WIP Wednesday - Clans of Kalquor 12: Alien Outcast

Piper's first conversation with Imdiko Ulof is an eye-opener.

Abruptly, the Imdiko asked, “Was it the yelling in there that killed your appetite? Or are you regretting sleeping with my Dramok?”

              Piper choked on the cake, her face burning despite Ulof keeping his back to her. Once she stopped coughing, she burst out, “He told you?” If that son of a bitch had been bragging…

              “Not his style to show off about that kind of thing. I know because he smells of you and you smell like him. Nice try with the follow-up shower. Unfortunately, soap doesn’t mask all of it.”

              Great. The whole crew—and that admiral—must have figured out that I screwed Nako. Humiliation had her pushing away the remainder of the cake.

              “I guess it wasn’t a smart move to sleep with your captain. I’m not saying Nako’s not a good guy—”

              “Ha!” Ulof barked laughter, glancing at her with that boyish grin. “Well, he’s a good guy where it counts. None of us on this ship are what you’d call saints, however.”

              “You have some rough edges.”

              “Rough edges. Aren’t you the polite lady?” He snorted and turned to face her, leaning up against the counter. “You aren’t going to hurt anyone’s feelings with the truth, Piper. We’re brutes. We’re loud, uncouth, and lack even the slightest hint of decent manners. That includes your pal, Dramok Nako.”

              “Isn’t he your clanmate? Is he aware of your opinion of him?”

              “I remind him numerous times each day. He’s always glad to return the favor.” Ulof’s merriment eased, and he became more thoughtful. “It takes a particular kind of man to crew a raider. We don’t play by anyone’s set of rules, so the fleet has tended to overlook all but our worst deeds. As our captain, Nako is the toughest of the lot.”

Releasing July 3 (No pre-orders).

She escaped to Kalquor to warn the empire…but did she bring its destruction instead?

When a rogue Kalquorian raider snags a Bi’isil cruiser in Empire space, the outlaw crew is hoping for supplies. Instead, they find a Tragoom and an Earther woman with a dire warning: Bi’is is set to unleash a fatal plague on the Kalquorian Empire.

Piper Warren, with the help of her friend Ob, has faced death to save the Kalquorians from utter destruction. Instead of help, she stumbles on a ship filled with men who swear no loyalty to anyone but themselves. Can she convince them to set aside their lawless ways to save their people?

Captain Nako turned his back on Kalquor after Fleet Command decommissioned his raider. Abandoned by his government, he swears he will never lift a finger to aid them, not even against the traitor Dramok Maf and his fleet. With the new Bi’is threat, if Nako doesn’t do something, the empire will fall and its people will die.

Nako’s Nobek clanmate Terig is as fierce as they come. However, his shameful past destroyed a once-promising career, and leading his men into battle can only end in defeat.  But how can he refuse when utter annihilation is racing straight to Kalquor?

Dual breed Imdiko Ulof is a terror to anyone who crosses him. Leaving broken bodies in his wake, the ex-convict struggles with equally broken dreams. No one can tame him, until a beautiful Earther and an unlikely new friend show that belief has the power to heal all wounds.

The survival of Kalquor depends on this unlikely band of misfits. Clan Nako learns that love for an Earther woman can make heroes out of outcasts…until they discover that Piper harbors dark, deadly secrets of her own.

Releasing July 3 (No pre-orders).