Peacekeeper: A Major Ariane Kedros Novel

Excerpt: A Deadly Trap

Not knowing what waited for her on the other side, Ariane grabbed a handhold as she opened the door. There was no decompression, so she stepped to the threshold. The slate began alarming in her hand, vibrating as well as flashing red dots.

It felt surreal to look up at the calm green status displayed above the door, then to look down at the slate and see blinking lights and text of "Warning! Oxygen content inadequate! Temperature dangerously low! Do not expose skin!" Readings from the sensors in the slate began to scroll down the right side.

At least the suits were equipped with shrink-to-fit gloves, so she hastily saved the slate's data by a single action of her thumb. Still standing at the threshold, she reached around to flip the emergency disablement switch before stepping all the way into the gym.

The door closed behind her anyway.

She whirled, her breath starting to come faster. She'd toggled the mechanical disablement switch, yet the door had closed. She was beginning to feel persecuted, and those feelings grew overwhelming as the lights dimmed and a text message formed on the back of the door.

"How can you handle the guilt, Ari? Soon you'll have no trouble sleeping…”

Back Cover : Nothing Goes Unpunished

To her partners at Aether Exploration, Ariane Kedros is the daring pilot of their prospecting ship. She is also a reserve major in the Consortium of Autonomous Worlds--accepting mysterious assignments to fulfill her duty.

To the Terran Expansion League, she is a war criminal. Fifteen years ago, she piloted a ship on a mission that obliterated an entire solar system. Those involved in the incident were given new identities and new lives in order to protect them from retribution. No new face or name can wash away the guilt Ariane feels, or chase her demons away.

But now, her government wants something in return. Twelve of Ariane's wartime colleagues are dead--assassinated by someone who has uncovered their true identities. And her superiors in the Autonomist army have placed her directly in the assassin's line of fire on a peacekeeping mission that will decide the fate of all humanity…