by Scott Moon
The White Skull mercs stared at him.
The leader spoke, “There is no honor in killing miners who can’t fight back.”
“We can fight back!” Dickles said.
“Give us one ship full of exotics and we will leave peacefully. And White Skull. He must come with us.”
Thad shook his head. “No deal. One empty ship and a head start before I send the Marines at the spaceport after you.”
The White Skull squad leader stared at him, hands gripping his long-blaster and stance ready for a fight.
Thad lifted the ship headset to his ears and adjusted the boom mic. “Sledge, please destroy one of the landed freighters. I need to establish my bargaining position.”
“Roger that,” Sledge answered. His ship changed course and fired on one of the White Skull freighters. The explosion caused everyone on both sides of the landing field to crouch and hold up their hands against the shockwave.
“SagCon won’t thank you for that,” the squad leader said. “We will be back for White Skull. It would have been better for you to hand him over. It might have saved lives in the future.”
“It is what it is. The clock’s ticking. I haven’t had dinner. Don’t make me hangry,” Thad said.
He watched them load into one of the White Skull freighters and lift off.
“Those dudes are pros,” Sledge said.
“Agreed,” Thaddeus answered. “I need to get Stacy Rings—aka White Skull—into the custody of the Darklanding Marines as soon as possible.”
“Good luck. They’re understaffed and under-motivated last time I checked on them,” Sledge said. “Now if you don’t mind, I need to deal with Ruby.”
“I can hear you,” she said. “I’m going back to the Mother Lode. I won’t run as long as you promise not to take me in right now.”
“So I can take you to your grandfather after you’ve had time to relax?” Sledge asked.
“We’ll see.”
Sledge laughed. “I’ve heard that before. You’re going to be the death of me, girl.”
“That’s the idea,” she said.
Thad watched the White Skull mercs fly away and considered asking Sledge to shoot down the unarmed ship.
Exhausted, he listened to P.C. Dickles complain and tried to care. “I don’t know when the trains will be back in business.”
“But it will be soon, won’t it?” P.C. asked.
“Talk to the Company Man.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN: Reconstruction
Shaunte Plastes worked late into the night, squinting at screen after screen of angry numbers and dire financial predictions. The relief effort to Transport Canyon was going to be massive. There were far more people living in the badlands than her predecessor had led her to believe. The last Company Man had written them off as crazy survivalists and actively punished them whenever they tried to initiate trade with Darklanding.
She read the reports and shook her head. The townsfolk in the canyon didn’t have access to exotic ore. What they brought to market were mundane goods she saw as more valuable than her predecessor had. Why not establish a local economy?
She looked up at the sound of a knock on her door. Not expecting anyone, she assumed it must be the sheriff. “Don’t you normally just barge in?”
He opened the door, taking his hat off as he stepped through and closed it. When he turned around, she couldn’t believe how tired he looked. Dark circles ringed his haunted eyes. She knew without asking that he hadn’t slept since returning from rounding up the last of the outlaws.
“I’ve put Amanda Preston in charge of the Transport Canyon reconstruction,” Shaunte said.
Thaddeus Fry sat down in a chair and slouched. He nodded but said nothing.
“You’re sitting in my office? Now I know something’s wrong,” she said.
He didn’t take the bait.
She turned off her computer screen and pushed it to one side, then interlocked her fingers as she leaned her elbows on the desk. “I’m not a therapist or a mind-reader. You look like you need sleep and some time off. As soon as your deputy returns, you should take some time to recover.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about David Rings?”
“He was the sheriff before you. Someone blew up his office. I thought you knew that,” she said.
He worked on the crease of his hat, examining his work as though it were important. “It might’ve been useful to know he had a brother who hated him and was a former commando. I’m glad he didn’t come in to Darklanding to continue his vendetta.”
Shaunte leaned back in her chair. “His vendetta wasn’t with you.”
“Men like that have a vendetta with everyone. Sledge is having him shipped off to an ultramax facility.”
