Soul of the Reaper: A military Scifi Epic (The Last Reaper Book 11)

by J. N. Chaney

  “Tell that to all the dead Reapers,” Jacob said. “You’re the last, except for the clones, and they don’t count.”

  Bug flew in silence. Everyone watched the damaged city below on the main view screen. A battle between the JFT and Scheid’s Obsidian Legion raged kilometers behind us. I wasn’t sure who was winning.

  All I knew was that I would have problems with whoever won.

  “We’re taking you back to your family, Jacob,” I said.

  He nodded. “Okay, Hal.”

  I was turning my attention to Roadkill when the boy spoke again.

  “I’m going to make myself strong and learn to fight. Someday you’ll need me, need all of us, and I’ll be ready,” he said. “We’ll all be ready.”

  I fist bumped him. “Looking forward to it. Just don’t turn into a half-assed sniper-punk like Bug over there.”

  “I heard that,” Bug said.

  “Where do you want to go, Roadkill?” I asked.

  She looked embarrassed. “I was hoping to go with Jake. Maybe his family wouldn’t take me, but there should be other people there, right? I can work, and track, and fight if I have to.”

  “We won’t turn you away, Road. My family is boring and stupid and might be rude when they see you, but I’ll talk to them and they’ll listen, because no matter what they say, they listen to me.” Jacob’s gaze dared anyone to disagree. “Because I’m smarter than the grown-ups, and you can say whatever you want, but it’s true. Most of the time.”

  “All of that in one breath,” I said. “Good job, kid.”

  He blushed.

  “Roadkill goes with you unless she gets a bad reception, then we’ll move to plan B,” I said.

  Roadkill crossed her arms. “What’s plan B?”

  “Still working on it. I bet the JFT will need recruits soon,” I said.

  “That is an interesting idea, Reaper Cain.” X-37 made several clicking noises that indicated he was processing data, probably attempting to predict the outcome of a Maglan alliance with the JFT, and by extension, the Oroth Council.

  “Not funny,” Roadkill said. “I’m not worried, not actually. This isn’t the first time I’ve started over even though I’m just a kid.”

  “Bug, take us to the old city,” I said.

  He arced the Jellybird toward the center of Marsi.

  I bid Jacob and Roadkill goodbye, then smoked a cigar as Jacob’s family gathered around them, welcoming Roadkill with the same enthusiasm as their prodigal child.

  “I think they will be okay,” X-37 said. “With us gone, neither the Obsidians nor the JFT should have much interest in these people.”

  “Not right away, but sooner or later they will put them to work or wipe them out,” I said.

  “Unless we do something about it,” X-37 said.

  “Like what, rendezvous with Elise, defeat the Oroth Council, then kick Scheid’s ass back to Union space?” I asked.

  “That is the essence of my plan,” X-37 said. “Of course, I only make suggestions. An LAI showing true decision making ability would be required to self terminate.”

  “It needs work,” I said. “Bug, what do you think about X’s scheme?”

  “Sounds perfect, until we try to execute, then everything will go wrong,” he said.

  Tom waved me off. “No decisions for me. I just fix stuff.”

  Path pretended to meditate.

  “At least we took care of them,” I said, pointing with the cigar. My right arm felt strong as hell, like all the power of two arms was now in one. That was bullshit, of course, but I wasn’t going to argue with my own psyche. The X-37 vambrace was on my right arm now, which felt weird, but I’d get used to it. Because I had to.

  “We should head for your estate while we can, maybe find weapons and tools to make up for the loss of your arm. I could build a light mech—not as good as the Archangel armor, but better than nothing,” Tom said.

  “I have several sets of Archangel armor stashed in a vault,” I said, smiling at the thought of facing Scheid’s goons in the badass gear. “I’ll just mount a chain gun on the left side.”

  Bug shook his head. “No you don’t, Hal. That’s what I have been trying to tell you since we met. Everything you had was destroyed or stolen.”

  I blew a smoke ring. “Well, we’re still going there.”

  “It is as good a place as any for you to begin your recovery,” X-37 said.

  “Look at the bright side,” I said. “Next time we meet one of my old friends, they won’t know I’m not the cyborg Cain unless they stare into my non-cybernetic eye. Maybe I ought to lose that too, just to cut down on all the proving myself bullshit.”

  Path drew a knife and stepped forward.

