Ghost Squadron Boxed Set (Books 1-4): Age of Expansion - A Kurtherian Gambit Series (Ghost Squadron Boxed Sets)

by Sarah Noffke

  Okay, back to that autumn morning when I decided I hated free time and wanted to take on another series. I had this harebrained idea that since I was in between projects that I should take on Ghost Squadron. Did it make sense at the time? No. Did it intimidate the hell out of me? Yes. Did my instinct say, “DO THIS”? Yes. And so, I did.

  Has it been a challenge to write military space opera? Well, some of you might have read my other works, so you know this isn’t my usual genre. I hope that’s not a surprise. When MA asked me if I could do it I said, “You just replace the wand with a gun, right?” You’re wondering if I’m kidding again… I’m not. I’m writing the Soul Stone Mage Series in the Oriceran universe for LMBPN. I also have five other NA and YA fantasy series. So I get asking the question about my comfortability writing space opera. When asked the question I answered with, “I’ve watched every episode of Red Dwarf.” I told you it had to be British and/or old for me to watch it. And as hard as it is to believe I’ve watched Red Dwarf as a child and consequentially never watched a Disney movie until I was an adult. My point isn’t that I was strangely sheltered. It’s that I knew I could do anything I decided to. So I said yes to Michael. And I was incredibly relieved when Craig read my first space opera and said, “I think you’ve been writing space opera all along and never realized it.”

  Author Notes - Michael Anderle

  Written November 13, 2017

  First, let me say THANK YOU for not only reading all the way to the end of the story, but reading these author notes as well!

  For you romantics, I hope you caught the hints in the author notes.

  It’s 3:32 AM and I’m now back at home in Las Vegas after a conference on Sunday in Austin, Texas. We went to go eat at Chin-Chin in the NY NY Hotel and found out Chin-Chin closed at 12:00 at night.

  That was a complete bummer.

  I had some rather so-so pizza at the pizza place, and my wife and I listened to music coming out of the piano bar place. Afterwards, we might have stopped to play a couple of machines before heading back to the car to come back home.

  I get ready to take a shower (get rid of that smoke) and think to myself “is anything coming out tomorrow?”

  I check on SLACK and Steve lets me know this book is to be released in the morning and he needs my author notes.

  At the aforementioned 3:32AM in the morning.

  Screw my life.

  I could have written them earlier, but I had been working all day speaking with a small handful of people in Austin and didn’t check Slack, so didn’t know about the notes needing to be done in about one hour from now.

 

  I remember our first conversations about this series, working on the characters, and setting up how the members of the military must feel at this point in the Federation negotiations.

  It feels VERY nice to be releasing this book, so many months after those first conversations.

  ANOTHER BABY IS BORN!

  On my side, I’m just now writing the book that will be feeding into this series (Capture Death). A bit out of order – but I hope it will all make sense when I finish book 20 and 21 in the very near future.

  In six months, none of these missed books will mean anything as we seal up the holes in the timelines and answer the questions that you, the readers, have been asking.

  In a few hours, I will change the pricing on TKG 01 / 02 and Leira Chronicles 01 and 02 back to their regular pricing and our first weekend collector’s sale will be over. It has been a successful and appreciated effort and we (the authors) appreciate you supporting us as we work to bring you stories that will entertain you for years to come.

  I’m sorry these author notes are so short – but my head is dropping down to my chest and Stephen Campbell needs me to finish these up and get them to him.

  For those who are wondering, I have the beats for Capture Death completed, and the first 1,000 words written (and the last 1,000 for that matter) in the book.

  I’m super happy to have Sarah Noffke working with us in the this Universe. It will be interesting to see what happens going forward when she replaces wands with laser pistols ;-)

  Ad Aeternitatem,

  Michael

  PROLOGUE

  General Lance Reynolds’ Office, Onyx Station, Paladin System.

  “Chief? You there?” asked General Reynolds.

  “I’m here. Comms out here aren’t secure, but I don’t have to tell you that,” said Chief Jack Renfro.

