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Beyond the Light Wall: Tales of the UES Loss and its crew

Llelo
The war is over—but the scars are fresh. A brutal ten-year civil war has left humankind and Earth exhausted. Fintan, the only undefeated Captain of the war and a hero of the losing side, is offered a poisoned olive branch: command of the UES Loss, a patchwork starship cobbled together from the wreckage of fallen fleets. Her crew? A volatile mix of war-weary veterans, bitter enemies, and unwilling allies drawn from all sides of the conflict-winners, losers, and those who stayed neutral. Their mission: to venture beyond the Light Wall, a massive man-made wall of light shields that surround the solar system to protect it from the other occupants of the universe. It’s been a hundred years since the last Earth ship crossed the light wall, the only remembered boundary between known space and the forgotten. But what beings as a desperate bid for redemption soon becomes a pulse-pounding journey through uncharted galaxies, ancient alien ruins, cosmic threats, and long-buried secrets that could rewrite humanity’s place in the universe. Along the way, tensions simmer, loyalties are tested, and unexpected romances spark amidst the chaos. For Fintan and her crew, survival isn’t guaranteed-but the chance to shape a new future is. If they can learn to trust each other, they might just become the legends the galaxy never saw coming. (I will be posting this story on RoyalRoad.com)
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The Duke’s Bargain

“What did you say?” Félix asked. She repeated, “Name your price.” “What is that supposed to mean?” His voice had tapered off with an unreadable emotion that got her weak in her knees, but she held out her chin. “Didn't you once offer to pay me off? Now, make me an offer I cannot refuse. Otherwise, I will go in there"—she gestured toward the Ball—"and make everyone think you dragged me out here to take advantage of me. I know exactly what that would do to your reputation.” “Say. That. Again,” Félix said through gritted teeth as he inched closer to her. ====================== She hadn’t meant to upset him or, worse, blackmail him. She didn’t even know who he was; she only knew he looked important because of how regally he stood in the moonlit dark. Estella was the baron of Cleverdale’s youngest, born into a hard life and always kept on her toes. Her stepsisters hated her. The baroness loathed her. And her father, the only one she called family, shattered her heart when he sold her to Viscount Alistair Ravensdale to cover up his misdeeds. The night of Lady Agatha’s ball, she seized her chance and ran straight into … Duke Félix of Chateaûbriant. In the dark, he mistook her for Princess Coralie, his fiancée, and kissed her. When the moon revealed her face, something about her stuck with him. He couldn’t shake the image of her running wildly or how she smelled like white lotus with hardcore roots. But when she threatened his reputation, he refused to play along. She returned to her world of cruel sisters and an unwanted engagement. What she hadn’t prepared for was the Duke arriving at her doorstep, making two outrageous claims. One. He was the Duke of Chateaûbriant. And two. She had stolen something valuable from him that night. What had she stolen without knowing it? Or worse, what could he possibly demand as repayment? ✯Like it? Add to Library!
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