Winter World: A S.U.N. Universe Novel, #1

By S.P. "Sean" P. Gallatin

"Sean P Gallatin's story was unexpectedly creative I enjoyed every page." From a reader. 

The Mercenary's Union has a contract for Adar. Out among the frontier worlds he and his crew will turn a profit if they work it right.

On a world with a long winter a warrior woman is on the hunt for the person who destroyed her home and committed murder. Her Goddess expects something of her which Adar will be a party to if they both live. Yselda always heeds the Goddess.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Paper Gold Publishing OLD
• Release date: May 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386188063

S.P. "Sean" P. Gallatin

Sean PG has lived in Alaska since he was a small child.  A very private person by nature, some Alaskans are like that, he tends to keep his personal life to himself. An ex-Navy man, after coming home, he found music to be his first love. Playing in a band, he has seen the seamier side of Alaska up close. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Anchorage was still trying to come to grips with having a fire hose nozzle of oil money flowing freely. Sean got to watch a lot of people and situations from the stage. It is surprising how people tend to ignore the band. There are more tales waiting to be told. 

Book preview

Winter World

By

Sean Gallatin

Copyright Notice: All rights reserved S.P. Sean Gallatin

This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

License Notes:

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your retailer and buy a copy for yourself. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Artwork: C. MacFarlane

Contents

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

About the Author:

Other books in the S.U.N. Series by other authors

Part 1

Mercenary's Union Carrier Warrior's Fist

7th Union Battle Group

Sel Marand Sector

The Union officer moved down the corridor with purpose- he had orders. Sub Commander Tethos had studied and served under the man he was to see. He had a deep respect for him, and a big contract brought up and backed by the Mercenary’s Union. The contract was big enough for the officer required.

He reached the door he was looking for. The pressure door opened for him, and what he stepped into was mind bending: He found himself standing in an old primitive village. Some villagers had hand weapons; swords, spears, ridiculous metal plate armor, bows and arrows, and some sort of four-footed creature they actually rode!

The officer could barely contain himself. All the weapons were either hand, or projectile weapons. He was in awe, as a soldier- one had to be good to go face to face with warriors such as these.

He then realized everyone was looking at him. In his Union Fleet uniform. In the middle of a simulation.

Before he could say anything, a voice said Simulatiouuuun, Halt!

Crap. He thought. I really stepped in it now.

Sub Commander Tethos! The man speaking walked through a horse. Good to see you! One moment, please. Everybody! Two-hour break! Fuck, eat, sleep, shit, shave, shower, do whatever ya gotta do. In two hours, no, make that three- we start over again. I got sloppy, so I know you did too! We start all over again, in three hours.

Everything shifted in a weird way, then froze. Everything except certain life forms blinked and vanished. In reality, they were all in an empty hanger on the carrier Warrior’s Fist. The forms were in clothing that matched the hologram that had been playing.

Tethos! How are ya, Brother? I trust you have a good reason for interrupting my class.

Fine, sir! And, yes, I do.

Adar Genn looked at him and smiled. Now, Tethos, this is the Mercenary’s Union. Rank always prevails, but titles apply only during ops, combat, training, or formal functions. So, since it seems we are done training, for now, Union Brother, walk with me, and let’s hear it.

I’m just here to give you the intro to the orders. Your eyes only. Tethos handed Adar a data stick. Adar plugged it into a port on the left arm of his suit. The clothing opened a small hole, and the exo- skeleton underneath accepted the stick.

They waited for a tube to arrive. Once they were on board, Adar activated a command code with his implants. The tube car immediately shut itself after they entered, making sure they were the only life forms on board. Adar watched and listened as the contract played over his implants.

After a couple of minutes, he looked up at Tethos. Time to let you in on what I had people training for. I had been planning on bringing you in; now I’m going to have to give you command. That’s what you get for fucking up my simulation. Adar held up the data stick he had plugged in to his arm. I wiped it, and transferred your orders on here, should you want the contract.

What is it?

Security guard op. As you already know, about twenty thousand years ago, when humans first started showing up in this part of the galaxy, some not so local races took it worse than others. One of those races, which is no longer around anymore, called the Ivithri, loved to round up humans for work and sport. The result being that several thousand worlds were populated with several hundred to thousands of slaves. Over thousands of years, it left many of these worlds populated with forms who have no idea they are descended from a space- faring civilization.

Ok.

As you also already know, many of these worlds lie outside the influence of the Stellar United Nations. This does not keep SUN from surveying the closest of these worlds, from time to time, to keep up the cold war we have now with the Muur Ha Dee. As we saw with the Nin Mah incident, the Muur Ha Dee have developed a fondness for low tech worlds that can’t identify their sorry asses. Your job will be to protect one of these surveying teams on Arnemium, keeping diggers, Docs, Brothers, Sisters, and locals, from getting killed. Not understanding the local customs led to a situation that taught us just because the locals may not be as advanced as us, their hand weapons and tactics were still lethal enough to prevail over six Mercs in full powered battle armor.

Oh. Really?

Really. Your job will be to prevent that from happening again. Adar looked Tethos in the eye. I spoke up for you once before, and you proved me right at Kermava. Prove me right again. The contract’s for six months, three hundred thousand nice little SUNs to spend afterward.

I’m in. What’s your contract?

Something very different.

The tube car came to a stop, and the door opened. Adar stood and said My stop, Brother. See you in a few months. Good luck, and good pay, Brother Tethos.

Tethos responded, "Good