  “I’ll keep it brief,” said General Reynolds. He chewed on the end of his stogie, a slight smile on his face. He’d taken to Jack early on. There were very few you could trust when everyone was out to serve themselves or have the Federation serve them. However, Jack Renfro didn’t do something to get something. He’d passed up many promotions because they didn’t make sense for his real ambition. This was a man who wanted to serve in the right position, not the one that got him a better title and more money. At the core, he had always been a servant to the cause.

  “I’ve got a job for you,” said Lance.

  “When and where do I need to be?” asked Jack.

  “You haven’t even heard the details yet.” Lance laughed.

  “When did that ever matter between the two of us? If you need my help, then I’m there.”

  “I wouldn’t normally ask, but I have a squadron that needs some oversight. I was taking care of it, but I’ve been pulled away for more…pressing matters. I’m sure you know why and by whom,” said Lance.

  “I believe I do,” responded Jack.

  Lance rose and began pacing his office. “Anyway, I wouldn’t trust anyone but you to handle this group. They have an incredibly important mission, and I’ve handpicked them myself. I’m sending over the details of the team right now, along with their previous mission assignments. You’ll find that they’ve been quite busy.”

  “The report is just coming through. Give me a sec,” said Jack, a shuffling sounding over the comms. “Holy shit, General. You can’t be serious?”

  Lance chuckled. “I’m completely serious. See, I thought you’d have fun with this.”

  “Those two working together?” he asked. “I’m impressed, boss.”

  “I’m glad you think so.”

  “And you’ve given them the ArchAngel?” asked Jack.

  “They have an important mission,” said Lance.

  “Damn, and you even brought back Hatcherick, I see. Damn impressive, sir. Haven’t seen a team like this since…well, you know. It’s been a long time.”

  “Just wait and see who else I have lined up for this crew,” said Lance.

  “Don’t leave me hanging, boss. Send over the report.”

  “Does that mean you’ll oversee them?” asked Lance.

  “I already told you I was committed, and that was before you gave me the details,” said Jack.

  “I knew I could count on you, Chief,” said Lance. “Sending you the rest of the report now. Good luck, Jack.”

  “Thank you, sir,” said Chief Jack Renfro. “It’s always an honor to serve.”

  CHAPTER ONE

  Harbor District. Trinidad City, Axiom 03, Axiom System.

  The warehouse was filled with dust and age, the scent of industry still lingering in the air. That was the case with many of the old buildings in this city, ever since the Alegro Corporation packed up its bags and left the system for better financial opportunities. Less money meant less security, which meant more opportunity for criminals.

  Captain Edward Teach stood quietly in the middle of the warehouse, waiting for the Trids to unload the merchandise.

  “Here you are,” said the Trid named Doka. He set a crate down in front of Eddie and stepped back.

  Eddie looked to his left at Lars Malseen, a massive Kezzin in full body armor. “Check it.”

  Lars nodded, bending down to the crate and popping the lock. He opened it, revealing a set of rifles, and took one out to examine it. “Looks good.”

  “What about the g
renades?” asked Eddie, glancing back at Doka.

  “All here, all here,” Doka assured him. He waved at his associates, who brought three smaller boxes.

  Lars checked those, too, and gave Eddie the all-clear.

  “Good,” said Eddie. “Mind if I ask where you got these?”

  “What do you care?” asked the Trid.

  “I just like to know where my guns come from.”

  “From me. That’s all you need to know.”

  “Is it?” asked Eddie. “Because you’re the middle man, last I checked.”

  Doka tapped the small device on his hip, a piece of tech that kept his body hydrated. Trids evolved on an ocean planet and required a very specific chemical to prevent them from drying out. If they went too long without it, they’d die. The device was essential for this reason, as it monitored their vitals and injected the chemical when levels were low. “You insult me,” Doka finally said. “That isn’t wise.”

  Eddie chuckled. “Maybe you’re right. Sorry, I was just messing around.”