“Is that who he came to Darklanding to find? He spent a lot of time in the Mother Lode if he was looking for an outlaw living in the badlands,” Shaunte said.
“He wasn’t looking for Stacy Rings or any of the other mercs. He will be staying in Darklanding for a while, I think,” Thaddeus said.
Shaunte sensed there was more to the story but didn’t want to start asking questions when she didn’t know what they were talking about, and she didn’t have the time to listen to a long story, either.
The oversized special investigator from SagCon seemed to make friends easily in Darklanding. She didn’t understand it, because his type normally brought more trouble to the spaceport than anything. She certainly didn’t have any use for special investigators or other SagCon personnel.
“When do you think Mast Jotham will be back to duty?” she asked.
Thaddeus shrugged. “Currently he’s on some sort of spirit quest that can last a long time. I’ve been told these things can be fatal.”
“Do you have a replacement in mind?”
Thaddeus shook his head.
She waited for a while, but he just sat there brooding. Annoyed, she reactivated her computer and pulled it to her. Charts and graphs and digital messages spread across her screen as she reviewed progress reports on the reconstruction.
“You should have Amanda work with P.C. Dickles. He knows how to move ore out of the ground, it only makes sense that he could pick it up and transport just as easily. He may not like it, but I bet he’s a good person for the job,” Thaddeus said.
Shaunte’s eyes lit up. “That’s a great idea. I will look into it.”
He didn’t leave.
She stopped typing. “Was there anything else?”
“What do you know about Ruby Miranda’s family?”
The End of Episode 3.
Episode 4 is available for pre-order on Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/craigmartelle
Stay tuned, there’s more to come.
Thank you for reading this story. If you liked it, please leave a review.
Social Media for Scott Moon
Amazon – www.amazon.com/Scott-Moon/e/B0082VIWL8
Facebook – www.facebook.com/scottmoonwriter
My web page – www.scottmoonwriter.com/
Scott’s Email – [email protected]
Social Media for Craig Martelle
Amazon – www.amazon.com/author/craigmartelle
Facebook – www.facebook.com/authorcraigmartelle
My web page – www.craigmartelle.com
Craig’s Email – mailto:[email protected]?subject=Darklanding
Other Books by Scott Moon
Darklanding with Craig Martelle
Episode 1: Assignment Darklanding
Episode 2: Ike Shot the Sheriff
Episode 3: Outlaws
Episode 4: Death of an Unglok
Episode 5: TBD
Episode 6: TBD
Episode 7: TBD
Episode 8: TBD
Episode 9: TBD
Episode 10: TBD
Episode 11 TBD
Episode 12: TBD
The Chronicles of Kin Roland
Book 1 – Enemy of Man (also available on audiobook)
Book 2 – Son of Orlan (also available on audiobook)
Book 3 – Weapons of Earth (also available on audiobook)
SMC Marauders
Book 1 – Bayonet Dawn
Book 2 – Burning Sun
Grendel Uprising
Episode 1: Proof of Death
Episode 2: Blood Royal
Episode 3: Heavy Weapons
Son of a Dragonslayer
Book 1 – Dragon Badge (also available on audiobook)
Book 2 – Dragon Attack (also available on audiobook)
Book 3 – Dragon Land
Other Books by Craig Martelle
The Terry Henry Walton Chronicles, a Kurtherian Gambit Series, co-written with Michael Anderle
World’s Worst Day Ever (a short prequel of sorts)
Book 1 – Nomad Found (also available on audiobook)
Book 2 – Nomad Redeemed (also available on audiobook)
Book 3 - Nomad Unleashed (also available on audiobook)
Book 4 - Nomad Supreme (also available on audiobook)
Book 5 – Nomad’s Fury (also available on audiobook)
Book 6 – Nomad’s Justice (also available on audiobook)
Book 7 – Nomad Avenged (also available on audiobook)
Book 8 – Nomad Mortis (also available on audiobook)
Book 9 – Nomad’s Force (also available on audiobook)
Book 10 – Nomad’s Galaxy (also available on audiobook)
Free Trader Series
Book 1 – The Free Trader of Warren Deep
Book 2 – The Free Trader of Planet Vii
Book 3 – Adventures on RV Traveler
Book 4 – Battle for the Amazon
Book 5 – Free the North!
