by Alan Black
“Galactic Marshal!” Stone was stunned. Reinstatement would have left him as an ensign.
Stone asked, “Admiral, how does a Galactic Marshal stand in military ranking?”
The admiral laughed, “They don’t. They are at the top of the food chain, my boy. No staff officers above them. You report directly to the emperor through his chief of staff. By rights, they actually outrank me. They have a full Q-Force at their disposal to carry out assignments as given by the emperor. I believe this force is already designated as Force Three, although I don’t know whether that is someone’s idea of a joke or if there are two, five, or eighteen other such forces. How big or small that force would be is up to the Galactic Marshal. I frankly don’t have a clue.”
“Admiral, may I select my own staff for this Q-Force?”
Temple guffawed, “Vedrian and Hammermill have already been assigned to Force Three, as have your drascos. I believe as a GM you have the authority to induct those amazing beings into the Galactic Marshals, Q-Force, as well as those wonderful piglets. Welcome to the real war, Marshal Stone.”
Chapter Fifty-Four
Stone held the bag high above his head. Thick, murky water swirled around his bare waist and mud pulled at his bare feet. Biting, stinging bugs of every description buzzed near his head. A pair of close-set eyes peeked at him from the swamp water. The early morning heat was pushing the humidity to a throat closing level, making breathing difficult.
He pulled a rock from a bag hung over his shoulder. With a free hand, he lobbed it at the eyes. They ducked into the water with a swirling eddy. Sighing in relief, he continued to slog along the barely marked path between low hanging vines and drooping moss dripping from every possible tree limb.
The creature staring at him from the swamp fell into the twenty percent category of harmless swamp denizens on this mistake of a planet. Creatures in the other eighty percent that lived in the water were equally divided between those stupid enough to attack the rock itself and those mean enough to attack the rock thrower.
Walking through this swamp was not a safe proposition, but Stone had no choice. He was hungry and the only way to get breakfast in this cursed place was to go collect it. No one would bring it to him. He was five feet from the edge of a staircase leading up out of the water when he spotted a telltale V in the water. Coiling his legs under him, he jumped the remaining distance, slamming both feet on the high platform over the swamp.
Refusing to drop the bag containing his precious breakfast, he drew a pistol from a shoulder holster. Holding his fire, he watched the V. It shrank as the creature rushing at him underwater, sank lower, giving up the chase. The four-meter swamp snake surfaced for a second, essing casually away through the water.
Stone dropped the gun back into the shoulder holster. Standing under a spigot, he pulled a brass ring. A torrent of water gushed over his head, washing mud, muck, and bits of swamp debris off his body and down through a grate in the platform floor.
Stepping through the electric wall surrounding the tiny building, he felt the usual tingle as the weak force field held back the planet’s creatures, both tiny and huge. A blast of fresh, dehumidified air greeted him with a pleasant caress across his bare chest as a huff of warm breeze dried his skin.
The two-room bungalow was perfectly appointed, wanting nothing except size. The furniture was functional and more comfortable than furniture had a right to be and the artwork was of the eye catching, mouth agape variety. Setting the breakfast bag on the small two-seat table in the alcove overlooking the swamp, he spotted the lengthy swamp snake in a battle to the death against some kind of thick-skinned lizard.
He watched for a moment while he laid out breakfast on the table. The fight of swamp creatures was too familiar to hold his attention for long. Stripping off his still damp trousers, he retrieved a plush robe from a gold hook on the wall, throwing the pants into a clothes refresher.
“Breakfast, my love,” he said in a soft voice.
“Good. I’m famished.” His angel walked softly into the room on bare feet.
Stone shook his head, “Captain Allison Stone, someday, I’m going to have to figure out how you convinced me to honeymoon on Galadies Five.”
She smiled, dropped her robe, slid her hands under his robe, and grinned, “Just like this, Galactic Marshal Stone.”
The end
Dedication:
I dedicate this to my brother Gordon and his wonderful wife Amy. This novel isn’t exactly their cup of tea, but they have always supported me writing career and I appreciate that more than they know.
Acknowledgement:
As always, thanks beta reader team for your quality reads and feedback. Steven, Bennett, Melanie & Melissa, you make my books much better than they would be, if left to my own imagination.
I also want to thank my editor. She has exceeded all expectations.
Also, I would like to acknowledge the strange, weird and often helpful readers who have taken the time to contact me on the Amazon discussion page “Random Ideas”: Marybeth, Chief, Larry, Mitchell, and Silvaine. You guys rock!
About the author
www.alanblackauthor.com
Alan Black has been writing novels since 1996 when he started Eye on the Prize. He is an Amazon #1 bestselling science fiction author for Metal Boxes, Larry Goes To Space, and Metal Boxes Rusty Hinges. His novel Metal Boxes - Trapped Outside was awarded “Book of the Conference” at the Cirque du Livre Writer’s conference in Mesa, Arizona in 2016 where the judges specifically noted the novel did not read like a sequel even though it was the second book in a series. He’s a multi-genre writer who has never met a good story he didn't want to tell.