  “Joking!” I said.

  He smiled.

  “You made a sword saint smile,” Tom said, grinning from ear to ear.

  “We’re gonna have some fun,” I said. “And make a lot of people like Scheid cry.”

  CAIN will return in BLOOD OF THE REAPER, available to preorder now on Amazon.

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  Renegade Star Universe

  Click the titles below to find them online

  The Renegade Star Series

  They say the Earth is just a myth. Something to tell your children when you put them to sleep, the lost homeworld of humanity. Everyone knows it isn't real, though. It can't be.

  But when Captain Jace Hughes encounters a nun with a mysterious piece of cargo and a bold secret, he soon discovers that everything he thought he knew about Earth is wrong. So very, very wrong.

  Climb aboard The Renegade Star and assemble a crew, follow the clues, uncover the truth, and most importantly, try to stay alive.

  The Last Reaper Series

  When a high value scientist is taken hostage inside the galaxy's most dangerous prison, Halek Cain is the only man for the job.

  The last remaining survivor of the Reaper program, Hal is an unstoppable force of fuel and madness. A veteran amputee-turned-cyborg, he has a history of violence and a talent for killing that is unmatched by any soldier.

  With the promise of freedom as his only incentive, he’ll stop at nothing to earn back his life from the people who made him, imprisoned him, and were too afraid to let him die.

  The Orion Colony Series

  Humanity’s Exodus is about to begin.

  When half of mankind revolts and demands more opportunity, those at the top decide on a compromise: they will build the first colony ships and allow those who are willing to discover new worlds to leave and start over.

  Twelve ships are built, the first of which is called Orion. Many are eager to go, but only one hundred thousand are chosen for each vessel. Far from Earth, a new life awaits, and it promises the prosperity they’ve always wanted.

  But still, resistance stirs, eager to sa
botage this new expansion effort, threatening the promise of a new life. As Orion moves through the void of space, towards a distant world, its passengers must fight for survival in an unprecedented conflict.

  Win or lose, their future will be forever changed.

  The Fifth Column Series

  After a soldier is left for dead, Eva Delgado's life begins to unravel.

  The truth of what happened remains a mystery, and the government will stop at nothing to keep it buried.

  Together with the unit's medic, Eva finds herself branded a terrorist and enemy of the State, hunted by two opposing governments.

  When the pair uncover a plot that could have ramifications for the whole galaxy, they know they have to act, but it will take all of their training, cunning and just a bit of luck to do what no one else has achieved.

  But what do you do when every secret begets another? And how far will you go to find the truth?

  Nameless (Abigail’s Story)

  Abigail and Clementine were just a couple of orphans looking for a home.

  But when the two girls witness something terrible, they have no choice but to leave their orphanage and go into hiding. The only person willing to take them in is a man named Mulberry, but his home isn't the safest place for two innocent children.

  Abigail and Clementine quickly discover that their new caretaker is the head of a guild of assassins, and the two are thrown into a whole new world of danger. To survive, they'll need to adapt, focus, and learn how to survive in a world of killers.

  The Constable (Alphonse’s Story)

  My name is Alphonse Malloy, and I see everything.

  From a simple glance, I know your hobbies, what you ate for breakfast, how well you slept, and whether or not your wife is secretly seeing the high school biology teacher when you're not around.

  I can't explain how or why I get these feelings, only that I know they're true.

  All the little secrets you're too afraid to tell.

  Sometimes, that means helping people. Other times, it means staring down the barrel of a loaded gun.

  I wish I could tell you I was using this ability for good.

  I wish I could tell you a lot of things.

  The Constable Returns

  Alphonse Malloy may just be the smartest man alive.

  A year has passed since Alphonse joined the Constables, but his work is only just beginning. In order to graduate and achieve full Constable status, Alphonse will need to complete one final mission.

  When new information about an old enemy arises, Al and his mentor Dorian must head deep into the Deadlands in search of answers.

  But in a galaxy of secrets, the truth is often more elusive than it seems.

  As the search continues, Alphonse's talents will be pushed to their absolute limit, and he'll need everything he's learned to make it out of this one alive.

  Warrior Queen (Lucia’s Story)

  On a lost world, far removed from Earth, a group of humans struggle to survive.

