Umbra: The Corvus Squadron Series, #1

By A.S. Urban

Caught in the middle of an intergalactic war, engineer Ensign Evelyn Hadley and disgraced war hero Commander Reed Archer must choose between a forbidden romance and the duty to which they're sworn.

Hadley is desperate for a transfer to continue her reconstruction work as the galaxy struggles with two centuries of destruction. She feels trapped onboard the ASMS Umbra, a prototype spaceship that could change the tide of an ongoing brutal war against a malevolent alien race. That is until destiny intervenes, sending her on a romantic collision course with her commanding officer.

For Commander Reed Archer, his life is his career, but inside he burns with a desire to right the wrongs of a personal betrayal that has left him with feelings of guilt, anger, and a distrust of women. But then Ensign Hadley enters his life with her charm and surprising brilliance.

The mutual attraction hits them both like a supernova, but Archer is her superior officer and neither want to risk their career in the name of romance. As Hadley and Archer are thrust together in a battle against hostile forces, they must suppress their desires and focus on the mission at hand.

With the crew of the Umbra facing death at every turn, can the ensign and her commanding officer continue to deny their feelings while fighting for their lives? Or, as tensions continue to rise, will they risk it all to seek comfort in each other's arms before the chance is lost.

• Language: English
• Publisher: A.S. Urban
• Release date: Jul 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9798223344667

A.S. Urban

A.S. has been writing stories since early childhood. She's combined her love of sci-fi and romance to create the Corvus Squadron series. It will take you on a journey with the men, women, and aliens of the Allied Systems and keep you wondering what happens next. She lives in the Northwest with her husband, twin girls, and Frank the orange tabby cat.

Book preview

Prologue

Ensign Evelyn Hadley finished her dinner in the Officer’s Mess onboard the ASMS Umbra. She walked to the lift that would take her down to Officer’s Quarters.

Hi Eve, said another officer that came off the lift.

She smiled and nodded. She got into the lift and put her hand on the biopad. The doors opened when she reached her destination.

Eve, another officer smiled at her.

Hello. She said.

Looking forward to tonight Eve, said another officer.

Me too. She lied as she walked down the passageway to her quarters. Dr. Charlotte LeBeau was leaning on the teal bulkhead lights.

Do you remember a time when this was an amusing distraction from the mundane miasma of miscellaneous maintenance calibrations I have to do daily? asked Hadley. She walked into her quarters and sat in front of a small mirror. 

LeBeau shrugged and pulled the tie from Hadley’s long brown hair. "You stir up the sex pool when you perform. It keeps everybody happy, makes them feel human or whatever species they might be.

Hadley turned to face her stylist. What do you mean, sex pool?

You know, the stagnate pool which is never tended due to regulations? She turned Hadley’s chin toward the mirror.

Have you seen the latest gown he's got me in?

Yes, I was there when he picked it out.

I feel cheap. I want to retire Eve.

Nonsense, you're the morale officer. You must...morale.

Well I'm not a sex pool stirrer-upper, said Hadley. Sex is a distant memory. A very distant memory.

Well, I happen to know our new XO is extremely available.

How do you know?

LeBeau’s comb lingered in mid-air. Do you know him?

By reputation, I was in COMET behind his squad. Two of us made it out. Eck helped me I barely made it. She looked out the window and thought fondly of the days when she and her best friend Eck would study and he'd cook amazing meals. Now she was stuck out here with him on a ship singing once a week like some second-rate lounge singer.

You got denied again, didn't you? LeBeau asked sympathetically.

She nodded and recalled the encounter with Captain Nilsson.

You're doing important work here, Eve. He used the name she had grown to despise over the last seven hundred days or so. She made eye contact with his big, round, silvery eyes. His charcoal skin reflected the small amount of light in the room. I know where you want to be. The Admiralty knows where you want to be, but this is wartime. They're not going to transfer an engineer, whose aptitude scores were off the charts, from their advanced tech project to some random planet in some war-torn system where her skills will be wasted on disengagement processes. This ship could change how we engage the enemy. We could end this war. Can you imagine it? He leaned back in his chair. His lower head plate created an arced indentation in the vinyl. He made a steeple with his pointed fingers. This galaxy hasn't been without war for over two hundred years.

Hadley leaned forward. Sir, there's going to be no one to celebrate the end of the war because as we speak entire systems are succumbing to starvation, disease, looting—

Eve, Nilsson warned. We've got one hundred and fifty-six days left on our current mission. Will you please let this be the last request for transfer I see until then? He turned to his holodisplay. It blinked and he looked back at her.

And what if they renew the mission, Sir?

We will revisit it then. Dismissed.

