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Mercenary of Lastia - BtLH - Ch 19

Lys watched a group of survivors huddled around a small fire. She didn’t want to just go up to the recruiting line without getting more information first.

She approached carefully, and then cleared her throat a safe distance away to draw their attention. “Excuse me, do any of you know about the White Dragons?”

An older man with a gray flecked beard looked up at her, his eyes narrowing. “The mercenaries? What about them?”

“I heard they’re recruiting,” Lys said...

Sigma 16 T2 - Chapter 96 - Brass Awakening

The APC pulled up to the Desert Crawler, its massive frame casting a long shadow over the sands. The elevator platform began to rise, the mechanical hum filling the air. Talia nudged Dapple gently.

“Wake up, sleepyhead,” she said, her voice soft.

Dapple stirred, her legs twitching slightly. Talia tickled her carapace, eliciting a series of chirps and clicks.

“Sleep-more.” Dapple said.

Talia frowned and turned the nudge into a gentle push. “Dapple, come on. Ti...

Sigma 16 T2 - Chapter 95 - Trust and Transmission

Talia stood in the heart of Spider-Town, the hum of the control node filling the air. Big Red loomed nearby, his massive form a constant reminder of the delicate alliance they had forged. The map on the screen flickered, showing the locations of both her units and the Blues.

[Priority: Interfacing with the precursor detection machine is critical.]

Talia stared at the web-like connections on the control node’s screen. “No means no, Neo. Big Red won’t allow a cable connection....

Mercenary of Lastia - BtLH - Ch 18

The next day, Lys continued to pick through the ruins, asking about her Uncle and Aunt. She approached some survivors huddled around a makeshift fire, their faces drawn and weary.

“Excuse me,” she said, her voice hoarse from the smoke-filled air. “I’m looking for Aldric and Elara Trekhill. Have you seen them or heard anything about their whereabouts?”

The survivors shook their heads, their eyes filled with a mixture of sympathy and resignation. One man, his face lined wi...

Mercenary of Lastia - BtLH - Ch 17

Mud squelched beneath Lys’s boots as she trudged along the sodden path.

The rain had ceased, but the overcast sky remained a dreary, oppressive presence. Her feet sank into the soft earth, and each step required extra effort.

She maintained a steady pace, despite the challenging terrain. Thankfully, she didn’t have a cart to bog her down.

The rhythmic squelch of her footsteps and the occasional rustle of her cloak in the breeze became her companions on the lonely journey...

Mercenary of Lastia - BtLH - Ch 16

Lys exchanged farewells with Arlos, Meya, Jonas, and the children, her pack’s weight a tangible reminder of the journey ahead.

There was a sense of determination and wariness in her steps as she set out towards the main road, each step crunching softly on the dirt path.

As she passed the midway point, an intense pang lanced through her gut.

It wasn’t just a mild warning—the sensation was much more profound, gripping her with a fear that eclipsed the runaway cart incide...

Mercenary of Lastia - BtLH - Ch 14-15

Chapter 14

Lys settled into the cart, the rhythmic clop of the horse’s hooves providing a soothing backdrop as they traveled along the winding road.

She glanced at Jonas, his weathered face a picture of concentration as he guided the horse with a steady hand. The countryside rolled by in a blur of greens and browns, and for the first time in days, Lys felt a small measure of safety.

The silence between them was companionable, but the weight of her recent ordeal pressed on ...

Sigma 16 T2 - Chapter 94 - Coordinate Maps

Talia clung to Dapple’s back, the spider’s movements smooth beneath her. Dusky and Hot Pink skittered alongside, their legs tapping softly against the metallic floor. Big Red led the way, his massive form casting shadows ahead of them as they neared the chamber’s edge.

They reached the back wall, Big Red halted. Talia glanced around, puzzled.

It seemed like a dead end until the floor beneath them hissed. They began to slide downward at a diagonal as the entire section transf...

Mercenary of Lastia - BtLH - Ch 12-13

Chapter 12

Lys considered turning back to Thornfield again.

The two bandits were ahead of her now, between her and Silverpines. What if there were more?

She didn’t know the land well enough to leave the road, and she wasn’t even halfway to her destination. Not even a quarter of the way, really.

She weighed continuing against going back.

Returning would likely put her family in danger.

She had no idea how long it would take for the Magistrate to arrive. ...

Mercenary of Lastia - BtLH - Ch 9-11

Chapter 9

Lys followed Jorg along the road, which was wide enough for a cart but not much more. The hard-packed earth weaved through the forest, up and down grassy hills, curving to avoid their crests.

It certainly wasn’t the best route for a wagon, especially if it rained.

