Rogue Shepherd - The Hornet's Nest - A Prequel: Rogue Shepherd Space Opera Series, #0

By Chris Vaughn

Rogue Shepherd: The Hornet's Nest

Rogue Shepherd Space Opera Series Prequel

The Vespian Cave on Bethel 5 holds one secret know one knows, and deadly hornets that keep it safe from intruders.

The youngest son of his family, Luke Shepherd’s job is to guard his father’s cattle on the remote plains of their planet, but the draw of adventure lures him into the cave against the orders of his father the Chief Elder of their Clan. Disobedience carries the penalty of being branded a rogue, but the temptation is too great.

An unexpected tumble, the loss of a friend, a hidden space ship find Luke with an unexpected friendship in the Cave that brings him face to face with death from the hornets, and the blasters of the rustlers who want the cattle he is entrusted to protect.

Discover the beginning of Luke Shepherd… The Hornet’s Nest… the Red Robe… and his fear of being rogue.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chris Vaughn
• Release date: Oct 6, 2016
• ISBN: 9781536543308

Book preview

1

Luke scanned through his thermal binoculars, watching the massive herd of cattle grazing in front of him on the plains. The bright moon shined in the distance, giving the valley a

low

glow

.

Proximity monitors placed on the far edges of the valley were set to alert him if the cattle wandered off, but he still liked to look for himself to see where they were and how close they grazed to the monitors. The heat signatures of the beacons were visible in the thermal binoculars, and outlined the wide perimeter Luke had set up for the cattle.

He propped his back against the saddle on the ground as his horse stood nearby. There was no need for a fire this time of the season, as the night was just as hot as the day. The only break in the heat was the occasional cool breeze and lower humidity of the

night

air

.

He scanned all around him again before deciding there wasn’t any reason to be worried. The cattle were still, and nothing seemed to be in the distance to spook or scare them off. The thermal binoculars would have given him a hint if wolves or banshees were close by, but scanning again, he saw nothing to bring him concern. The only heat registering in the thermal binoculars was the red glow of the distant and mammoth Vespian Cave and the errant heat signature of its residents.

At twelve, Luke Shepherd had the job his brothers would not take. This section of his father’s people’s valley was remote and relatively safe for him and the herd. Home was a good day’s ride away, and there wasn’t anyone to keep company with, or anything to mixed up in while tending the cattle. It was the boring and weary section of the plains his brothers hated, and the training ground for all the Shepherd boys during the transition of being a boy to

a

man

.

In the Twelve Clans, Luke was the son of Jefferson Shepherd, Chief Elder of the planet Bethel 5, of the Iodian Clan. The Iodian Clan were great warriors in battle, but their livelihood of being ranchers in the Bethel Star System gave them the same stigma of the farmers of the Splendor Star System. The beef from the herds of Bethel was highly prized, and often raiders would come from other clans and other systems in ships, hoping to steal a portion of cattle that roamed the fertile plains of Bethel. The Shepherds and other ranchers of Bethel 5 always fought them off, although their losses increased in recent years.

Luke’s thoughts wandered as he scanned the horizon again in hopes of something to stir his attention. Boredom caused his mind to wander as he watched the heat of the cave dwellers darting out of the cave entrance. His father and brothers all warned him of the dangers of the Vespian Cave, but watching the dwellers for the first time dart out and around the entrance captivated his attention. Only through the thermal binoculars could he see the heat signature of them as they traveled through the air. Taking the binoculars off his eyes, he stared through the night sky, looking to catch a glimpse, but even with the low light, he couldn’t see anything from this distance but the dimly lit canyon and the stars.

As he leaned back to sleep for the night, he heard the voice of his father. Luke! Don’t go near the cave. Many a man has entered to never be seen again.

His thoughts drifted away as sleep came over him, with one thought running through his

young

mind

.

Who will know if I go in

the

cave

?

2

In the morning, Luke checked in on the radio with his father as his custom, and his father’s stern commands reminded him that he was not to be disobeyed. He scanned the horizon for the cattle again to make sure they were secure. He placed the proximity monitors on extra high sensitivity as he’d done before when he wanted to ride off and explore. Although only twelve, Luke Shepherd was a resourceful boy with a keen eye and hand for making things work, handling animals, machinery and ships; it was a trait his father was proud to boast of, and his brothers envied .

Luke whistled loud and waited for his big herd dog, Destin, to come to him. He waited in a crouch as Destin ran at a full gallop, leaping onto him at the last moment. Anyone watching might have thought Destin would attack Luke, but the dog and boy were more than workers on the plain, but friends to each other’s company. Destin knocked Luke over, and covered him with licks and kisses as Luke

petted

him

.

Luke mounted his horse and whistled again, this time to command Destin to follow him. He approached the mouth of the cave, tying his horse off with a long lead rope and then

unsaddling

her

.

No reason for you not to stretch your legs while I'm gone, he said to

his

mare

.

Luke and Destin walked to the