Starship Bandits

Two things hold our starship together. Duct tape and hate. In the near future space debris around Earth has made it impossible to traverse our solar system. Or it would be, if not for prisoners sentenced to clearing that debris known as Orbital Garbage Removal Experts, or O.G.R.E. for short. Former linguistics professor Dax has made it a habit of working aboard The Junkyard with a small crew, the conspiracy theorist, tech-savvy hacker Mark and the once decorated military hero turned war criminal, Kane. One day a job goes badly when the "debris" turns out to be an alien ship with a deceased crew and an autopilot warp drive. The alien craft jumps with The Junkyard attached only to crash land on a desolate, alien world. A world home to insects the size of cars called Underbeasts and the native alien orc-like Dal'no who have been thrown back to the Iron Age. Join Dax, Mark, and Kane as they strike bargains with the formerly technologically advanced species, unravel the beginnings of a human written language, and find out they aren't the first humans to visit the strange planet.

Never tell me the odds . . . The galaxy is much larger than the crew of the Junkyard could've anticipated. Their little corner is now being set upon by the savage, elf-like race known only as the Valtukta. Soon they are captured and experimented on in an attempt to create the ultimate weapon for their Valtukta front lines. What the Valtukta weren't counting on are the skills Dax has spent his entire professional career developing. Using these skills Dax is able to mount a prison break freeing his crew and the others held against their will. With life returning to somewhat normal, the crew of the Junkyard return to their old jobs of salvage and smuggling. However, their victory is short-lived when a video of a scout being attacked by an eerily familiar chitinous creature is brought to their attention.

SCIENCE! After discovering the origins of the bugs, Dax comes up with a plan on how to wipe them out in mass. To do this, they must go to the one planet in the galaxy that is known to be home to the insectoid-consuming fungus, Earth. The space sector Earth called home was once believed to be quarantined because of the species that lived there. On their way to pay a visit to one of Dax's colleagues he, Mark, and Kane will find out the hard way humanity wasn't what the rest of the galaxy was trying to avoid. On top of galactic horrors that strike fear in the heart of the Valtakuntera, new enemies emerge from the woodwork to attack the team where they didn't even know they were vulnerable. Meanwhile truths about ancient visitors are revealed while the Junkyard is poised to lose its first member.

The hunt is on . . . After facing down a new, enhanced Valtukta who can heal faster than Dax and his crew, they retreat to the furthest known corner of our galaxy. Saving the life of Bleeze will come at a cost. The cost of a favor to a Caretaker of a mining colony whose shiny and perfect exterior is little more than a thin veil covering a sinister underbelly. Alliances are strengthened, bounties are raised, and more than one ship decides to follow the Junkyard into the void. While traveling through a Dark Matter minefield, Dax and Kane learn the hard way about what happens if an ancient weapon is structurally compromised. While temporarily getting the bounty hunters off their tails, Mark's pilot skills are pushed to the limit in order to outrun a black hole. Now with every bounty hunter, along with an entire empire on their tail, the Junkyard's crew is forced to pick up the pace. Did their bug weapon work? How much longer will their bucket of bolts hold together? Is their A.I. really as helpful as it appears to be?

Infected! As Mark recuperates from severe injuries, Master Decombres summons the Junkyard's crew to explore a mining ship that has gone dark. Upon arrival, the situation is horrific. Reluctant to dock and risk the unknown, the crew sets a self-imposed deadline. They must unravel the mystery and escape the ghost ship before being consumed by the remnants of a dead star. During their investigation, they encounter true terror: their weapon, designed to exterminate the insects, has mutated, jumping species. Isolated and without support, Dax, Kane, Dalia, and Henuva race against the clock to restore the ship's functionality while evading the infected hordes. Engage in the battle to discover whether Dax can resist the voice in his head, or if he will inadvertently unleash a contagion that not even Tylira or the Valtakuntera can withstand!