  Two thousand years after their ancestors lost control of a hidden genetics research facility, the descendants of mankind have been reduced to a tribe of two hundred survivors. They fight, kill, and die in an endless cycle, all in the hope that things will get better.

  Lucia is one of these colonists and the daughter of the tribe's leader, the Director. Together with several other candidates, she must soon undergo a trial to decide her father's replacement. The winner will shape the future of the entire colony.

  But the trial is dangerous, meant to test each candidate's wits and strengths to see who is truly worthy. To claim victory, Lucia will need to venture out into the tunnels near the city to search for lost artifacts known as Cores--small but powerful devices capable of harnessing endless energy.

  But there are monsters here, waiting in the dark, and they are always hungry. Beware the Boneclaw, Lucia's father use to tell her, for it lives only to kill and to feed.

  Lucia must do whatever it takes, learn as much as she can, and fight with every ounce of strength if she hopes to make it through the day.

  Forget winning the trial. The real challenge is staying alive.

  Resonant Son Series

  30 floors of nightmare fueled action. An ex-cop with nothing left to lose.

  After losing his job and family, Flint Reed finds himself in the middle of a terrorist attack. With nothing but his wits and experience as a former Union police officer, he must do everything he can to stay alive.

  As he soon discovers, however, there are also hostages, and no one is coming to save them.

  All hope falls to Flint.

  But as he fights to navigate the building, the real answers begin to unravel. What are the terrorists really after, and why are they so intent on getting into the vault?

  Experience the beginning of the Resonant Son series. If you're a fan of Die Hard, Renegade Star, or the Last Reaper, you'll love this epic scifi thrill ride.

  Galactic Law Series

  Lethal force is authorized.

  In the wild space of the Deadlands, Taurus Station is where miners and tourists come to play, and the ravager gangs follow close behind. Out here, far from the civilized world, the Law has a name.

  Gage Walker is the son of hard-nosed asteroid miners. Brash, rough, and crude, he's one of the few deputies working the station.

  Still a rookie, Walker is tasked with the security of a mining magnate's daughter, an easy job that quickly takes a turn for the worst.

  The ravager gangs want her, and it falls to Walker to find out why.

  In a chase across Taurus Station, Deputy Walker must prove he's fit to wear the badge and issue his own form of justice...one body at a time.

  Deadland Drifter Series

  When a dental appointment goes sideways, former Union Operative Jack Burner wakes to find himself drugged, and imprisoned.

  And he's given a choice: assassinate an Admiral... or allow himself to be killed.

  With no other option, Jack reluctantly accepts the mission, only to find himself being trailed by a mysterious blonde woman... and she may or may not want him dead.

  As if dealing with a terrorist group wasn't enough.

  With the fate of the Admiral and thousands of lives on hanging in the balance, Jack stands in the middle of an event that could ignite a war on the edge of the Deadlands and Union Space.

  Despite his exceptional abilities, training, and tenancy, even Jack has little to no chance of preventing this particular powder keg from exploding.

  He's going to need a miracle.

  The Renegade Series

  Jace Hughes is a Renegade.

  That means taking jobs and not asking questions, whether that involves smuggling, transporting runnaways, or performing other, far less wholesome work. Whatever the situation, Jace is willing to do what it takes to achieve his dream and live the life he’s always wanted.

  That is, until he comes face to face with an item of unprecedented value—something that could give him everything he needs to pay off his debt and be free.

  The only problem is that selling it would also shift the balance of power between the two largest empires in the galaxy.

  And spark another intergalactic war.

  Unfortunately for Jace, he won’t have long to decide. Renegades, assassins, and government cronies are after the item, too, and unlike Jace, they won’t hesitate to kill.

  About The Authors

  J. N. Chaney is a USA Today Bestselling author and has a Master's of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. He fancies himself quite the Super Mario Bros. fan. When he isn’t writing or gaming, you can find him online at jnchaney.com.

  He migrates often, but was last seen in Las Vegas, NV. Any sightings should be reported, as they are rare.

  Scott Moon has been writing fantasy, science fiction, and urban fantasy since he was a kid. When not reading, writing, or spending time with his awesome family, he enjoys playing the guitar or learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He loves dogs and plans to have
a ranch full of them when he makes it big. One will be a Rottweiler named Frodo. He is also a co-host of the popular Keystroke Medium show. You can find him online at scottmoonwriter.com