Tales of the Chai Makhani Trio Series

With the tavern where he works as well as life as he knows it literally on fire, Elyot takes the only possible way out. Down into the sewers that lead deeper into the catacombs. No one knows for sure what lurks in the depths. But every child knows the stories. He just wants to lead his new companions Keani and Alextra to safety. But with the enforcers dogging their steps and the caverns themselves conspiring to drive the three ever deeper, any hope for safety vanishes. The three know what the enforcers intend. But what lurks in the deep? Just might be worse. "The Maze and the Maw" is the second episode in the ongoing monthly science fiction adventure serial TALES OF THE CHAI MAKHANI TRIO.

Elyot loathes the massive Commonwealth ships that hover menacingly over his home world of Adghal. He hates the Commonwealth enforcers who harass the populace even more. But with his mother missing so long she surely must be dead, Elyot keeps his head down and strives to avoid notice. And he succeeds until the day two strangers appear in the tavern where he waits tables. One dressed in rags with her hands bloodied and bruised, the other in finery beyond the means of the average citizen of Adghal, but both sharing an anxious jumpiness and a fondness for deep hoods to hide their faces. Then a squad of enforcers troop in. Just looking for an after-shift drink? Or something more sinister? Elyot knows with enforcers, one shifts to the other in the blink of an eye. And that squad sits between everyone in the subterranean tavern and the only way out. "A Tanjo, Two Knives and Three Cups of Chai Makhani" is the first episode in the ongoing monthly science fiction adventure serial TALES OF THE CHAI MAKHANI TRIO.

Elyot, Keani and Alextra escaped the ancient monster at the heart of the catacombs under the city. But the Commonwealth enforcers launch search shuttles, and the side of the mountain offers no cover. The city above? No longer a safe haven for them. But below lies impenetrable jungle, stretching to the horizon in all directions. Keani loathes the idea of facing its many dangers. But she loathes the idea of abandoning her new friends even more. She fails to talk them out of it, but soon enough they will know just why facing squads of enforcers struck her as the better plan. "The Jungle of a Thousand Easy Deaths" is the third episode in the ongoing monthly science fiction adventure serial TALES OF THE CHAI MAKHANI TRIO.

The Chai Makhani Trio no longer need to run. The Commonwealth Enforcers, with all of their specialized equipment and brutal drive for domination, stand no chance of every finding where the Adghal rebellion lurks. But freedom from Captain Koltn Ward’s relentless pursuit comes with a price. Someone needs to get a message to Elyot’s mother. And the most uniquely qualified for that mission? Elyot himself. Not that Keani and Alextra entertain any plans of abandoning him now. But they all keep secrets that pose a risk to that mission. But the airing of secrets and the exposure of lies contains its own hidden dangers. "Secrets and Lies” is the sixth episode in the ongoing monthly science fiction adventure serial TALES OF THE CHAI MAKHANI TRIO.

The Chai Makhani Trio survived a night and a day in the jungle of a thousand easy deaths. They even evaded capture at the hands of Koltn Ward and the rest of the enforcers. But night falls again. And the best Commonwealth medicines that Alextra keeps pulling from her seemingly bottomless belt pouches only slows the spread of venom up her leg. But not as fast as the venom slows her steps. And somewhere out there they know Koltn Ward is regrouping. Their only hope lies in the last place Keani ever wanted to see again: home. "Prisoners and Rebels" is the fourth episode in the ongoing monthly science fiction adventure serial TALES OF THE CHAI MAKHANI TRIO.

The Chai Makhani Trio find themselves prisoners on board the Commonwealth flagship. Now they face interrogation and possibly execution. Elyot's mother has betrayed the rebellion. Worse than a collaborator, she serves the empress in the Commonwealth military. Elyot must get back to the rebellion and expose her. Alextra's hopes of keeping her identity secret seem on the verge of death. The longer she stays, the likelier it gets that she will get exposed. And Keani just wants to get her knives back. But before any other goal is achieved, they must escape. "The Perilous Escape” is the eighth episode in the ongoing monthly science fiction adventure serial TALES OF THE CHAI MAKHANI TRIO.

