Reckless Defiance

Nine years after the rescue at Atheron, a battle is coming. This battle can’t be won and Ericca Archer knows it. Worse, she’s the only one who knows the terrain and tactics needed just to survive. She’ll have to convince Major Richardson she can not only fight with seasoned soldiers, but lead them as well. Things begin to get out of hand when Jake Snow shows up. War, profiteering, and greed are a bad mixture, Jake makes them a hobby. Betrayal sucks and can hurt like hell but sometimes you have to trust the people around you. Like a bad poker hand she’ll have to make the best use of the people she was dealt. Are they worthy? Is it the smart thing to do? She’ll have to find out along the way because time has run out for Ericca.

The cold emptiness of space weirds some people out. Ericca Archer loved it. In fact, out in the void was where she thrived. To her it represented freedom. To some it’s a prison, worse actually, it’s an executioner standing over them waiting for that crack in the hull to take ‘em out.
Some people always get a little morbid, for whatever reason, when they’re about to land. They avoid it if they can, opting instead for some orbiting Shipping Hub as a layover point to transfer cargo. Traders and haulers who don’t want to deal with the hassle and physics of landing on a planet use them extensively. Ericca, however, adored the challenge of bringing a big ship down just so, and easing into a slip with barely a rub.
A voice crackled over her squawker.
“Ready for ID check.”
Riley, her brother, sifted through the tags until he found a clean one and sent it. They chewed on it for a couple seconds.
“Thanks, Mrs. Star. Wing 2, Hangar Four, Bay 32.”
Ericca Archer flashed a sly smile at her brother. The dispatcher clicked off.
Several Shipping Consortiums had banded together and opened a bunch of Hubs for their weak-of-heart pilots. In short, it’s where they make their bread and butter. Ericca wasn’t so limited. And besides, she and Riley preferred steak.