I’m really enjoying this series. The second book seems to be a lot more exciting and now that I know the characters, a lot more interesting. Captain Caleb Card managed to steal a Legion Nightmare and has closed with the *Glory*. This is their converted freighter containing the remanents of the free Empire, both military and civilans. Caleb needs to make contact with them and com aboard if possible since he knows they have a traitor amongst them although he doesn’t know who it might be. Of course, after having admitted that he was forced to kill the late Empiress Lo’ane, he’s not the most welcomed individual. In fact, General Haas doesn’t trust him and won’t allow him to come aboard even though he’s using Caleb’s friend Abraham to pilot *Glory*. So, Capt. Card does the next best thing and that is to close with the Glory and remain in its warp bubble until they transition to where ever they are going.
General Haas finds out what Card is trying to do and tells him to get away. They will allow him to stay attached until they reach a clear part of the space and then he’s to be cut loose on his own. They indicated there are habital planets in the vicinity and he’ll be next to a common trade route so if he transmits his destress becon, he should be picked up before the air in his ship is depelted. Card doesn’t really have any other choice.
So now is set adrift in a barely survivable starship. He’s got some leaks in the fuselage of the starship, but has patched them as well as he can, but he’s going got about 2 hours of oxygen left. Ishek puts him into stasis until he receives a signal of another ship approaching. This ship doesn’t look to impressive and Caleb figures it probably belongs to some pirate. While not admitting to be a pirate, the other ship’s Captain says he’ll bring Caleb aboard as long as he can claim the Nightmare as salvage. Caleb agrees only to have another ship show up at about the same time.
This other ship seems to be in much better condition and states that are a transport for a known trading company giving them the appearance of a legitimate business entity. Both agree to take the Nightmare in tow for salvage, but then they start arguing as to who has the rightful claim. Shooting starts with Caleb trying to say out of the fight, but he’s afraid that neither one will survive long enough to help him if he doesn’t choose sides and help one of them. The Graystone is the side Caleb chooses and he does so at the last second which helps destroy the other vessel.
After that battle, Caleb finds out he has choose wrong! The Graystone is a pirate ship and they mean to take the Nightmare and send Caleb through an airlock as soon as he’s on-board if he can make his way aboard. He’s almost out of oxygen when the Greystone spears the Nightmare through the canopy. This depletes all the air in the starship and Caleb is forced to work his way aboard the Graystone by climbing on the cables now attached to his ship. It’s a tough climb and almost without oxygen, but Ishek is helping keep Caleb alive.
From here on is where the story really gets going. Captain Card is not your usual harmless rescued individual. He’s very capable of defending himself against a bunch of not so bright pirates. He needs anther ship and the means to do what he intends to do and that is to dethrown Crux and the aliens that control him and other humans in this galaxy. He is going to try and put the true ruler of the galaxy back on the thrown and set things right. That’s a big job for someone that is by himsef, has no starship and no money.
But, don’t underestimate Captain Caleb Card. He’s very resourceful and with his symbiote, Ishek, they can be a formidable force. Hopefully, we’ll see how all this turns out in the thrird book of the series, “[Galaxy Under Siege](https://amzn.to/46FlXL5)”, availabe as a pre-order for 1 Nov 23.