Hunted! On a return visit to Dal'no'nuuur to aid its inhabitants and get some upgrades, the crew of the Junkyard finds themselves ambushed by a Bastet intent on capturing them. Before meeting his 'unfortunate' end, Dax and Kane manage to extract a name from their assailant: Tussanu. Retreating to Tachyon, they discover Tussanu is an enigma wrapped in a mystery. This reclusive individual, whose race, age, and appearance remain unknown, invites his contractors to his home once a month to contribute to his extensive collection. Still relatively new to the wider galaxy, Dax and his team decide to go undercover to penetrate Tussanu's stronghold. As is customary with dealings involving Bleeze and Decombres, the intelligence they provide comes with strings attached. Will they succeed in persuading Tussanu to abandon his desire to add them to his collection? Is a confrontation between these two factions inevitable? With so many unknowns, one thing is certain: someone will be robbed.

Some deals are too good to pass up. During a serene island escape, peace for the Junkyard crew is shattered by the sudden arrival of enigmatic grey men. After a fierce battle to repel these intruders, the crew of the Junkyard is met with an unexpected ally and a tantalizing proposal. Ruthnar, the envoy from the galaxy's second-most formidable power, the Ryshy, extends an intriguing offer: "Assist the Ryshy in securing a seat on the galactic senate, and gain invaluable intel on Tylira." Seizing the chance to procure an advantage over the elusive Death Squad commander, Dax and his team dive headfirst into a maelstrom of unforeseen challenges and long-standing adversaries. Time is of the essence as they race to unite the Ryshy with the galaxy's forces against the looming threat of the Valtakuntera. Will the Junkyard's crew triumph in their quest, or will Tylira continue to evade those who seek her?

The hunt is on. After Kane's death at the hands of Tylira, Dax finds himself with a single job, keep Mark focused. With the youngest member of the team losing the only father he knew, the Junkyard tech genius is starting to show signs that Dax is all too familiar with. Knowing vengeance isn't what Kane would've wanted, Dax struggles with his own past and how to pursue justice instead. Going on the offensive, but with no leads to track the death squad leader down, only one option is left, Tachyon. Unable to sway Decombres to help out of what goodness might remain in the pit some would call a heart, Bleeze offers to take their debt for a little favor leading to a clash with the Toxic Queens. After dealing with that menace, they follow a whisper of a lead and meet a Data Broker on a familiar planet. They learn that sometimes mutual hate, can forge a fractured society back together. After finding a lead buried deep in the data, Mark insists that they rush headlong into where Tylira may be, leading to; meetings of ancient heroes, fights with genetic monstrosities, and squaring off with bands of pirates even the death squad would give a wide berth to.

With Kane laid to rest, Dax and the Junkyard crew now have one job left, go on the offensive. Countless beings owe them a favor, like Master Decombres, it's time to collect. Deciding to play it smart, they will traverse the galaxy, gathering every ounce of strength they can muster. From Tachyon, to the Alcazar and everything in between, the Junkyard crew will beg, barter and salvage to amass a fleet powerful enough to rival the Valtakuntera. Henuva will provide ancient knowledge to help them keep one step ahead of the empress. Sandrina will put out her feelers for her underworld contacts while Dalia coordinates with the Dal'no to develop the most advanced weapons the galaxy has ever seen. Dax will be joined by Mark and their emotionally abusive cyber-dog PITA to see if the all powerful Boronian race would be willing to intervene just this once. Hop into the world of Starship Bandits as Dax and his crew make new friends, discover worse enemies, and prepare to show the Valtakuntera why it was a bad idea to provoke the wrath of humanity.

War, they say it never changes. That was before the Junkyard crew entered the fray. With their conflict against the Valtakuntera inevitable, the Junkyard crew decide to conduct war from Kane's perspective. Dax and his team aim for the core of the empire in a last-ditch effort to restore peace to the galaxy. Dax will temper his reckless nature after clinging to the exterior of a starship to lure a gigantic leviathan. Sandrina and Dalia work in tandem with the remaining Bastet and Dal'no to merge their cutting-edge technologies, hoping to gain an advantage. Jun and Mark enhance their abilities with weapons and technology to make PITA an even more formidable foe on the battlefield. While Henuva toils on an experiment that's a secret to everyone but him. Get your hands on the final chapter of the Starship Bandits as they battle the Valtakuntera and test every bond of fellowship they've built. Will all their sacrifices bring peace? Or will hope fade away like a dying star?