Ganked In Space

by N M Tatum

  “To sacrifice yourself like a warrior angel to save the rest of us,” Joel said.

  Sam sat cross-legged on the floor, her cheeks glowing red from the wide smile. “To maintain the connection so Rever would blow.”

  Cody held up his left arm. His wrist, normally hidden under his wristcom, was bare. “I tossed out my wristcom. It maintained the connection.”

  Joel lay on his back. He exhaled like he was taking his first deep breath in years. “That is considerably less heroic.”

  “But considerably smarter,” Reggie amended. He clapped Cody on the back. “We’re glad you’re so smart.”

  They all followed Joel’s lead, lying down and feeling the cold metal press into their backs. Contented silence spread between them. The hard-fought battle was finally over. Finally won. Peace.

  “So, we blew the station to smithereens,” Joel said. “But we did technically clear the infestation. Do we still get paid?”

  Reggie groaned. “I’ll check with Betty.”

  Eventually, they pulled themselves off the floor, showered, ate, slept. They moved forward. They landed more jobs, their reputation growing steadily as the crew others called when shit was really hitting the fan. They’d started as fuck-ups. Washouts. Buying a ship on a whim and falling ass-backwards into a backup plan that none of them had agreed on to grind the day away doing something none of them had ever intended to do.

  Kill bugs.

  They stank like rancid meat and bile most of the time. They were scarred from pincers and stingers and the trauma of nearly being eaten alive. But they did it all together. They wouldn’t have it any other way.

  They were Intergalactic Pest Control—the best damn exterminators in the system. And so much more.

  Sarah’s Author Notes

  October 23, 2018

  Michael says that I’m obsessed with villains. I think he’s probably right. When I think about my first series, I crafted the villain first. Then later I went back and figured out this protagonist business.

  When we were coming up with the idea for this book, Michael was talking about badass mercenaries and I kept derailing the conversation, talking about monsters. And hence, giant space bugs were born.

  It was super fun crafting this story alongside Michael. He helped to push me a bit more, finding the “better” idea. I came up with the “Notches” and he was fully responsible for Sam. When we put them together, they made a mismatched, but awesome team.

  After finishing my last series, I knew I wasn’t done with space just yet. It’s a new genre for me, but also feels really natural. I think in some ways, we’re all obsessed with space and the stars.

  If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m a huge nerd. While most girls were flipping through Seventeen magazines as teenagers, I was gaming alongside my brother. We used to fight over the controller, and that really never stopped even when we grew up.

  I remember one morning, I woke up to find him about to beat Ocarina of Time. He’d played all night. I would have been happy for him, except he’d played under my profile. Zelda is still my favorite game of all time. I don’t have as much time for games now as an adult, but I never lost the passion.

  Thank you for reading. Thanks for supporting the books. And thanks for being awesome.

  Michael’s Author Notes

  October 23, 2018

  THANK YOU for not only reading this story but these Author Notes as well .

  (I’ve always been good with opening with thank you… If it’s not good, I need to edit the other Author Notes!)

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  AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS

  One of the interesting (at least for me) aspects of my life is the ability to work from anywhere and at any time. In the future, I hope to re-read my own Author Notes and remember my life as diary entries.

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  Ad Aeternitatem,

  Michael Anderle

  Acknowledgments

  Sarah Noffke

  Thank you to all the readers out there who have supported my books. I wouldn’t be here writing this book if it wasn’t for you. It still shocks me that you all like to read my books. I waiting to wake up and realize this was all a dream.

  Thank you to everyone at LMBPN for all you do to get the books to the readers. Thank you to Michael for all the support and opportunities. Steve, I couldn’t do this without your shepherding. Thank you to the editorial team and Jen for making me sound better. Thank you to the JIT team for always swooping in at the last minute.

  Thank you to Jess and Jurgen for being my first readers. Your feedback is so helpful. And more than anything, I appreciate your friendship.

  Thank you to my amazing support network of friends and family. I have been blessed with so many wonderful friends who nurture me and also supply awesome fodder.

