I could say something like ‘Welcome to my Blog,’ and it would be fitting. But let’s just start out as if we’re already friends, shall we? I don’t know about you, but I always feel like meeting new people is awkward.
Oh yeah, in case you hadn’t guessed, I’m kind of an introvert. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to interact with people. I especially like people who like books. So if that’s you, you’re in the right place!
And if you like science fiction and fantasy, or a blend of the two, then even better. Because that’s what I write. And it’s what I think I’ve always read.
But for now, my friend, that’s enough about me. I’ve got the first chapter of my book Wizard’s Flight, book one of the Galactic Heiress series, to post here for you. Hopefully, you’ll like it. And hopefully, you’ll want to go on and read more. 😉
Captain Montana Cooper seethed at the thin, seedy man standing before her. “Either pay what was promised,” she said forcefully, “or my crew and I will take the cargo and find a buyer who will give us a fair price.”
The man—Hornsby was his name—glared right back at Montana. “Prices have gone down since you agreed to take on the job, and you are late. I should have known better than to hire a woman. I thought you were a man when I first contacted you.”
He practically spat the last words, and Montana had to stop herself from flinching away from the spittle that flew out of his mouth. She’d heard the insult so many times that by now it didn’t faze her at all, but that didn’t stop her from being disgusted by his saliva.
They stood under the awning of the low metal building that served as Hornsby’s restaurant. A cold, smelly drizzle fell around them, obscuring her view back toward the landing pad and her star cruiser, the SC Destiny. Where were the others? Sure, they were short-handed, but she should have known better than to meet this scoundrel by herself.
Montana’s gaze flicked to the weapon at Hornsby’s side, then back up to his eyes. “Well, then,” she said coolly, touching her own stunner at her hip, “be assured that I should have known better than to smuggle spices for a greedy, double-crossing bandit from Cronus.”
“I’m a chef!” Hornsby said, and his forehead turned red in anger. “Trying to run a legitimate business—”
“People who are legitimate don’t usually ask me to deliver their cloves, Hornsby,” Montana said dryly.
Hornsby’s face turned redder, and it spread from his forehead to his cheeks. The chef cleared his throat. “Just trying to avoid some… unfortunate… trouble. Gangsters from Cronus. If I hadn’t left…” He muttered something else unintelligible, and the gleam returned to his eye. Then he seemed to decide something and pointed his weapon at Montana’s face. “Have your crew deliver the supplies as promised, and I might let you live.”
Anticipating his move, she had drawn her weapon at the same time, and they found themselves at a standoff.
But before she could do anything else, Montana heard a click, and a large, hulking man stepped out of the drizzle and under the awning. His body was covered in tattoos, and he was pointing a large energy blaster right at Hornsby’s face. The would-be chef was surprised at the man’s appearance, and he shrank back against the wall, letting his weapon fall out of his hand. Montana kicked it away.
“About time you got here,” she said with relief.
“Sorry, boss,” Abel said. “We were unloading all those crates, and Hornsby’s goons tried to surprise us. They’d gotten some misguided information and thought we would be an easy target.”
“Anyone hurt?” Montana asked, and a familiar feeling of dread knotted in her stomach, just as it always did when her crew was in danger.
Abel smiled. “Not any of us.”
Montana turned back to Hornsby, who looked like he wanted to melt into the wall. “It seems like you don’t have many options, do you?” she asked. “But I’ll make a deal with you. I’m willing to let you have your shipment for ten percent more than the original deal called for.”
Hornsby stood up straighter and made a move toward Abel, but the hulking man merely flicked the muzzle of his weapon, reminding the chef who was in charge.
Hornsby eyed the blaster, glanced at Montana once again, and then seemed to deflate. “I suppose I could give you five percent more.”
“Ten percent,” Montana insisted. “Or I’ll find another buyer. Maybe those gangsters you mentioned would like to start a restaurant of their own.”
The chef muttered something that sounded suspiciously vulgar, and then cleared his throat. “Deal.”
Abel smiled. “That’s the spirit. Our crew has everything ready. And don’t worry about your guys, Hornsby, they’ll feel better in the morning. Make sure you give them something for a headache.”
They completed the transaction with Hornsby sending a transfer to Montana’s handset, and then she and Abel walked back to the Destiny, with Abel keeping an eye behind them in case Hornsby decided to retaliate.
They left the planet without further incident, but Montana was forcibly reminded how treacherous smuggling could be. Fortunately, this time had turned out okay. Hornsby was a low-level criminal, nothing she hadn’t dealt with countless times before. But what about next time?
The Destiny needed another crew member, and unfortunately, Montana knew just where to find one. It was the last place in the Empire that she wanted to go, but with some luck and careful planning, they could get on and off the planet without any trouble. Making up her mind, she commed the rest of the crew. “Change of plans, everyone. We’re going to Xanthes.”
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. If you want to read more, the book is available on Amazon. You can check it out here. And, it’s even free to borrow if you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Until next time,
~Wilhelmina
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