Alan spent much of his adult life in the Kansas City area. The exception came at the orders from the U.S. Air Force when he was stationed in Texas, California, Maryland, and Japan. He and his wife were married in the late 70s and lived in Independence, Missouri, but now live in sunny Arizona.
Alan Black's vision statement: "I want my readers amazed they missed sleep because they could not put down one of my books. I want my readers amazed I made them laugh on one page and cry on the next. I want to give my readers a pleasurable respite from the cares of the world for a few hours. I want to offer stories I would want to read."
Books by Alan Black
Science Fiction
Metal Boxes (book one)
Metal Boxes - Trapped Outside (book two)
Metal Boxes - Rusty Hinges (book three)
Metal Boxes - At the Edge (book four)
Chewing Rocks
Empty Space
Larry Goes To Space
Steel Walls and Dirt Drops
Titanium Texicans
Fantasy
Quest for the White Wind
Christian Historical Fiction
(An Ozark Mountain Series 1920 Trilogy)
The Friendship Stones
The Granite Heart
The Heaviest Rock
(An Ozark Mountain Series 1925 Trilogy)
The Inconvenient Pebble
The Jasper’s Courage
The King’s Rock
General Fiction
Chasing Harpo
Western
A Cold Winter
Non-Fiction
How To Start, Write, and Finish Your First Novel
Praise for Alan Black’s books
Metal Boxes
WOW!
What a great rip-roaring adventure, I loved it from page one to the end. A grand space opera with a very likeable main character of Midshipman Stone.
I am reminded of Heinlein's writing with the humor, drama and palpable love the characters show for each other, I felt like I was reading a Lazarus Long story. Which is very high praise! This is the first novel I've read by author Alan Black, but it won't be my last. I don't give very many five-star ratings but this one is well deserved, I'm sure it will come to be considered a classic of the sci-fi genre, it's that good.
Amazon review by last
spartan on April 28, 2015
Metal Boxes - Trapped Outside
Page Turner...who needs sleep?
Shades of Heinlein and Ringo. I am hooked and can only pray that Alan Black continues to bless us with his yarns. So fresh in theme and direction reading his stories reminds me of so many firsts as a teenager. I've read each of his Boxes stories twice to glean any facet I may have missed the first time. Sad to have come to an end...now I wait for sequels.
Amazon review by Reg Tysonon on September 12, 2015
Metal Boxes - Rusty Hinges
Very good sequel in the Metal Boxes series
Funny, thought provoking and action packed. Stone seems to grow up and take responsibility for his life instead of letting life be responsible for him. His relationship with Allie progress well and hopefully will become more permanent. I found it quite humorous when the author references the prior books and how he has one of the characters ask Stone to autograph his copy. There continues to be a mention of the 'Emperor's College' which make me wonder is Stone is a candidate. The ending of the book seems to move the Dracos out of further equals but i don't know for sure.
Loved it, want more.
Amazon review by James R. Norton Sr on April 30, 2016
Chewing Rocks
Chastity Snowden Whyte only has a small chip on her shoulder. No problem. She’s an asteroid miner and works alone. But author Alan Black knows that comfortable characters don’t make for good reading. From page one, he piles problem after problem on Sno, keeping the reader turning pages to find out what happens next. Chewing Rocks is engaging science fiction and a fun read.
Goodreads review by Paul Bussard on July 06, 2014
Empty Space
Funny, disturbing, and poignant.
Funny, disturbing, and poignant...not how I would usually describe a SF space novel. This book, while well written SF has a lot to say about social class, society, humanity, and the human condition. Our protagonist is almost an anti-hero as he's someone you root for throughout the novel, even though he's a serial killer at heart.
This is a great book, and I didn't want to put it down but it has thought provoking components throughout the novel and intertwined with action, adventure, and technology.
Amazon review by Fred on March 20, 2015
Larry Goes To Space
Easy read with some surprising depth
This is a fun book full of wry humor. It's an easy read with what seems to be a fairly straight-forward plot. But, there is an underlying genius in the narrative. I think a lot of different types of readers can get something out of this. Definitely recommended.
Amazon review by Greg Trickey on January 23, 2016
Steel Walls and Dirt Drops
Military sci-fi ground pounder action in space–so cool!
A long time reader of military science fiction, I found this book to stand with the best like David Drake’s Hammer’s Slammers and Redline and anything by Dietmar Wehr. I hate spoilers in reviews so am in a turmoil because I very much want to shout out the so cool surprise ending – but I won’t.
I thoroughly enjoyed how the author builds the story putting the hero in situation after situation that challenges her abilities causing her to grow and develop. Even more, she is a commander we can all like. She is smart, savvy, honest with herself, deals well with her people, has self-doubt where it makes sense to, and not automatically so beautiful she would be completely unbelievable. I even like her better than David Webber's Honor Harrington because she feels more real.