You need to lighten up, said LeBeau, putting the finishing touches on Hadley’s hair. Come on, get dressed. I brought over some wine to loosen up your pipes. And I'll see if I can get you in on the meet and greet with Archer and his team.

I don't see why we need more Special Warfare Security Force. Nothing goes on out here. Deep in the heart of Externous Sector. The exciting uncharted territory. The final frontier of the galaxy. La dee dah. She rolled her eyes and studied the blackness of Externous space. We have twelve of those meat heads on board why send more?

LeBeau smoothed her bobbed hair and pinched her cheeks.

I don’t know. Nil probably has a plan. You are cranky. ‘Meat heads?’ I’ve never heard you talk about anyone like that. She poured some wine. Besides. Nil will be in a good mood, a COMET reunion. Get dressed. I want to see.

Hadley grudgingly got dressed. She thought back to her Coalition Officer Military Elite Training squad. Delphinus. It started out with twelve members—she and Jack Bozey finished. Everyone else washed out. Unlike the illustrious Corvus Squadron. Captain Nilsson, Commander Eckstrom and the new XO all belonged to it. All eleven of them finished with top marks. The Allied Systems had never seen such perfect recruitment, let alone a nearly all human squad. She blew out a breath. Do you know who is on his team?

In fact, I do.

The gown was long and black with long sleeves and fit her perfectly. Okay. The dress wasn't bad. She felt kind of sexy.

You’ll have to show me the dress first.

Hadley slouched when she presented herself.

Uh huh. LeBeau clicked her tongue. Come on, gorgeous. Let the sexy games begin. Archer definitely needs to meet you.

Doc. Who is his team? Anybody we know?

Well, I happen to know a very handsome Hentine named Dalgaard. Your old flame Jack Bozey. The other two I don’t know. Spencer Johns and Somebody Ward.

Jack? Why didn’t you tell me?

The doc bit her lip. I wanted it to be a surprise, you need cheering up. And he’s the hunk to do it.

Jack Bozey. She’d thought of him seconds ago. How serendipitous. She cracked a small smile. Jack.

I think you’re better suited to Archer if I’m honest. But then he is my favorite godson.

I don’t think of Jack romantically. It’ll be nice to have a fresh infusion of personalities on board.

And you need an infusion STAT.

Okay. So the day was looking up. Somewhat.

Chapter 1

The first thing Commander Reed Archer noticed about the Allied Systems Military Ship Umbra was the absence of things. Light, for example. The interior of the ship was made up of a black alloy, the cool turquoise glow of runners along deck, and every couple of meters or so a wide strip of light jutted up the bulkhead and into the deck above creating a stark halo in the otherwise abysmal darkness. And there were things one expected to see, fasteners, joining of one material to another, seams. The fluid construction of the ship afforded no secrets as to its manufacture or assembly. The most noticeable absence though—it unsettled and comforted him—was noise.

He found himself in a noiseless moment on the bridge. As if the Umbra itself held its breath, marooned in space for a moment.

They'd picked up a ship on long range sensors. The helmsman's voice cut through the quiet like a baby's cry at three a.m.

The Captain's inhale and subsequent sigh scraped sharp against the absence of noise.

Archer's pace didn't slow until he took his seat at the bridge. His armor made a mechanical click when he sat in his chair next to Nilsson. Nilsson made eye contact with Archer and held it for a moment, then angled toward the comms officer at his station. Play it.

An orange sound wave appeared in front of them, along with Captain Beau Lawe's Military I.D. and a holographic rendering of the Allied Systems Military Ship, Peritus.

Mayday. Mayday. Mayday. This is Captain Lawes of the ASMS Peritus, Externous Sector coordinates zero-seven-Alpha-one-five. Request immediate assistance. Unknown hostiles in range. Multiple civilian fatalities.

The message repeated. Archer stood up. ‘Set a course for the Peritus."

Aye, aye Sir.

Archer went to the forward window and leaned against the bulkhead. Empty space. Externous was made up of distant stars, a couple of uninhabited systems, and the military station Imus. No one should have been out there but them and whatever filth came out of Imus.

What is Lawes doing all the way out here? Nilsson leaned forward in his seat. And what the hell has he gotten himself into this time?

Sir, I've got a massive ship coming up on sensors, said the Helmsman.

Designation? Nilsson asked.

Unknown, Sir, the helmsman looked back at Nilsson.

Archer crossed the bridge to the helmsman's station and looked over his shoulder.

You mean un-designated. Nilsson stood and began to pace. Archer knew their thoughts were in sync.

No, Sir. The ship doesn't register. All I can tell you is it's massive and the energy readings are off the scale.

