the metals, leaving a huge gap in wealth between the nobility and everyone else. Their years are 368 days long.

  Korska: A distant planet past the Known Region. The hisrut Humans live there, as well as other species who are not well-known. The planet has one dark and one light side, making the majority of it uninhabitable. Warlords fight for control of the dusk and dawn regions that are habitable. The planet has no laws, other than the whim of whatever warlord is in control, making it a favorite hiding place for outlaws.

  Saddat: The Company, which was the first group to develop economic space travel, originated on Saddat. The planet is mainly fertile plains with some deserts and seas. Skallan are the native species. The years are 359 days long and are the regional standard. Saddat has the most advanced buildings and cities.

  Tupra: With years that are 533 days long, Tupra is known for its lethal winters. The planet is extremely mountainous and the land is shrouded in clouds that hide the asteroid-filled sky. Many forests are made of land coral that is perfect for the arboreal Varsillian to inhabit. The mountains are riddled with tunnels, some natural and others dug by Elbas. It has a high concentration of fuel and metals, which would make it a prize for the Company, but the planet’s winter and the Elbas are too much for the Company’s combination of Chix cavalry and Skallan mercenaries

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Jessi lives and works on her family’s cattle ranch in eastern Montana. She has some cows, a golden retriever, and a few horses.

  Her head is full of wild sci-fi story ideas involving apocalypses, werewolves, and aliens.

  Find more, including an illustrated species glossary, on jessilroberts.wordpress.com

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  There are so many people who helped critique and edit this book that I know I’ve lost track, and if I wrote it down, I’d miss someone or at the very least, misspell someone’s name. So a big thank you to all those who helped make this book better, and thank you for your encouragement.

  A special thanks to Bryan Davis, who got me to go to my first writers conference and set off my journey to publication.