Shadows in the Stars

Cast out by humanity yet burdened with a conscience, Sheni Dupont wouldn’t say he’s found his calling in space piracy. But in the cramped and rusty halls of the ship he shares with reptilian captain Gecki, starfish pilot Xotl and the weird green enigma known only as Alan, he may have found a home. So when a loan shark threatens to repossess their ship if they don’t pay back the credits they’ve borrowed, the crew of the Silver Hart are forced to take the only job going–stealing a crystal egg from a backwater planet on the brink of cosmic destruction.

Sheni and his spacer crew only steal from people who don’t deserve what they’ve got. Unfortunately, a penthouse robbery puts them in hot water with a crooked art dealer who loves nothing more than a high-stakes hunt. If they don’t cough up a small fortune, their heads will be the next trophies on her wall.

Legend tells of a sword that makes a warrior’s enemies fall to their knees in surrender. Sheni isn’t sure if he believes the drunken ramblings of old space pirates, but what he does know is that a sword like that would fetch an eye-watering price. Unfortunately, the trail leads them from ancient temples to prison planets, and retrieving the sword from its final resting place might cost the crew more than they’re willing to pay. Especially since someone on board the Silver Hart is keeping a secret with deadly implications....

No amount of shore leave can wash away this crew’s sins. Against all odds, the crew of the Silver Hart are filthy rich. So they do what any sensible bunch of ex-pirates would do–they splash out on a lavish all-inclusive resort away from the riff-raff they usually associate with. But after poachers attack their luxury yacht during a sightseeing tour, Sheni discovers an underwater community just off the coast. Unfortunately, the aquatic Plillup aren’t any more pleased to meet him than the hunters above the waves.

Blood is thicker than water. Alan’s thicker than both. Hand on heart, swear to the gods – the crew of the Silver Hart are totally legit now. There’s way more money in running a reputable salvage company than in space-piracy, and it comes with only a fraction of the risk. It’s hard to miss crawling through dusty tombs when you’re up to your eyeballs in credits and rum punch.

The thieves who stole your heart have painted themselves into a corner... For half a decade Sheni’s been exiled from New Terra for sneaking aboard an Ark ship without a ticket. Now he wants to come home, but reams of bureaucratic red tape mean it’ll take years for his citizenship application to be approved – or denied. So when a UEC shuttle carrying one of Earth’s rarest paintings goes missing, Sheni spots his chance to get back in humanity’s good books. If there’s anyone perfectly suited to hunting down stolen relics, it’s an ex-pirate.