  “Are you satisfied with these weapons?” asked Doka, who was ready to end this meeting and move on.

  “Just about,” said Eddie, looking around. “My associate should be here soon to help me square this.”

  “Your associate?” asked Doka. “You never mentioned—”

  “I know, I know. I thought she’d be here by now. I don’t know what’s taking her so long.”

  “Maybe she was held up,” suggested Lars.

  Eddie nodded. “Could be. I guess I could call.”

  Doka looked at both of them. “What are you talking about? Which one of you has the money?”

  Eddie ignored him. “You know, she always does this. I bet she and Hatch are at a bar right now. Probably forgot all about this job.”

  “I don’t think she’d do that,” said Lars. “But Hatch might.”

  “Hey!” barked Doka. “Are you even listening to me?”

  Eddie felt his stomach growl. “Speaking of bars, remind me after we’re done here to stop and get some grub. I’m fucking starving.”

  “Me too. I could use a good slab of meat,” said Lars, almost drooling at the thought.

  Doka snarled, taking a step closer to Eddie. “If you don’t tell me right this second what exactly is going on, I’m going to kill both of you and strap your guts to the side of my fucking ship! Are you listening to—”

  The door in the back of the warehouse flung open, and an athletic-looking dark haired woman walked in carrying what could only be described as a big fucking gun. She hoisted it up, cocking the rifle, which must have been half her size, with little effort. “Afternoon, boys. What did I miss?”

  Doka and his men reached for their weapons. “What’s the meaning of this?”

  “That’s Julianna,” explained Eddie. “She can be a little dramatic.” He swept beneath his coat and, in a single motion, brought a pistol out and aimed it squarely at Doka’s forehead. “She’s also my backup.”

  Doka froze where he stood. “B-Backup?”

  “That’s right,” Julianna said, twisting where she stood and firing the rifle at the alien to Doka’s left. The bullet hit his hand, cutting two of his fingers off and sending the pistol to the floor. The alien screamed in pain.

  Lars ran at him, slamming his chest into the alien’s, knocking him to the floor.

  The thug to Doka’s right took this distraction as an opportunity, attempting to shoot Julianna. But Eddie was already prepared. He shot the alien in the leg, downing him, and quickly went for his wrist, grabbing him and twisting, forcing him to let go of the weapon. Eddie pressed his pistol to the thug’s forehead. “Easy,” he told him. “Don’t want to lose your head.”

  Doka started to back away but froze when he saw Julianna’s barrel in his face. She was aiming her massive gun at the arms dealer. “I wouldn’t test me, if I were you.”

  He raised his hands. “O-Okay! I’m sorry!”

  Eddie smirked. “Now, that went better than expected.” He glanced at the other alien on the floor, who’d just lost two fingers. “Well, maybe not for everyone.”

  Evidence Locker, QBS ArchAngel, Axiom System.

  Eddie and Lars were back aboard the ArchAngel, stowing the weapons cache they’d collected from the warehouse.

  There were at least two hundred small and medium arms, not to mention enough grenades to blow up a small city.

  Eddie shoved one of the crates with his foot, pushing it into its designated spot. These still weren’t Federation grade weapons. Soon they’d have to steal some advanced guns off of a dumb pirate. It would be a win-win situation. Shiny new weapons taken from evil aliens. “You think any of these guys got into the whole gun trade thing because they just liked guns?”

  “I’ve never found much success in trying to understand the criminal mind,” admitted Lars.

  Eddie entered a security code on the crate’s lid, locking it down. Then he secured it with a large harness in order to ensure it wouldn’t budge later on. “I think most of them are in it for the money, but I bet there’s like one or two guys who just enjoy a good gun, you know? Just a couple of halfwits who like to blow shit up.”

  “You’re talking about yourself, aren’t you?”

  Eddie grinned. “Tell me you don’t like it.”

  “Violence has never been something I take pleasure in,” Lars countered. “Though, I will say, there is a certain satisfaction in delivering justice.”

