by M. D. Cooper
Rika wrapped an arm around Amy and pulled her in close. “Yes. I absolutely will. Since the Septhians have tasked the Marauders with the defense of half of Thebes, we’ll be passing through Pyra a lot. I’ll stop by as often as I can.”
“You’d better,” Amy warned. “I’ll hunt you down, if you don’t.”
“Oh, yeah?” Rika challenged with a grin. “And then what?”
Amy wrapped both arms around Rika’s waist and squeezed tightly. “I’ll give you one of these!”
Rika laughed and kissed Amy on top of her head, and then leaned over to kiss Silva on the cheek.
“You two stay safe. You need anything, anything—a coffee pot, whatever—you call.”
Silva laughed. “I might save the Rika signal for something a bit more dire than coffee.”
“There are few needs more dire than coffee,” Rika countered.
They made their final farewells, and then Rika stepped off the ramp, allowing it to rise up into the pinnace.
Rika walked down the cradle’s ramp and looked out over the main docking bay of the Golden Lark—one of the two ships now under her command.
A troop of AM-2 and 3 mechs marched by, and beyond them, a group of SMI-2s were checking their gear for a training drop.
Amongst them was Kelly. Rika waved at her former teammate, and Kelly returned the gesture. After the confrontation in Central Command, Kelly had retreated into herself. Rika finally convinced her to join the Marauders and, though they had not spoken further of the fateful events on that night on The Isthmus, she could tell that Kelly still felt guilty about her part in it.
Rika didn’t hold it against Kelly. In her former teammate’s mind, that desperate retreat from the Parson System had happened just a few months prior. Kelly said that she distinctly remembered dying in Rika’s arms.
The fact that the Nietzschean war was long over was something that she, and many of the other mechs were still adapting to.
That was why General Mill had given Rika command. It was up to her to sort these mechs out and turn them into an elite fighting force.
It would be hard work, but it was work she was ready to do.
Rika left the bay and walked through her ship to the small office she kept near the CIC. Once inside, she settled into her chair and brought up her list of upcoming meetings.
Rika recalled after a moment. She had almost forgotten her curiosity regarding Niki’s proficiency. Almost.
Niki replied.
Rika leaned back in her chair and let out a long breath.
Rika scoured her memories and shook her head
THE END
* * * * *
With the liberation of the mechs, Rika’s life is about to get a lot more complicated. It will be on her to serve as commander, counsellor, and perhaps friend to those under her command.
But the Nietzscheans have not forgotten their defeat in Thebes, and they will be back.
Pre-order Book 3 of Rika’s Marauders: Rika Triumphant.
THANK YOU
If you’ve enjoyed reading Rika Redeemed, a review on Amazon.com and/or goodreads.com would be greatly appreciated.
To get the latest news and access to free novellas and short stories, sign up on the Aeon 14 mailing list: www.aeon14.com/signup.
M. D. Cooper
THE BOOKS OF AEON 14
Keep up to date with what is releasing in Aeon 14 with the free Aeon 14 Reading Guide.
The Intrepid Saga
- Book 1: Outsystem
- Book 2: A Path in the Darkness
- Book 3: Building Victoria
- The Intrepid Saga Omnibus – Also contains Destiny Lost, book 1 of the Orion War series
- Destiny Rising – Special Author’s Extended Edition comprised of both Outsystem and A Path in the Darkness with over 100 pages of new content.
The Orion War
- Book 1: Destiny Lost
- Tales of the Orion War: Set the Galaxy on Fire
- Book 2: New Canaan
- Book 3: Orion Rising
- Tales of the Orion War: Ignite the Stars Within (Winter 2018)
- Tales of the Orion War: Burn the Galaxy to Ash (Winter 2018)
- Book 4: The Scipio Alliance (Nov 2017)
- Book 5: Attack on Thebes (Feb 2018)
- Many more following
Perilous Alliance (Age of the Orion War - with Chris J. Pike)
- Book 1: Close Proximity
- Book 2: Strike Vector
- Book 3: Collision Course (October 2017)
Rika’s Marauders (Age of the Orion War)
- Prequel: Rika Mechanized
- Book 1: Rika Outcast
- Book 2: Rika Redeemed (Nov 2017)
- Book 3: Rika Triumphant (2018)
Perseus Gate (Age of the Orion War)
Season 1
- Episode 1: The Gate at the Grey Wolf Star
- Episode 2: The World at the Edge of Space
- Episode 3: The Dance on the Moons of Serenity
- Episode 4: The Last Bastion of Star City
- Episode 5: The Toll Road Between the Stars
- Episode 6: The Final Stroll on Perseus’s Arm (Dec 2017)
Season 2
- Episode 1: A Meeting of Bodies and Minds (Jan 2018)
The Warlord (Before the Age of the Orion War)
- Book 1: The Woman Without a Country
- Book 2: The Woman Who Seized an Empire (Dec 2017)
- Book 3: The Woman Who Lost Everything (2018)
The Sentience Wars: Origins (With James S. Aaron)
- Book 1: Lyssa’s Dream
- Book 2: Lyssa’s Run (Oct 2017)
- Book 3: Lyssa’s Flame (Jan 2018)
Tanis Richards: Origins
- Prequel: Storming the Norse Wind (At the Helm Volume 3)
- Book 1: Shore Leave (June 2018)
- Book 2: The Command (June 2018)
- Book 3: Infiltrator (July 2018)
The Sol Dissolution
- The 242 - Venusian Uprising (The Expanding Universe 2 anthology)
- The 242 - Assault on Tarja (The Expanding Universe 3 anthology – coming Dec 2017)
The Delta Team Chronicles (Expanded Orion War)
- A "Simple" Kidnapping (Pew! Pew! Volume 1)
- The Disknee World (Pew! Pew! Volume 2)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Cooper likes to think of himself as a jack-of-all-trades (and hopes to become master of a few). W
hen not writing, he can be found writing software, working in his shop at his latest carpentry project, or likely reading a book.
He shares his home with a precocious young girl, his wonderful wife (who also writes), two cats, a never-ending list of things he would like to build, and ideas…
Find out what’s coming next at http://www.aeon14.com