  And lastly, thank you to my daughter.

  Books By Sarah Noffke

  Sarah Noffke, an Amazon Best Seller, writes YA and NA sci-fi fantasy, paranormal and urban fantasy. She is the author of the Lucidites, Reverians, Ren, Vagabond Circus, Olento Research, Soul Stone Mage, Ghost Squadron and Precious Galaxy series. Noffke holds a Masters of Management and teaches college business courses. Most of her students have no idea that she toils away her hours crafting fictional characters. Noffke's books are top rated and best-sellers on Kindle. Currently, she has thirty-three novels published. Her books are available in paperback, audio and in Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. http://www.sarahnoffke.com

  Check out other work by this author here.

  Ghost Squadron:

  Formation #1:

  Kill the bad guys. Save the Galaxy. All in a hard day’s work.

  After ten years of wandering the outer rim of the galaxy, Eddie Teach is a man without a purpose. He was one of the toughest pilots in the Federation, but now he’s just a regular guy, getting into bar fights and making a difference wherever he can. It’s not the same as flying a ship and saving colonies, but it’ll have to do.

  That is, until General Lance Reynolds tracks Eddie down and offers him a job. There are bad people out there, plotting terrible things, killing innocent people, and destroying entire colonies. Someone has to stop them.

  Eddie, along with the genetically-enhanced combat pilot Julianna Fregin and her trusty E.I. named Pip, must recruit a diverse team of specialists, both human and alien. They’ll need to master their new Q-Ship, one of the most powerful strike ships ever constructed. And finally, they’ll have to stop a faceless enemy so powerful, it threatens to destroy the entire Federation.

  All in a day’s work, right?

  Experience this exciting military sci-fi saga and the latest addition to the expanded Kurtherian Gambit Universe. If you’re a fan of Mass Effect, Firefly, or Star Wars, you’ll love this riveting new space opera.

  *NOTE: If cursing is a problem, then this might not be for you.

  Check out the entire series here.

  The Precious Galaxy Series:

  Corruption #1

  A new evil lurks in the darkness.

  After an explosion, the crew of a battlecruiser mysteriously disappears.

  Bailey and Lewis, complete strangers, find themselves suddenly onboard the damaged ship. Lewis hasn’t worked a case in years, not since the final one broke his spirit and his bank account. The last thing Bailey remembers is preparing to take down a fugitive on Onyx S
tation.

  Mysteries are harder to solve when there’s no evidence left behind.

  Bailey and Lewis don’t know how they got onboard Ricky Bobby or why. However, they quickly learn that whatever was responsible for the explosion and disappearance of the crew is still on the ship.

  Monsters are real and what this one can do changes everything.

  The new team bands together to discover what happened and how to fight the monster lurking in the bottom of the battlecruiser.

  Will they find the missing crew? Or will the monster end them all?

  The Soul Stone Mage Series:

  House of Enchanted #1:

  The Kingdom of Virgo has lived in peace for thousands of years…until now.

  The humans from Terran have always been real assholes to the witches of Virgo. Now a silent war is brewing, and the timing couldn’t be worse. Princess Azure will soon be crowned queen of the Kingdom of Virgo.

  In the Dark Forest a powerful potion-maker has been murdered.

  Charmsgood was the only wizard who could stop a deadly virus plaguing Virgo. He also knew about the devastation the people from Terran had done to the forest.

  Azure must protect her people. Mend the Dark Forest. Create alliances with savage beasts. No biggie, right?

  But on coronation day everything changes. Princess Azure isn’t who she thought she was and that’s a big freaking problem.

  Welcome to The Revelations of Oriceran. Check out the entire series here.

  The Lucidites Series:

  Awoken, #1:

  Around the world humans are hallucinating after sleepless nights.

  In a sterile, underground institute the forecasters keep reporting the same events.

  And in the backwoods of Texas, a sixteen-year-old girl is about to be caught up in a fierce, ethereal battle.