  “Like today?”

  “Especially so,” agreed Lars. “We confiscated enough weapons to wage a small war, arrested a dozen criminals, and—”

  “And found our target,” finished Eddie. He glanced towards the door. “Which, if I’m not mistaken, Julianna is interrogating as we speak.”

  Interrogation Room, QBS ArchAngel, Axiom System.

  Julianna slammed Doka against the wall, holding him by his collar. “You’d better tell me what I want to know, bitch-ass, before I get medieval on you!”

  “Please don’t kill me!” screamed Doka in sheer horror.

  Julianna snarled, pressing him further against the wall. “Tell me who your supplier is!”

  “I don’t know!” insisted Doka. “They have the weapons shipped to us anonymously! We just put the money into an account. I don’t know their names!”

  She let go, suddenly, and he fell to the floor. “What account?”

  He cringed, ducking under his hands. “I-It’s a foreign bank. The Trids run it. They have a strict privacy policy, so all the big organizations use them. But I—”

  “Give me the account number,” ordered Julianna.

  He gulped. “I don’t know it off the top of my—”

  She squatted down and looked him directly in the eyes. “You’re going to tell me the number you use,” she told him, suddenly calm. “If you don’t, I’m going to cut off your leg—” She touched his ankle. “—and I’m going to beat you to death with it.”

  “Y-You wouldn’t really do that…would you?”

  “Do you want to find out, Doka?”

  He hesitated, then shook his head.

  “Good, because I would,” she said, matter-of-factly. “And trust me when I tell you, you’d be getting off easy.”

  “Although I believe you’ll keep your word, I can’t help you because I don’t have the account number memorized.”

  “Tell me something else then. Tell me where we can find Vas.”

  Doka blinked up at her, a calm expression on his face. “I can’t tell you that either.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Julianna slammed the door to the interrogation room upon exiting. She had to get out of there before she did something she’d regret to the dumb Trid. He wasn’t talking, almost like he wanted her to re-arrange his shark face. Ever since seeing those imprisoned by the Brotherhood, she had a new passion to stop them. Julianna had seen it all, but that didn’t mean seeing children starved or families separated and imprisoned was something that didn’t faze her. She was human aft
er all.

  Well, kind of.

  Julianna pulled back her fist and launched it at the wall. The force of her punch should have hurt. Would have made a normal person flinch with pain. Julianna only considered doing it again to further relieve the frustration.

  “Some things never change,” said a voice at her back.

  Julianna straightened, tightening her jaw. She turned around, knowing full well who was speaking. “What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Julianna, running her eyes over Jack Renfro.

  The spymaster for the Federation hadn’t changed a bit. Still the same muscular physique and discriminating expression covering his face.

  He smirked. “It means, you’ve still got the same fire I remember.”

  Julianna allowed herself to grin, her shoulders relaxing. “Some things never die, about like you.”

  Jack chuckled, a warmth spreading over his features. How long had it been since she’d set eyes on him? A long while, no doubt. “The same could be said about you.”

  “What brings you aboard the ArchAngel?” Julianna asked. One reason she hadn’t seen Jack for quite some time was that he had been sent on a series of classified missions. This was a guy who fixed things. Made shit happen. Everyone respected Jack, and those who didn’t never stuck around for long.

  “I’ve taken on a new assignment,” he responded.

  “Oh? General Reynolds hasn’t disclosed anything to us,” said Julianna, referring to her and Eddie. The ArchAngel was under their command and, therefore, anything happening on it should be of knowledge to them.

  He nodded. “That’s why I’m here. I’m taking over for the general.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Bridge, QBS ArchAngel, Axiom System.

  Eddie was in his quarters when the A.I. pinged to inform him that Julianna had requested his presence. He hoped she’d beaten some useful information out of Doka. So far, they’d had zero leads on where to find Vas since he’d escaped during their battle on the Northern Continent. Usually, a report would have come in through General Reynolds by now, but he’d been unusually quiet since their return.