The author does not take the easy, predictable route to the good guys always doing the exact right thing. There are plenty of good guys doing the wrong things–sometimes for the right reasons, but still wrong. There are other good guys mostly doing the right things, but then have lapses of judgment. Sound like what a real commander might face in a tight situation? It all rang true to me. So not only are there good human insights (in outer space–people are still people after all) there is also a lot of quick well-paced exciting action with a great military elite.
The science is believable and just the right amount to support the deep space situation and keep the story moving without being overwhelming. There a few twists I absolutely didn’t see coming–I love that in a book.
Amazon Review by Sandy on September 28, 2014
Titanium Texicans
Alan Black's work will suck you in!
I am not good at reviews, but this is the third work of Mr. Black's that I have read in three weeks because his writing captures my imagination. I like good space operas because they last longer, but Black's stand alone works are great because they leave me satisfied at the end and not disappointed that there isn't more to come.
Titanium Texicans is a page turner full of authentic dialogue with concepts greater than the satisfying amount of sci-fi technology woven into a well-written coming of age story. Take the time to read it, I certainly wasn't sorry that I did.
Goodreads review by Michael A. Cox on June 13, 2015
Quest for the White Wind
A fantastic journey
Wow! Just wow! What a tale. Black jumps right into this story, pulling readers along for the ride of a lifetime. The concepts and beings that Black creates are both wildly creative and exquisitely well developed. His fantastic descriptions draw your imagination deep into the fast paced plot twists that kept me on my toes.
The cast of characters in this novel is priceless. There wasn`t a single one that didn`t have me giggling at one point or another. They were all so well developed and the personalities so varied that I found I liked them all for such different reasons. I would be hard pressed to pick a favourite as this band of travellers all drew me in and told their own stories. It was a fantastic feeling.
This may have been my first novel by this spectacular author but it definitely will not be my last. His creative and innovative storyline had me captivated while the seamless world that he created took me out of this world for a little while.
Amazon review by Jonel on August 30, 2016
The Friendship Stones
Alan Black hits a home run with his book, The Friendship Stones. Its poignant story set in the Ozark Mountains in the early 20th century, brings to mind the life and stories my father lived while growing up in the southern North Carolina mountains. It is a life that today most of us do not know as we are accustomed to many luxuries and technology. Mr. Black brings an appreciation of what it means to cherish every little thing in life while appreciating the beauty of the world about us. It is set in a time of simplicity and hard work, and its main character, LillieBeth, accepts this with humility and determination to follow the lessons she has learned in life, both at church and from her family. Even in this simpler time, the world is flawed and the antagonists come in different characters. The suspense and tension they bring keeps the reader on edge and turning pages.
I highly recommend this excellent book and suggest all readers should continue reading the books of The Ozark Mountain Series.
Goodreads review by Nancy Livingstone on Jan 26, 2015
The Granite Heart
Heartwarming Historical Fiction
Alan Black takes us back to the 1920’s, to the Ozark Mountains, and back into the world of twelve year old LillieBeth Hazkit, who tries to live by the teachings of God, but finds life can sometimes be confusing, brutal and too unforgiving to always accept that God has a plan for all contingencies. Her strange hermit-like friend has been killed, her teacher has lost her job through no fault of her own and the impoverished mountain town becomes a colder and less friendly place for someone with a heart as big as LillieBeth’s. The archaic and small-minded double standards set her teeth on edge and she is determined to stand strong and be heard, no matter what. The men who murdered her friend and raped her teacher have been captured, but enroute to the county seat they escape and kill one man while injuring her father. To LillieBeth, justice must be done, plain and simple and she and her former teacher, Susanne Harbowe set ou
t on an impossible mission to hunt down and capture these monsters.
Told from Susanne’s point of view, LillieBeth’s story takes on a new depth as she makes her mark on the hearts and minds of those who know her. Alan Black has created a warm and inviting tale that places the reader back in time, to a place so remote, it’s almost as if the rest of the world does not exist. Simple joys, complicated pain and a loss of childhood innocence shake LillieBeth’s world and harden her heart, while forcing her into the world of adults.
Alan Black creates a world filled with history, rich in detail and well-developed characters that worm their way into your heart and mind. That I could feel LillieBeth’s feelings and see what she saw is the mark of an amazing author who deserves to be read.
Amazon review by Dii (TOP 500 REVIEWER) on August 22, 2014
The Heaviest Rock
Strength of character and a easy manner to it that catches you and keeps you ...
This series is one of the most enjoyable ones I have read. It has heart, action, humor, strength of character and a easy manner to it that catches you and keeps you right there through till the end. Can't wait for the next one 'wiggles on' for those of you who don't know what this means I guess you will just have to get the book and find out for yourself, big hint it is so worth it !!!
Amazon review by Tammie on March 2, 2015
The Inconvenient Pebble
Always great
The author has developed a great character who we as readers want to follow. I'm not into the religious part but it really makes the main character who she is and what she does. I hope the author has a lot more of this story for us to read.