It's not far from the Peritus's distress beacon, said Archer. Those are the hostiles. You know they are. Have you ever known Lawes to call for help if trouble was small? No time like the present to show me what this money pit can do.

If we go stealth we have to vent the engine heat. We don't have time. Nilsson paced harder, his footsteps soft pats on the deck. We'll give away our position.

The bridge went as silent as the vacuum of space. Adrenaline started to bubble. The teal blue running lights blinked as if the ship itself encouraged the action.

Archer waited for his Captain. Nil, he said.

Before Archer could say anything else, Nilsson launched from his position to the aft window and bellowed the order. Chief, he turned to the stealth specialist who waited silent at his station. We're going dark. All systems down.

Aye, aye, all systems dark initiated.

Nilsson walked over to the chief. His big hands and pointed fingers rested on the back of the Chief's chair.

Archer didn't have time to be relieved. He and the three men on the bridge began shutdown sequences.

Archer, Peritus's last known coordinates? Captain Nilsson sounded the alert. Stealth alert was a loud, bubble-like chime that pierced every inch of the quiet ship. He returned to his perch at the center of the bridge in front of the viewing hologram. The light bounced off his charcoal skin.

Archer engaged his holo-cuff. Last known coordinates, approximately four and a half parsecs from our present position. Transmission is two hours old.

Captain Nilsson eyed the more immediate concern. Nothing appeared on the viewer, but it was on sensors and they didn't recognize it.

Damn it, this is going to get ugly. Nilsson shut down a final console and spoke over the ship-wide comms. Attention all personnel, enemy combatants toting a large payload are in range. Tectus Protocol commence on my mark. Nilsson's eyes met Archer's. The Captain's concern was a valid one. He let the crew know, not taking his eyes off Archer.

We have no time to vent drive core without giving away our position. It's going to get hot in here. He looked at the Chief, who swiveled in his chair and nodded. The Umbra's mechanical sigh accompanied Captain Nilsson's. Mark.

The teal blue running lights gave way to a deep violet.

Nilsson moved in the dark and took a position at the forward window. It's not just going to get hot in here, we'll be lucky if our insides don't liquefy, he said.

Archer moved to a port side window and kept his eyes on empty space. The crew knows the risks, he said.

Nilsson took off his uniform shirt, his black undershirt invisible against his shell-like charcoal skin. If this is what Lawes says it is, consequences of detection—

They both saw it at once. A bright white spec in the distance. The ship drew closer. Why didn't it come up on sensors sooner, Sir? the helmsman asked. It's bigger than the flagship.

They watched the shimmering, snake-like ship slither toward them. The designation meaningless, in a language they'd never seen. It swam through the space around them.

I don't know. Let's hope to hell they can't detect us, Nilsson answered. It may be unknown but I can spot a cannon—and it has several.

A second ship came into view.

Lawes mentioned one ship, Archer turned up the cooling system on his armor as the heat intensified. He leaned hard into the window getting a glimpse of the massive lead ship.

Tell me we have some sort of secondary back up vid on these.

Aye Sir, said the helmsman, it'll be low quality visual but at least we'll have one." Sweat plunged down his temple.

What's our temp? Nilsson's glossy dark skin shimmered in the low light.

Approximately forty-nine degrees, Sir.

Archer looked at Nilsson. I'm going down to engineering. If it's this hot up here—-

Archer, said Nilsson. Several more ships came into view.

Lucky the Umbra speed-tested at the top of her class. He activated the flashlight on his cuff.

Not from full stop.

Archer heard Nilsson say before he put on his helmet.

All security suit up and fan out across the ship. Keep an eye on the crew. We may need to get everyone suited up soon.

He used the ladder at the back of the bridge to get below decks fast. Every alloy surface he touched read over fifty degrees on his visor. He passed through Sciences. Fewer and fewer crew members wore complete uniforms. The closer he got, the hotter it got. He found the final passageway to engineering. The air was thick and steam rolled out the doors.

No movement or sound.

Eck. Archer called. His visor read fifty-six degrees. Humans couldn't withstand much more.

Arch, came from within. We're here, said Lieutenant Commander Melker Eckstrom. His onyx skin was exposed from the waste up and he dabbed at his neck and jawline with a cloth. He was propped up against some crates. Other engineers leaned on rails. Some sat on the deck.

Everybody out, said Archer. Attention all hands, full space gear required immediately. I repeat, suit up for harsh conditions. He helped a crewman to his feet. I want this bay cleared. Get your gear on and hydrate.

The engineers dragged themselves out of the torrid engineering bay. He noticed Eckstrom didn't move. The steam billowed around him, he looked like a monster from the deep.

Someone's got to watch the drive core. We've never gone stealth without venting. The core could overheat. Fuse. Blow us all to hell. I'm staying, said Eckstrom.

