Decline and Fall of the Galactic Empire

Kill a man and you're a murderer. Kill a million and you're a statesman. Dirk should have killed more people. Dirriken Friedel used his aristocratic connections to rescue his troops. He didn't plan on starting a war or killing them himself. Now he spends his days in jail, waiting for an assassin sent by his dead officers families to end his misery. When he's broken out by off-duty marines he has a chance to start over, if he's worthy. During his ramshackle escape he collects a broken-down trading ship, a bitter former army officer, a genetically altered religious fanatic, a runaway ingenue, a sham engineer, and a murderous femme fatale. Pursed by a fanatical imperial tribune bent on bloody justice, can he keep the crew from killing each other, the ship from exploding, and himself from the bottom of a bottle. Or would it be easier just to give up? If you like Galactic Empires, honorable enemies, and snappy dialog, this one's for you.

The guilty flee, but everyone pursues. Escaped Imperial officer Dirk doesn't care his crew are runaways, revolutionaries, and alleged criminals, as long as they're adequately competent and don't kill each other too often. When a smuggling job goes badly wrong and they improvise, he'll trade competency for just non-suicidal. If one crime causes problems, a second should fix it. But after a botched heist lands them in the freezing woods of a frozen planet, they need a new plan. What's in those containers they stole? Who wants it that bad? How can they make money out of this? And what if his crew isn't as trustworthy as he thought? And why doesn't that dog like him? If you like Galactic Empires, honorable enemies, and snappy dialog, this one's for you.

Vive la Revolution! None shall pass! Or get paid. Dirk Friedel used to be an Imperial Duke, now he's a washed up freighter captain. When a shady broker offers him easy money to steal some obsolete cargo and transport it off-planet, he and his crew of amateur thieves jump at the chance. Who'll miss a few crates of worthless supplies and some broken down trucks? But when the supplies turn out to be something more than imagined, they end up dodging the Imperial navy and enlisting as unwilling mercenaries in civil war. With no idea who they can trust, or who is really on their side, can they beat the odds and collect a payoff before the empire gets involved, or will they become collateral damage? If you like Galactic Empires, honorable enemies, and snappy dialog, this one's for you.

Fleeing a smashed rebellion and near execution by their supposed allies, Dirk, Gavin, Dena, and Ana abandon Scruggs and Lee during battle. When local medical treatment isn't enough, Lee surrenders to the Imperials and arranges to surrender to Devin's ship to save Scruggs's life. When a botched meet-up leaves them all in Devin's custody and surrounded by his Marines, it looks like time's up for our heroes. But Devin gets startling news, and it's not what it says, but what it doesn't that worries him. He has a proposal of his own for Dirk and company. They'll get Scruggs and what they want, but they might have to change sides! If you like Galactic Empires, honorable enemies, and snappy dialog, this one's for you!

Dirk's old problems are gone. New ones are moving in! Dirk and company can rest easy. The ship isn't listed as stolen, Dirk's warrant is cancelled, and in return they just have to do a tiny favor for Tribune Devin. How difficult can it be to update his ship's weapons, find out what's going on core ward, and help look into Scruggs's warrant-and meet up with an ex-girlfriend? What could possibly go wrong? But when a botched heist, a crooked repair deal, and the sudden appearance of an enemy warship complicate things, Dirk has to decide. Is he a mercenary, a privateer, or a loyal servant of the Empire? Or can he be all three a once . . . If you like Galactic Empires, honorable enemies, and snappy dialog, this one's for you!