From the Blurb:
They think they're ready for this mission.
They're wrong.
The Terran Federation is finally at peace and ready to begin serious exploration. The TFS Pike is the newest ship in the Fleet, purpose-built for deep space missions. Four kilometers long, with a crew of four thousand, she’s well-equipped for the years ahead. If only her crew was as prepared.
Ensign Nicole Crozier, the former Premier of the Luna Free State, has left politics behind to pursue a career in the Fleet. But her stint as the Artemis Minister of War has landed her in Tactical instead of Science, her passion, and she’s not happy about it. Still, she’s been promised a chance to switch tracks, so for now she’ll deal.
Everything changes when Nicole discovers a rogue planet, and she’s given command of the landing party. She’s irritated her superior but that’s the least of her problems when an ancient alien artifact emerges from the ice. As Nicole and her team explore the interior, the planet and her team vanish.
The crew of the Pike must use all the tricks and tools available to get their missing people back. When they finally do, Nicole brings aboard a discovery which could change the course of history.
Or end it.
Excerpt:
“All good, Ensign?” he asked Nicole.
“All good, Scribbler.” He nodded and returned to the cockpit.
“Scribbler?” asked Greyson.
“His handle. Nickname. All the small craft people have one.”
“Why Scribbler?”
Nicole considered it before admitting, “I don’t know, actually. Just met him today. About twenty minutes ago, as a matter of fact. Knowing his type, he either writes on the side or has never picked up a pen in his life.”
“Does the pilot have a, what did you say? Handle?”
“Yeah. Crunch.”
Greyson considered this. “I don’t think I want to know why.”
“Probably a good plan.” Nicole opened up her ‘plant. Scribbler, give us external back here.
You got it, Ensign.
“Might as well get a view,” Nicole said as the interior of the Wolf seemed to turn translucent. In response to Greyson’s surprised squeak, she added, “I asked Scribbler to set the screens to show us the exterior for the flight to the surface. Might learn something on the way down with the old Mark One Eyeball.”
Greyson looked at her appraisingly. “Not your first drop, I think.”
“First drop running things.”
“I wouldn’t guess it.”
“Five seconds. Last chance to kiss your ass goodbye.” Crunch sounded positively gleeful. In response, Nicole tugged the straps a little tighter, imitated quickly by Greyson.
The hum of the engines, barely noticeable before, suddenly increased in intensity as the Wolf lifted from the deck.
The compensators lagged behind by perhaps a half-second, resulting in a jerk of acceleration as they started moving.
“Do they usually move this fast?” groaned Greyson.
Nicole noticed Greyson’s white-knuckle grip on the seat arms and placed her hand atop to provide some measure of comfort.
“This? It’s nothing. Let me tell you about Admiral Cassidy and her Direwolf….” Nicole spun out the tale as they accelerated into the Black until the Pike had disappeared into the background, and they were on their descent.
The Ghosts of Tantor is currently available for purchase on Amazon.
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