The Siege of Luna Five

By Giovanni Ricco

In the dark corners of the cosmos, where human courage collides with the unknown, we find "The Siege of Luna Five".

Commander Gio, leading the beleaguered crew of Luna Five, battles against extra-terrestrial invaders, who've staged an audacious assault on their base. Armed with courage and guided by the urgency of survival, Gio and his team are tasked with pushing back an alien force equipped with superior technology and inscrutable motives.

When the invaders activate an ancient artifact capable of tearing the fabric of spacetime, the stakes skyrocket. Will this be humanity's ticket to a new realm of discovery, or a conduit to its ultimate demise?

Amidst the chaos of a relentless battle, personal dramas unfold, adding further layers to this complex tale. With a resolute commander juggling his tumultuous relationships and an unyielding commitment to his crew, Luna Five II becomes the backdrop for an intricate dance of love, loyalty, and survival.

This epic saga of humanity's endurance in the face of overwhelming odds is not just a chronicle of a battle, but a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, our insatiable curiosity, and the lengths we will go to protect our own.

"The siege of Luna Five" promises to take readers on an adrenaline-fueled journey where science, love, and the will to survive intersect, and the line between the conquerors and the conquered is constantly shifting. It's a saga that will hold you spellbound from the first page to the last.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Giovanni Ricco
• Release date: Jun 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215921418

Giovanni Ricco

Giovanni is an instructor at the Culham Historical Fencing and Mixed Martial Arts Club (CSSA) in the UK with a diverse martial arts background. He began his martial arts training in 1991 with Japanese Karate (kumite) and later moved on to Kickboxing for six years and then Muay Thai for four years, participating in amateur competitions. In 1999, he was introduced to Medieval and Renaissance fencing by his master of Italian historical fencing and started training in the manual of Fiore de Liberi and Marozzo. He also joined a group that trained in ancient Olympic boxing (Pygmachia), wrestling (Pale), the ancient mixed martial art of Pankration, and gladiatura in an experimental archaeology style (Arsdimicandi).In 2000, Giovanni received his first qualification as an Instructor of Medieval Fencing, followed by a second one in Renaissance Fencing (IRSAST). He taught his first class in southern Italy before receiving his qualification. He also received a qualification as an instructor of modern Pankration (Athlima) and taught his first class of bare-hand fighting in northern Italy (Venice). Along with his students in both northern and southern Italy, Giovanni participated in historical tournaments and battles. He later moved to South Milan and opened two classes in bare-hand fighting and fencing. In 2013, he received a qualification as a mixed martial arts instructor (FIGMMA).Giovanni further broadened his skills by joining a local club of defensive and dynamic shooting with firearms, participating in competitions. In 2018, he moved to China for work and continued to have students in all of his disciplines, including boxing. After moving to England, he joined a local historical fencing school in Wiltshire and then the Hema Fencing school in Oxford (OSS) and a Brazilian Ju Jitsu school to improve his wrestling skills. In 2022, Giovanni had his martial arts qualifications validated by the British Martial Arts and Boxing Association (BMABA).

Book preview

The Siege of Luna Five

Published by Giovanni Ricco

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© Copyright 2023 Giovanni Ricco

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Contents

Gio

The Inspection Tour

A New Apocalypse

Ella

Action

Deadlock

Infantry

The mother of all battles

Fallback

Lucy

The Attack

The Plan

The Cave

Luna Five II

Breathless

Still on the attack

Awakening

The Offensive

Still breathless

Routine

The Siege of Luna Five

Gio

The commander was in his office. At that moment, the large revolving door leading to the command room was closed. His transmitter was in place, he sat there seemingly deep in thought, though in reality, he wasn't thinking about anything at all. Only the dimness of his face was visible, he seemed pleased to be nearly hidden in his own solitude. His hands were joined as usual, his grey uniform barely visible due to the low light. He was both near and far, the people there behind the sliding panel, and he, facing the window.

Lucy Russo was in her office adjacent to the room serving as the infirmary. There was a bit more light for her as she read through some reports, a routine task that seemed pointless but necessary to fulfil. She wasn't lost in thoughts; instead, she also worked in her solitude.

Bristol was in the laboratory, preparing to tighten a mechanism, a sort of sphere with some kind of engine inside. He was focused and alone, engrossed in a task that took up much of his time but, as often happened to him, that machine wouldn't bring any practical benefits.

The world within the lunar base, Luna Five, seemed still and motionless, in perpetual anticipation in this perfect yet pointless world.

Gio stood up, took the transmitter, and placed it in his belt. Then he slid the panel that separated him from the command room. There was a sleepy air; only three people were present and nearly all the screens were off. The lights were dim, he headed towards the hallway. He wanted to visit the Lux shuttle ship's hangar, not because there was any particular reason; wandering around the base was one of his duties, particularly during the less crowded hours.

He crossed paths with a beautiful data analyst in her grey uniform and yellow arm band, her auburn hair smartly gathered, cascading in curls over her shoulders. It was the first time he had seen her.

She smiled a little at him, evidently, she had seen him before, maybe in some meeting or in the command room, but he couldn't recall her pretty face, almost too beautiful for him. Their smiles were little more than a circumstance, they crossed and passed each other.

He thought that once again, he had to move on, there wasn't time to talk to her, probably because it would have been futile, another thing he could never have. He passed other people while occasionally hearing the sliding of the automatic doors opening and closing. Everything was a blend of white and grey, interspersed with the equipment that kept the base alive.

The Inspection Tour

As he moved from corridor to corridor, he caught glimpses of the beautifully moulded plastic chairs, tucked away in corners. He'd often wondered why they were there, but had never found a plausible reason. The base was a prison that kept them alive but he liked it. It was intimate, and the windows that faced outside showed a landscape that had been unchanging for time immemorial, and the black void of the sky.

They thought of moving to another planet but deep down he knew that if it happened, that world would disappear, and he would miss it. This prison had settled so deeply into his mind that it was an integral part of him. The idea of living a squalid existence on an alien world did not attract him at all, but he would fulfil his duty to the end, as always.

He did not let his emotions govern his world, even though he was quite turbulent inside. He believed that people often appreciated his calmness and thoughtfulness in every situation. If they ever knew what was really happening in his turbulent soul, they might see him differently.

As he walked, every now and then, he saw his reflection in the clear-dark panels of the walls. He was now more than forty years old; he could see it clearly from the wrinkles on his forehead. But it didn't bother him; this later age was more fitting to him than adolescence and early adulthood.

His name was Gio, a simple name that had been given to him. He'd tried several times to find a more fitting one, but it would have been too long and unpronounceable. He dismissed such thoughts as mind clutter and focused on the sound of his footsteps to return to his duties.

He had arrived at the large sliding door of Reactor No. 4. A shiver ran down his spine as he remembered what had happened there a few months ago; a man burned by a laser, propelled by an unknown force into the reactor. He decided to continue, the memories too painful and vivid.

He passed the infirmary, not needing to go in; he knew what he would find. A colleague on a bed under observation for a high fever and Dr. Russo at his dimly lit desk, reviewing charts and reports. She wasn't particularly beautiful or tall, but