The Retribution Book One: The Retribution, #1

By Raven Coyne

Book One:  It was a cube of secrets and with it the fate of billions are in the balance.  But everyone that knows anything is already dead. Captain Ramos and the crew must unravel the secrets of Night Sprinter before Venus launches their new revenge weapon on an unsuspecting Earth.  Provided they live long enough to do it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raven Coyne
• Release date: May 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215193891

Raven Coyne

Raven Coyne: I’m a Denver Colorado native, and except the occasional trip, or my time in the army I have been here most of my life. I am a practicing witch of over 35 years and Cartomancer for 30. I spend my time writing, running my business, riding my bike too fast everywhere and catering to my cat Ares! Email:  [e-mail]

Book preview

The Retribution

Book One

Raven Coyne

Captain Ramos and I sit at the old wooden table and wait.  The Venusian Merchant sure is taking his time about this vital meeting as he puts it.  Okay, so where is this guy?  Captain says idly.

I shrug my shoulders and mutter how should I know?  You’re the Captain, you know everything.  Or so you keep telling us.  I tease, it helps to share a laugh as we try and break the tension.  Just as my laugh dies away we see the merchant moving our way, his red eyes a dead giveaway he’s frightened.  Not a good sign, Venusians don’t scare, they’re as tough as the planet they come from.  I reach under the table and unlock my holster.  Behind the merchant are two short, squat humans.  Heavy gravity miners, I’d bet, or at least their families are from one of the Jupiter gravity well satellites.  These guys make great muscle for the criminal lords on Venus.  There aren’t too many around, the Jupiter miners tend to keep to themselves, so only the big bosses on Venus can afford them.  Whoever our merchant pissed off is a top lord.  I roll my eyes with that thought.  Terrific, just what we needed, I say to the Captain who just nods quietly.  I slide out my sidearm and hope I don’t have to use it, we are a long way from the ship and my medical gear. 

The merchant takes his seat and the two thugs go off to try and buy some tablecloth material at one of the local stalls.  I pull a you’ve got to be kidding me, face and then turn back to the merchant.  He puts his hands around the Taj we bought for him and I do a double take in cartoon fashion spitting out my comment and Taj at the same time you’ve got fingernails!  You’re human.  The merchant looks at me winces looking around to see who heard that and nods.  Suddenly everything begins to fall into place in my mind.  This guy is Earth Intelligence and the two thugs must be Marines. 

Got it in one doctor, now can we get down to business?  The merchant says and Captain Ramos nods patiently.

Then says in her slow Texas draw Before you start please tell me those two are yours.

The merchant looks over and back at us after the two Marines start to haggle over the price of a pair of lace panties with a human stallkeeper.  I am ashamed to say they are mine and right now doing their best too, how should I put this?  Blend.  The merchant says then produces from out of nowhere a cube.  The Venusian storage