Captain Dex Corrigan: Adventures of the League Space Patrol, #3

By Frank Carey

Can Dex survive his hero's journey?

Aliens from another time return to League space seeking revenge and they find Captain Dex Corrigan willing to take on the fight.

If you like tech-heavy sci-fi, relatable characters, and stories of family and redemption, you'll love the third book in Frank Carey's Adventures of the League Space Patrol series. 45 pages.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Frank Carey
• Release date: Apr 23, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386000075

Frank Carey

Frank Carey has been formally writing and publishing works of science fiction since late 2013. Over the years prior, he had dabbled in various forms of writing including haiku poetry, but that all changed when he and his wife, Jo, decided to try their hand at writing and self-publishing. Since then, he has written and published a collection of flash fiction and short stories, two anthologies, a pentalogy, and a trilogy. All his work, to date, has been in the science fiction genre. Most of his stories take place about two centuries in the future when Earth joins the League of Planetary Systems. Many of his protagonists are strong females. He is an inveterate pantser who believes the story will go where the story wants to go. Frank’s background includes degrees in physics and extensive work as a scientific programmer and technologist.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Dex laid on the ground in a crumpled heap as his assailant stood over him and gloated. See, guys, humans break too easily, don't you Dex?

Dex squinted up at the biggest Goranthi male currently attending Barkesville High School. It dawned on Dex that picking a fight with this guy was a big mistake as evidenced by several broken ribs and dozens of contusions. Memphis, you're a damn brute.

Still don't get it, do you Dex? We run this school, and we are tired of your refusal to admit that.

Through a haze of pain, Dex wondered how someone who looked so much like a Neanderthal could be so damn articulate. Why aren't you breathing hard?

Why should I? Beating humans to a pulp is easier than hunting Tralaskans. Now, when you heal, you will be working for me. Your skills are valuable to an organization such as mine. Think about it. Waving to his compatriots, Memphis walked out of the gym, leaving Dex to bleed.

###

Sorry about this, but the medbed is swamped, the ER doctor said when Dex winced as she tightened the bandages around his broken ribs. How's that?

Wouldn't it just save time to kill me now?

It looks like someone already tried.

I fell. I'm just such a klutz.

You fell into the fists of one or more angry Goranthi. You are a klutz.

One should excel at least at one thing in life.

The door opened and a petite woman wearing an Elf Marine Expeditionary Force uniform and general's stripes walked in. The doctor, a captain, went to attention and saluted while Dex hung his head and stared at the floor. The general returned the salute. At ease, Doctor. Give us the room, please.

Of course, General McMurphy, the captain said before saluting, then exiting the room.

Dex looked up and smiled. Hey, Aunt Marta, what brings you to this part of town?"

It seems my crazy nephew said no to a Goranthi gang leader.

What Goranthi? I fell...

Save it. The blood sample they took from your hand is a match to one Memphis, son of Tesslac, the head of one of the most vicious Goranthi gangs on Earth.

What blood sample?

The one I authorized as your guardian while you parents are off-world. Since you are my nephew, this falls under military jurisdiction.

You do know that I am now dead, Dex said.

No, not really. Your Uncle Lucien contacted Tesslac and crafted a deal where Memphis enters the Space Marine Corps in lieu of a prison sentence.

Why would Tesslac make a deal with Uncle Lucien?

Remember that book your Uncle Royce wrote about the crazy elf who saved his elfling daughter from a gangster?

Yeah...?

That wasn't a story. A number of seedy types, including Tesslac, are scared shitless of Lucien and with good reason.

Wait, what about those other books? I thought they were fiction.

Fiction based on fact.

Wow, Dex slowly got off the table.

Where are you going?

Home. I have a physics final to study for...

Stop! Marta said as Dex nearly fell over. She caught him, then lowered him into a chair. You just got the shit kicked out of you and you want to go study? I talked to your instructors, and they said you earned enough credits to graduate a year ago. What gives?

Dex closed his eyes and sighed. I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself after graduation. My cousins are ship's captains, they run sports teams, hell they have kids, yet here I am, rudderless and prone to insulting Goranthi.

I may have an answer for you, but it will have to wait until I can get you into a medbed.

Unless you have one laying around, that may take a while.

"Stay there while I make