Book 6 – Free Trader on the High Seas
Book 7 – Southern Discontent (2017)
Book 8 – The Great ‘Cat Rebellion (2017)
Book 9 – Return to the Traveler (2017)
Outpost of the Ancients – a Free Trader short story published in the Apocalyptic Space Collection, Volume 1
Cygnus Space Opera – set in the Free Trader Universe
Book 1 – Cygnus Rising
Book 2 – Cygnus Expanding
Book 3 – Cygnus Arrives
Cygnus Omnibus – Books 1 to 3 under one cover and also as an audiobook
Darklanding with Scott Moon
See above
End Times Alaska Series, a Winlock Press publication
Book 1: Endure (also available on audiobook)
Book 2: Run (also available on audiobook)
Book 3: Return (also available on audiobook)
Book 4: Fury (coming soon on audiobook)
Rick Banik Thrillers
People Raged and the Sky Was on Fire (also available on audiobook)
The Heart Raged (2017)
Paranoid in Paradise – a short story within the Close to Bones Anthology
Short Stories (and where you can find them)
Just One More Fight (published as a novella standalone)
Wisdom’s Journey (published as a novella standalone)
Fear Peace (published as a short story standalone)
The Trenches of Centauri Prime (in Galactic Frontiers, edited by Charles Ekeke)
The Outcast (Through the Never Anthology, nominated for consideration for a Nebula Award)
Defense of the Deep Space Denali (in The Expanding Universe Vol 2)
A Language Barrier (in The Expanding Universe Vol 3)
The Misadventures of Jacob Wild McKilljoy (with Michael-Scott Earle) (Always FREE)
Box Sets & Anthologies
Trader, Cygnus, & People Raged – Martelle Starter Library
Close to the Bones, a Thriller Anthology (edited by Martha Carr)
The Expanding Universe, Volume 1 (edited by Craig Martelle)
The Expanding Universe, Volume 2 (edited by Craig Martelle)
The Expanding Universe, Volume 3 (edited by Craig Martelle) (Dec 2017)
Earth Prime Anthology, Volume 1 (Stephen Lee & James M. Ward)
Apocalyptic Space Short Story Collection (Stephen Lee & James M. Ward)
Lunar Resorts Anthology, Volume 2 (Stephen Lee & James M. Ward)
Metamorphosis Alpha – Chronicles from the Warden Vol 1 (with James M. Ward, edited by Craig Martelle)
Metamorphosis Alpha – Chronicles from the Warden Vol 2 (with James M. Ward, edited by Craig Martelle) (Dec 2017)
Author Notes: Scott Moon
I love a good story well told. Growing up in Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado means every family trip is a long one. When I wasn’t fighting with my sister in the family car, I listened to mom and dad tell stories…or listen to Jimmy Buffett cassette tapes. When I was twelve, my mother suggested we write a book together for kids my age. That was thirty-six years ago. I’ve been writing ever since. As a lifelong creative, I play guitar, sketch, and do anything that seems like it could be an adventure—from martial arts to skydiving (when time and money allows!)
Darklanding is based on a concept by Diane Velasquez, Dorene Johnson, and Kat Lind who also provide developmental editing for the series.
When Craig brought me onto the project, he described it as Firefly meets Bonanza. As a fan of both shows, I knew this was a story I'd been longing to write. I grew up on Bonanza and Firefly has it's following for a good reason. He went on to explain that some of his other trusted collaborators who developed the idea—Diane, Dorene, and Kat, were excited about the idea as well.
So we moved forward.
Craig wrote the first episode, Assignment Darklanding, and asked me if I could write in this story-verse. I read Assignment Darklanding several times and listened to it on my phone app while driving several more. In short, I love the story, and we started working together in earnest.