After narrowly escaping death at the hands of a band of escaped prisoners, the Chai Makhani Trio now rely on those same young renegades to get them to the only hope that still remains for them. The hidden rebel spaceport. But Koltn Ward and his Enforcers from the Commonwealth pursue them still. The sounds of his tanks and shuttles echo through the jungle, drawing ever closer. The rebellion holds the only hope for the Trio of evading Koltn Ward. But what if the rebels refuse to help? What if the trio leads the Commonwealth Enforcers straight to the rebels’ door? But none of that matters if they never reach their destination. It all depends on their guide Jax, the last person the Trio wants to depend on. "The Hidden Spaceport” is the fifth episode in the ongoing monthly science fiction adventure serial TALES OF THE CHAI MAKHANI TRIO.

The Chai Makhani Trio leaves the surface of Adghal behind, finally bound for space. Their destination? The massive Commonwealth Flagship which lurks out of sight behind Adghal's only moon. But getting there poses challenges. The rebellion pilots run blockades all the time. But sneaking onto the most secure ship in the Commonwealth fleet? No easy task. Elyot needs to get inside to find his mother. Alextra knows more than anyone about the Commonwealth. Keani and her knives just want to stay in it until the end. But dangers lurk in space, and trying to sneak on board a battle cruiser just might spell the end of the Chai Makhani Trio. "Running the Blockade” is the seventh episode in the ongoing monthly science fiction adventure serial TALES OF THE CHAI MAKHANI TRIO.

The Chai Makhani Trio know the secret to save Adghal. But without the help of the rebellion, it means nothing. They have found the rebellion's last stronghold. To their dismay, having seen the might of the Commonwealth military, they know all too well that the rebellion stands no chance. Not in a fight. But Alextra knows another way. If only she can convince the heads of the rebellion to trust her. And if Koltn Ward stays away long enough for her to try. "The Final Showdown” is the eleventh episode in the ongoing monthly science fiction adventure serial TALES OF THE CHAI MAKHANI TRIO.

The Chai Makhani Trio escaped the clutches of Koltn Ward and the Commonwealth admiral. But they still find themselves trapped, hiding in the secret places of the flagship. Elyot knows now his mother never betrayed the rebellion. But why did she leave him all those years ago? Koltn Ward knows Alextra's secret. No longer a captive, Alextra still fears the wrath he has the power to bring down on her. They must get back to Adghal and to the rebellion. But without their pilots, they have no hope of managing that. But Keani just might hold the key to save them all. "Players in the Long Game” is the ninth episode in the ongoing monthly science fiction adventure serial TALES OF THE CHAI MAKHANI TRIO.

The Chai Makhani Trio stole a shuttle, but without pilots to fly it, they remain trapped. But they have a prisoner now: Koltn Ward. His mission lies opposed to theirs. But Alextra has the power to compel him. Only none of them know where the rebellion hides now.  Best guess? Somewhere in the Desert of the Burning Sands. Infinite dunes await their anxious search. But the name? Not an exaggeration. The trio must summon up all their strength to face this latest challenge. And they must do it with the help of their bitterest foe. "The Race Across the Desert” is the tenth episode in the ongoing monthly science fiction adventure serial TALES OF THE CHAI MAKHANI TRIO.

Elyot loathes the massive Commonwealth ships that hover menacingly over his home world of Adghal. He hates the Commonwealth enforcers who harass the populace even more. But with his mother missing and presumed dead, Elyot keeps his head down and strives to avoid notice. And he succeeds until the day two strangers enter his life.  Keani wields knives with practiced skill, her childhood serving out the remaining years of her parents’ time in a prison colony required that and more. She will stop at nothing to avoid going back there.  Alextra carries a forbidden weapon and even stranger items of foreign technology. But she never talks about her past, or why the captain who chases her will risk his life to capture her. His life, but never hers. Tales of the Chai Makhani Trio, twelve episodes of danger, adventure, and the power of friendship, all contained in one volume.

The Chai Makhani Trio have fought Koltn Ward and his Commonwealth Enforcers all over the surface of Adghal and in orbit above it. But their battle has reached its end. Elyot, Alextra and Keani stand before the governor of Adghal and the leaders of the rebellion with everything needed to repel the Commonwealth for good. But politics muddies everything, even the most basic of survival impulses. Time grows short, while the danger just grows.  Their world balances on a pinpoint. Which way will it fall? Freedom or bondage? The Chai Makhani Trio face their final challenge. But win or lose, their trio is doomed to be broken. "The Last Departure” is the twelfth and final episode in the ongoing monthly science fiction adventure serial TALES OF THE CHAI MAKHANI TRIO.