  Meet Roya Stark. She drowns every night in her dreams, spends her hours reading classic literature to avoid her family’s ridicule, and is prone to premonitions—which are becoming more frequent. And now her dreams are filled with strangers offering to reveal what she has always wanted to know: Who is she? That’s the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out. But will Roya live to regret learning the truth?

  Stunned, #2

  Revived, #3

  The Reverians Series:

  Defects, #1:

  In the happy, clean community of Austin Valley, everything appears to be perfect. Seventeen-year-old Em Fuller, however, fears something is askew. Em is one of the new generation of Dream Travelers. For some reason, the gods have not seen fit to gift all of them with their expected special abilities. Em is a Defect—one of the unfortunate Dream Travelers not gifted with a psychic power. Desperate to do whatever it takes to earn her gift, she endures painful daily injections along with commands from her overbearing, loveless father. One of the few bright spots in her life is the return of a friend she had thought dead—but with his return comes the knowledge of a shocking, unforgivable truth. The society Em thought was protecting her has actually been betraying her, but she has no idea how to break away from its authority without hurting everyone she loves.

  Rebels, #2

  Warriors, #3

  Vagabond Circus Series:

  Suspended, #1:

  When a stranger joins the cast of Vagabond Circus—a circus that is run by Dream Travelers and features real magic—mysterious events start happening. The once orderly grounds of the circus become riddled with hidden threats. And the ringmaster realizes not only are his circus and its magic at risk, but also his very life.

  Vagabond Circus caters to the skeptics. Without skeptics, it would close its doors. This is because Vagabond Circus runs for two reasons and only two reasons: first and foremost to provide the lost and lonely Dream Travelers a place to be illustrious. And secondly, to show the nonbelievers that there’s still magic in the world. If they believe, then they care, and if they care, then they don’t destroy. They stop the small abuse that day-by-day breaks down humanity’s spirit. If Vagabond Circus makes one skeptic believe in magic, then they halt the cycle, just a little bit. They allow a little more love into this world. That’s Dr. Dave Raydon’s mission. And that’s why this ringmaster recruits. That’s why he directs. That’s why he puts on a show that makes people question their beliefs. He wants the world to believe in magic once again.

  Paralyzed, #2

  Released, #3

  Ren Series:

  Ren: The Man Behind the Monster, #1:

  Born with the power to control minds, hypnotize others, and read thoughts, Ren Lewis, is certain of one thing: God made a mistake. No one should be born with so much power. A monster awoke in him the same year he received his gifts. At ten years old. A prepubescent boy with the ability to control others might merely abuse his powers, but Ren allowed it to corrupt him. And since he can have and do anything he wants, Ren should be happy. However, his journey teaches him that harboring so much power doesn’t bring happiness, it steals it. Once this realization sets in, Ren makes up his mind to do the one thing that can bring his tortured soul some peace. He must kill the monster.

  *Note* This book is NA and has strong language, violence and sexual references.

  Ren: God’s Little Monster, #2

  Ren: The Monster Inside the Monster, #3

  Ren: The Monster’s Adventure, #3.5

  Ren: The Monster’s Death

  Olento Research Series:

  Alpha Wolf, #1:

  Twelve men went missing. Six months later they awake from drug-induced stupors to find themselves locked in a lab. And on the night of a new moon, eleven of those men, possessed by new—and inhuman—powers, break out of their prison and race through the streets of Los Angeles until they disappear one by one into the night. Olento Research wants its experiments back. Its CEO, Mika Lenna, will tear every city apart until he has his werewolves imprisoned once again. He didn’t undertake a huge risk just to lose his would-be assassins. However, the Lucidite Institute’s main mission is to save the world from injustices. Now, it’s Adelaide’s job to find these mutated men and protect them and society, and fast. Already around the nation, wolflike men are being spotted. Attacks on innocent women are happening. And then, Adelaide realizes what her next step must be: She has to find the alpha wolf first. Only once she’s located him can she stop whoever is behind this experiment to create wild beasts out of human beings.

  Lone Wolf, #2

  Rabid Wolf, #3

  Bad Wolf, #4

  Books By Michael Anderle

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