Darklanding is about a cast of main characters that includes Sheriff Thaddeus Fry, Shaunte Plastes, Dixie, Pierre, P. C. Dickles and more. Each and every one of them has a unique story to tell on this frontier world. As the drama unfolded, there were new arrivals, including a mysterious runaway named Ruby Miranda and a brute of a SagCon special investigator named Michael “Sledge” Hammer. I've never been the type of writer to “caste” characters by comparing them to famous movie personalities. That being said, Sledge may look a little bit like “Hoss” (Dan Blocker) from Bonanza.
Character driven fiction has always been my favorite. Plot is merely the things they do to get the things they want but can’t have. As things got more complicated, I developed some of "beats" or "micro themes" that I use to keep track of the character’s shenanigans: Sheriff Thaddeus Fry / Who killed the previous Sheriff? / rich runaway and why she's dangerous / flipping tires / exotic A19 / Shaunte’s Triumph / outlaws / Mast Jotham and his Spirit quest / Justice / hard work / culture shock.
Do the trials and tribulations of the Ungloks resemble that of Native Americans and other populations that have suffered during empire building regimes? Perhaps. Science fiction has always been a way to talk about our worlds and our condition. Are we trying to make a statement? I don’t think so. The characters must speak from themselves. And yet…we can all relate, right?
I hope you enjoy Darklanding. Please share your thoughts with Craig and I as we continue this epic adventure on the edge of the nowhere.
Author Notes: Craig Martelle
Written on 11/12/17
I’m in my hotel room in Adelaide, South Australia. We arrived about eight hours ago, got our rental car, did the death defying drive on the other side of the road, and then turned over the care to the valet because I had no energy to try and find a parking spot. My wife is still asleep, god bless her. She travels a fair bit for her job as a university professor and when we go on vacation, we stay at Hiltons, too, so she has the coveted Diamond status. There are some incredible perks, besides the being away from home and spending a lot of money with Hilton parts. At least we have free breakfast for the next week.
I have a booming headache. Come on Alleve! It tak
es thirty hours to get from Fairbanks, Alaska to Adelaide. Thirty. Long. Hours. But my son is getting married and his better half is from here, so of course, the wedding is here. It’s going to be a grand affair. The new couple (they’ve been together for five years) have done some meticulous planning. And the weather is even cooperating. We left on December 21st, the shortest day of the year in sub-arctic – less than four hours of daylight, arriving on nearly the longest day of the year down under. We went from 20F to 90F.
And I keep turning on the wipers instead of the turn signal. I was in no shape to drive yesterday, but there was very little traffic. Don’t like the way I drive? Stay off the sidewalk!
I love the direction Darklanding is going. I’d like to say that Scott and I had a detailed outline for all twelve episodes, but then I’d be lying. We had a number of ideas and put those into a spreadsheet. We put the characters in there, too, because when all is said and done, the characters and the individual stories matter the most. We want you to see them develop as much as we wanted to bring them to life. Each story is self-contained. That was our goal because we want episodes, where you can feel the issue of the day was resolved. But you want to see what mischief this crazy cast will get into next.
Episodes. Stories. And consistent delivery. Every 18 days. We are seeing that our message has resonated as the 18-day theme is popping up in the reviews, on Facebook comments, and elsewhere. We only have to deliver, but that’s easy. These stories are a lot of fun to write.
I will be the primary author on Episodes 1, 6, and 9. Scott will be the primary on the others. We don’t want either of us to burn out, and we both want to play with the characters. Episode 6 will take place completely off planet. It’s one of those episodes that you could put anywhere. It’s called SAGCON, so you have an idea what you’re going to learn about.
It was my pleasure to meet Scott Moon at the Smarter Artists Summit. When you meet someone in person and just like them? The sky is the limit. Richard Fox was leading the way in the meet and greet category. That was way cool. Richard is a lot of fun, too, but he already has a full plate with authoring and co-authoring. I approached Scott about the world of Darklanding and he loved the premise. Since Scott works as a lawman in his day job, it was a perfect fit. I can relate to the retired military moving into a new line of work, but only Scott could bring that give that new line depth.