And my parents, who have supported me for so long and gave me the strength to follow my dreams.
To my friends—thank you all.
I hope everyone has had as much fun reading these books as I’ve had writing them.
I sign off, now, as any true Star Wars fan would:
May the Force be with you, always.
GLOSSARY
PEOPLE
Cade Sura—He’s the Paragon … but not really. While he does wield the Rokura—a mythical, all-powerful weapon—his self-doubt and lack of confidence prevent him from truly mastering the weapon. Still, he fights alongside his friends to free the galaxy from the evil Praxis kingdom.
Ebik—Ga Halle’s top commander and Kira’s father. He’s a vicious strategist who craves power—first, he connived his way into the Baron’s Quorum, then he betrayed them in his quest to rise in Praxis’s ranks. Nothing will stand in his way, not even his own daughter.
4-Qel—Hailing from Eris, 4-Qel is a drone built specifically to protect the royal family. But every line of Qel is decommissioned (i.e., murdered) upon the creation of the subsequent model. Since the Qels are up to model 6-Qel, 4-Qel should have been disposed of, but somehow, he escaped.
Ga Halle—The self-appointed queen of the Praxis kingdom. With the Barons out of her way—removed by Ga Halle herself—she rules her kingdom and the galaxy with an iron fist. But no power is enough for her, not until she claims what she thinks is rightfully hers: the Rokura.
Gunk—One of Kay’s commanders, a Poqlin who arrived in Praxis as a refugee. Like all Poqlins, Gunk has a rock-hard exterior and a very, very dry sense of humor.
Kira Sen—The leader of the Black Star Renegades. Kira is a fearless pilot and loyal friend; she plays by her own rules and demands a lot from the people she leads, but no more than she gives. Kira’s a fearless, audacious fighter in the battle for galactic freedom.
Kobe—Percival’s lead soldier, once a prized candidate to remove the Rokura from its stasis. A survivor of a great tragedy—he lost his entire family to Praxis’s planet-killing War Hammer—Kobe is a skilled warrior and master of hand-to-hand combat.
Lux Ersia—The teenage queen of Monaskis. Despite her age, she’s not to be trifled with; she’s smart, sharp, and handy with a blaster.
Mig—Cade and Tristan’s best friend; an engineering genius, con artist, and scoundrel, Mig travels the galaxy running various schemes, gambling, and causing mischief wherever he and his pal 4-Qel go.
Percival—Before there was Tristan, there was Percival. Percival removed the Rokura long before Tristan ever had his hands on it. Terrified by the weapon’s power, he returned the weapon and went into hiding, determined never to have anything to do with the Rokura again. He has since joined forces with Cade and Kira.
Ortzo—Ga Halle’s lead Fatebreaker—highly trained warriors who serve Ga Halle’s every command, whether it be political assassination, squashing a resistance, or other similar deeds.
Tristan Sura—Cade’s older brother and the one who pulled the Rokura from its stasis. He was murdered by a hidden assassin immediately after claiming his birthright.
Warden Kay—Ebik’s former right-hand man. He betrayed Kira and her family when she was young, though he claims now to be leading the uprising on Praxis.
Wu-Xia—Fabled warrior who forged the Rokura and used it to bring peace to the galaxy.
PLACES
Kyysring—Known for its criminal delights, Kyysring is the place people go to get what they can’t have and do what they’re not supposed to. Though most of it is covered by an uninhabitable desert, its small city and spaceport pack in enough character to rival the most bustling core worlds. It’s also where Cade, Tristan, and Mig grew up.
Monaskis—Wu-Xia’s birthplace. The planet, though, was supposedly decimated; it exists only in legend, known as the Ruined Empire of Monaskis.
Olanus—One of Praxis’s six moons and home to the Crucible, a prison compound housing the galaxy’s worst criminals that also serves as Ebik’s fortress.
Praxis—An urban planet just beyond the Inner Cluster, Praxis has grown to annex other worlds, spreading its flag across the stars as it looks to rule the entire galaxy.
Quarry—A forlorn planet that once cultivated a rare spice that was traded throughout the entire galaxy. But that was before Praxis unleashed its star-killing wrath on Quarry, blanketing it in eternal darkness and ensuring no one would be able to remove the legendary Rokura from its stasis.
Raja Prime—The home base of the Black Star Renegades. It is an agricultural moon in the Vossalos system chosen by Percival for its secluded location and mountainous topography, giving them plenty of aerial coverage in the planet’s valleys.
Ticus—A mountainous, idyllic world isolated outside the Inner Cluster. For centuries, it served as a destination for religious pilgrimages. After the death of Wu-Xia, it evolved into the Well, a place for spiritual warriors to train as they defended peace and justice throughout the galaxy.
COOL STUFF
The Chamber of Memories—A mysterious, mystical cavern deep in the heart of Monaskis.
Fatebreakers—Agents of Ga Halle, these highly trained, brutal warriors do her dirty work.
Nucletoid bomb—Though small in size, nucletoid bombs contain a concentrated amount of nucleoi, enough to decimate large areas of land with a single charge.
Outpost pistol—Poorly made and, thus, inexpensive blasters that are common to street gangs and other low-level criminals. They’re known for backfire malfunctions more than anything else.
Paragon—According to legend, the Paragon is the one person who can release the Rokura from its stasis and bring peace to the galaxy.
Power pike—A mysterious weapon wielded by the Darklanders. Unlike similar electricity-charged weapons, the power pike is charged not just at its head but throughout the entire staff.
Quarter staffs—Short, compact staffs used specifically for hand-to-hand combat. Wielded by Kobe.
Quanta staff—Long, heavy metallic staffs that are charged with electricity that pours off the massive blade that tips this weapon.
Rai—Warriors trained, physically and spiritually, to fight for peace and justice throughout the galaxy. They follow the example set by Wu-Xia, the man who forged the Rokura.
Rokura—A mystical weapon, forged by Wu-Xia in the Quarrian spire, that is said to have the power, when wielded by the Paragon, to bring peace to the galaxy.
Sidewinder—A powerful sidearm that’s standard issue to the Well’s forces and commonly carried by many others throughout the galaxy. Its slender size makes it easy to holster, and its adjustable barrels allow for different discharge settings, ammunition, and range.
Shido—Designed after the Rokura, shidos are bo staffs studded by three blades at their tops. A powerful electric cell embedded in the staff pours electricity from the tips of its blades when activated.
The Well—Located on the planet Ticus, the Well is the nexus for warriors from around the galaxy to train to become Rai. It’s grown to also house a peacekeeping infantry of ground soldiers and starfighter pilots.
ALSO BY MICHAEL MORECI
Black Star Renegades
The Throwaway
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MICHAEL MORECI is a novelist and author of comic books who has been recognized as one of Newcity Lit’s “Lit 50: Who Really Books in Chicago 2018.” His comics include the critically acclaimed sci-fi trilogy Roche Limit and the military horror drama Burning Fields. He’s also written Suicide Squad for DC, Planet of the Apes for Boom!, and his other original titles include Curse, Hoax Hunters, ReincarNATE, and Black Hole Repo. As a novelist, Moreci wrote The Throwaway, an espionage thriller for Tor/Forge. He lives in Chicago with his wife, two sons, and dog. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Acknowledgments
Glossary
Also by Michael Moreci
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
WE ARE MAYHEM. Copyright © 2019 by Michael Moreci. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-11785-4 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-250-11786-1 (ebook)
eISBN 9781250117861
Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at [email protected].
First Edition: April 2019
We Are Mayhem--A Black Star Renegades Novel Page 34