Around noon, Lys’s back started to ache. Jorg seemed to notice and raised a hand. “Let’s stop for a bit and have lunch.”

They found a clean rock near the road and sat down. Jorg took out h...

Mercenary of Lastia - BtLH - Ch 5-8

Chapter 5

Caius reached down and snatched Lys’s bow off the ground. Her heart sank as she realized she had dropped it in the scuffle.

“Give that back,” Lys demanded, her voice shaking with anger. “It belongs to me.”

Caius sneered, holding the bow just out of her reach. “You won’t have any need for it.”

He stomped on her training arrows, the sound of cracking wood filling the air. Lys watched in horror as her arrows splintered beneath his boots.

Ca...

Sigma 16 T2 - Chapter 93 - Spidertalk

Big Red’s eyes locked onto Talia, the intensity of his gaze making her feel small and vulnerable. The realization hit her like a punch to the gut—Big Red was the undisputed ruler of this place. His authority radiated from him, an invisible force that demanded respect.

“Why-Maker-Come-Nest? Outsider-Forbidden-Here!” Big Red’s voice echoed through the chamber, each word a sharp click that reverberated off the metallic walls.

Chittering filled the air as spiders of all shap...

Mercenary of Lastia - Beyond the Last Hearth - Ch 1-4

(Working cover for now, still working on getting artist to do it!)

Blurb

Thrown from her life in a tranquil forest village into the fires of fate, Lysandra must reinvent herself in a world ruled by men, mercenaries, and questionable morality.

Defiance in the village of Thornfield comes at a high price.

When Lys stands up to Caius, the privileged son of the village headsman,...

Updated Writing Schedule

I've adjusted and updated my estimated writing schedule. This is update #3. The first one was too pessimistic, and the second one too optimistic. This one has added some extra time in. Sigma writing has been slower than I wanted.

Enough to the point that I ended up working on a new book. I completed the draft for it already, though, while continuing to write Sigma... haha XD.

I'll be releasing the new book here on Patreon. It's 134k words. I'll be trying to speed up Sigma 16 a bit...

Sigma 16 T2 - Chapter 92 - Bio-mechanics

Talia marveled at the sight before her as spiders came to greet them in droves, lining the metallic path into the city. Their chirps and clicks echoed through the cavernous space, creating music of excitement and anticipation.

“Now that we know that Spider-Town is a thing, what does it mean?” she asked.

[Analysis: The existence of this complex suggests two potential scenarios. First, the Tch’Llik’yzz’Lrr may have developed advanced construction techniques, allowing them ...

Sigma 16 T2 - Chapter 91 - Spidertown

The biggest hurdle for visiting the spider’s nest was setting up how things would operate while she was there.

Being in the jungle reduced her and Neo’s ability to communicate with the rest of their forces, even when they had relay units ready to breach the wall to carry a message through. Going into the nest, underground, would likely make that even worse.

Talia paced the command center, her brow furrowed as she considered the implications. Before engaging the Blue forces, t...

Sigma 16 T2 - Chapter 90 - Translations

Talia watched as the scout wave pushed forward.

The rhythmic hum of the Desert Crawler’s full industrial fabricator intensified as it continued to churn out more units. It was much faster than the old one she had relied on at the bootstrap module. The only limiting factor was the supply of raw materials.

Her gaze drifted to the command module monitor displaying a growing line of CRD-X9s trailing behind the Slim Girl, their purpose clear: to catch up and dump their precious cargo...

Sigma 16 T2 - Chapter 89 - Counter Battery

Talia hurried out of the command module, her boots clanging against the metal platform as she headed to the nearby edge. A mix of alarm and concern propelled her forward.

As she reached the edge, Dapple appeared, her normally sleepy eyes wide with excitement. The spider held a large piece of blackened metal in her forelimbs.

“What are you doing?” Talia asked.

Dapple chirped happily, her mandibles clicking together in a rhythm that seemed to convey a sense of pride. “T...

Sigma 16 T2 - Chapter 88 - Ethical Directives

The enemy tanks drifted, their turrets spinning to target the Viper, but the hover tank slid behind them avoiding being shot. Turning completely around, its plasma cannon unleashed a barrage at the support vehicles continuing forward. Two more erupted in flames, their hulls reduced to smoldering wrecks before the vipers strafed sideways to continue to pummel the enemy tanks.

Seizing the opportunity, the Raptors surged forward, their gauss cannons spitting a hail of high-velocity rounds ...

Sigma 16 T2 - Chapter 87 - Combined Arms

Talia hurried to the zoological module, her exo-suit’s footfalls clanging against the metal floor. Inside, the spiders stood alert, their eyes fixing on her.