Archer looked out the engineering bay doors and up the at the passageway window. More ships.

You're going to fry in here, Eck. My visor reads fifty- eight degrees and rising. Who knows how long we'll be like this.

Eckstrom was all but delirious in the steamy heat.

I gave you a direct order, Archer tried to piece Eckstrom's armor on.

I can't leave her. He'd stripped down to his shorts. She's creaking and banging. This heat is putting her under all kinds of stress. The ship will pass soon. I'm Hentine—we get some really hot summers back home. I'll be fine. He made an adjustment with a tool and steam hissed out of the section.

There's an entire fleet out there. Get this on, now. Archer helped Eckstrom get into the armor bit by bit and waited.

Johns, report. He sat down on a crate and allowed Eckstrom to get his senses back. Steam billowed from another area.

Several minor injuries and heat exhaustion. We've about got everyone in their gear and back at their posts. The ship‘s taking a beating, though. The other side of engineering is glowing like a poker. We're readying the shuttle and escape pods.

Good, standby.

Nil, this ship isn't going to last much longer, he said.

Get up here, there's one left, a smaller ship, but she's on a collision course. We may not have a choice but to vent and get the hell out of here.

A giant piece of scaffolding fell nearby. It was molten on the ends.

Eck, get your ass out of here, the whole thing’s going to come down.

Archer waited until he left Engineering. Johns, get two men up to engineering, do not let Eckstrom back in.

He looked at Eckstrom. If we make it out of this, we've got to go save Lawes' ass again, and I want you there to gloat. Do not go back into the bay until its back to normal temp.

He went to the bridge. Nilsson leaned hard into the portside window. Last ship, it's going to be tight. Reconnaissance class, my guess. A straggler. All the others have bugged out. Some sort of worm hole or slipstream tech.

Archer watched the trajectory on the sensors.

The final ship was on a collision course. It was a much smaller frigate but if it didn't correct course soon they'd give away their position to avoid it, risking recalling an entire unknown alien fleet.

The Captain took a breath. Prepare for evasive action.

Belay that order, said Archer, he leaned into the port- side window and then crossed to the forward one.

Captain Nilsson turned.

She'll miss us. Archer saw the minor course corrections.

Are we looking at the same ship, Commander? Nilsson asked.

Trust me, Captain, it'll be close, but hold position, helmsman.

The helmsman looked at Nilsson. He nodded. Everyone held their breath.

He's right, Captain, the helmsman broke the silence. It'll be a near miss. She's turning, correcting course, like the others.

The ship passed over their hull. They watched the ship go by and then burst into deep space following the rest of its fleet.

No one said or did anything.

Archer breathed. They’re gone.

I hope you're right. All systems online. Nilsson got on ship-wide comms. Vent the damn ship.

The temperature readings dropped in seconds to normal. They took off their helmets. The teal blue lights lit up the bridge.

Nilsson shook Archer's hand before they took their seats.

Helmsman, plot a course for the Peritus. Sensors say she's still out there. Let's go make sure our damsel in distress is space worthy and find out what the hell he was doing in my playground. Eckstrom, Damage Report. Nilsson sat back in the chair. His long talon-like fingers tapped slowly on the arm.

Hot as Hentine Matriarch down here, Captain. A drive port fused. I can get it fixed once we dock. Some blown gaskets and warped conduit. I've got parts falling down all over the place. We're going to need extensive repairs. The drive port is the major trauma. She'll make it back to Imus, though.

We have to bail out Lawes. Will she hold?

Aye, Sir.

The Captain nodded to the helmsman.

You have the bridge. And make sure this crew gets clean and healthy. I want them looking spotless for the rendezvous with Captain Lawes.

Commander Archer has the bridge, the ship's AI announced.

He hadn’t even had time to get out of his gear once he was on board. They’d sent him out to patrol Externous because of the increase in pirate activity, not defend against an unknown fleet.

Welcome aboard Sir.

He nodded to the helmsman. If Externous was always this exciting, he welcomed the assignment.

CHAPTER 2

O fficers from the following divisions: Ops Department, Repair Division, Weapons Force Protection, Combat Systems Communications, report to comm center for briefing, said Commander Archer on ship-wide comms.

So much for a five-minute rest. Hadley was exhausted but she’d rather know what was going on, so she laced up her boots over her fuzzy socks. They'd been retrofitting the shuttle for the new XO when the Captain called for Tectus. It got so hot in engineering, and so many systems were damaged on the stupid sensitive ship, they were lucky no one was killed.

She was the last one in the full comm center. She wasn't very tall and didn't bother to move as the lights lowered.

"Ladies and gentlemen,