“The Blues are on the move,” Talia explained, her voice steady despite the urgency. “We’ll be entering battle soon. There might be loud noises and booms as the weapon systems fire, and we could be attacked or hit, too.”

Dusky’s concerned chirp cut through the air. “Taker-Attack-Maker?”

Hot Pink’s res...

Sigma 16 T2 - Chapter 86 - Scouts and Preludes

Talia stirred, her exo-suit creaking as she shifted beneath the weight of the slumbering spiders.

Hot Pink’s snores filled the air, her form splayed across Talia’s back. Dapple nestled against her side, while Dusky’s head rested beneath her arm, the spider’s gentle breaths rising and falling peacefully.

With careful movements, Talia extricated herself from the tangle of arachnid limbs. She stepped out of the module and onto the desert crawler’s platform, the cool night ...

ShipCore Book 2 is now available on Amazon!

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Thank you all for supporting the ser...

Sigma 16 T2 - Chapter 85 - Gliders and Spider Piles

Talia’s eyes narrowed as she watched the tactical monitors, her exo-suit whirring softly in the dimly lit command module.

The blues swarmed around the battle site, their vehicles encircling the giant desert worm carcass like a pack of hungry predators.

[Notice: Ferroin vehicles appear to be newer variations or better maintained than previously encountered models.]

“So they’ve upgraded their gear,” Talia muttered, her gauntlet tapping against the armrest. “Or maybe...

Sigma 16 T2 - Chapter 84 - Amenities

Talia’s exo-suit whirred and clanked as she ascended the ladder, each step bringing her closer to the desert crawler’s main platform. The climb seemed to stretch on forever, a dizzying ascent that would have been problematic without her suit’s assistance.

She reached the top, her boots clanging against the metal surface. She took a moment to survey the expanse before her.

“Neo, we’re going to need a lift or something up here. This ladder is a nightmare,” she said.

Sigma 16 T2 - Chapter 83 - Xeno-Biology

The days crawled by, each one feeling like an eternity as Talia waited for the desert crawler’s completion.

She spent most of her time monitoring and approving various tasks, her mind constantly drifting to the challenges that lay ahead. The spiders, on the other hand, seemed content, their chirps and clicks filling the air with a sense of camaraderie.

She pulled back the forward units near the desert worm remains, opting to keep their scout units in a forward position. Just to...

Sigma 16 T2 - Chapter 82 - Equipment Selection

Talia leaned closer to the system readout as the display flickered erratically, the numbers and graphs barely visible beneath the static caused by the jungle’s dense electromagnetic field.

She squinted, her fingers adjusting the settings in an attempt to stabilize the image.

Hot Pink formed a pink ball against the aircraft’s gray seat, sides gently expanding and contracting. The spider had finally calmed down.

Nearby, Dapple nestled against Hot Pink, letting out a series...

Sigma 16 T2 - Chapter 81 - Hot Stuff

“Neo!” Talia shouted, her voice laced with urgency.

[Warning: Incoming hostile fauna detected. Threat level: High.]

Talia reached for her survival tool, flipping it into combat mode. The device hummed to life, energy lines glowing a menacing blue while the integrated HUD activated to show her its remaining charge.

The ground erupted as a massive creature burst forth from the earth. A giant jungle worm smaller than the ones Talia had encountered before—a baby. That wasn...

Sigma 16 T2 - Chapter 80 - Precursor

[Analysis: The ruins appear to be shallow, with a depth of approximately 3 meters. The structure comprises a circular chamber accessible via a staircase. User should be able to explore on foot.]

Talia studied the holographic map. “Have the miner follow me on autopilot,” she instructed, her gaze fixed in the direction of the ruins.

As Talia approached the site, Dusky, Hot Pink, and Dapple trailed behind her.

Dapple’s voice broke the silence, “Make-what-do?”

Ta...

Sigma 16 T2 - Chapter 79 - River

Talia stretched slightly in her suit, careful not to bash out the CRD-X9’s console. A quick glance at the external video feed allowed her to check on her companions.

Hot Pink, Dapple, and Dusky were perched on the exterior of the vehicle, their vibrant exoskeletons gleaming in the sunlight.

Hot Pink had spread herself across the top, like she was afraid she’d fall off. Dapple was curled up and asleep and Dusky was leaning so far forward off the front, she thought the spider wo...

Sigma 16 T2 - Chapter 78 - Backline Planning

Talia locked Raxion back in his cell. His request had been slightly confusing until she realized he was still afraid of the spiders.

She started to walk back to the bootstrap module, her head whirling with all the new information dumped on her.

“This changes everything,” Talia said, her voice tinged with anxiety. “If they are that big, they can just crush us before we even get set up?”

[Notice: Further expansion is crucial to ensure survival and success against poten...