Rebel
Authors: Mike Shepherd
PRAISE FOR THE KRIS LONGKNIFE NOVELS
“A whopping good read . . . Fast-paced, exciting, nicely detailed, with some innovative touches.”
—Elizabeth Moon, Nebula Award–winning author of
Crown of Renewal
“Shepherd delivers no shortage of military action, in space and on the ground. It’s cinematic, dramatic, and dynamic . . . [He also] demonstrates a knack for characterization, balancing serious moments with dry humor.”
—Tor.com
“Readers have come to depend on Mike Shepherd for fast-paced military science fiction bound to compelling story lines and adrenaline-pumping battles . . . Kris Longknife is a hero to the core.”
—Fresh Fiction
“Fans of the Honor Harrington escapades will welcome the adventures of another strong female in outer space starring in a thrill-a-page military space opera . . . The audience will root for the determined, courageous, and endearing heroine as she displays intelligence and leadership during lethal confrontations.”
—Alternative Worlds
“Mike Shepherd has written an action-packed, exciting space opera that starts at light speed and just keeps getting better. This is outer-space military science fiction at its adventurous best.”
—Midwest Book Review
“I always look forward to installments in the Kris Longknife series because I know I’m guaranteed a good time with plenty of adventure . . . Military SF fans are bound to get a kick out of the series as a whole.”
—SF Site
Ace Books by Mike Shepherd
KRIS LONGKNIFE: MUTINEER
KRIS LONGKNIFE: DESERTER
KRIS LONGKNIFE: DEFIANT
KRIS LONGKNIFE: RESOLUTE
KRIS LONGKNIFE: AUDACIOUS
KRIS LONGKNIFE: INTREPID
KRIS LONGKNIFE: UNDAUNTED
KRIS LONGKNIFE: REDOUBTABLE
KRIS LONGKNIFE: DARING
KRIS LONGKNIFE: FURIOUS
KRIS LONGKNIFE: DEFENDER
KRIS LONGKNIFE: TENACIOUS
KRIS LONGKNIFE: UNRELENTING
TO DO OR DIE: A JUMP UNIVERSE NOVEL
VICKY PETERWALD: TARGET
VICKY PETERWALD: SURVIVOR
VICKY PETERWALD: REBEL
Specials
KRIS LONGKNIFE: TRAINING DAZE
KRIS LONGKNIFE: WELCOME HOME / GO AWAY
Writing as Mike Moscoe
THE FIRST CASUALTY: A JUMP UNIVERSE NOVEL
THE PRICE OF PEACE: A JUMP UNIVERSE NOVEL
THEY ALSO SERVE: A JUMP UNIVERSE NOVEL
An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014
VICKY PETERWALD: REBEL
An Ace Book / published by arrangement with the author
Copyright © 2016 by Mike Moscoe.
Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices,
promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.
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eBook ISBN: 978-1-101-61733-5
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Ace mass-market edition / June 2016
Cover illustration by Scott Grimando.
Cover design by Diana Kolsky.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
As we complete the third book of the Vicky Peterwald trilogy (exactly three books, count them), I’m also coming up on twenty-five years since my first short story was published. It’s been a great ride, and now seems like a good time to thank all the people who helped me along the way.
I will always be thankful to Sheila Simonson and the group at the Novel Writing class at Clark College, Washington. They helped me through those first stumbling efforts, taught me how to do dialogue (you know, Mike, that stuff in quotes), and gave me the discipline to write ten whole pages a week. Mary Rosenblum and her writers group helped polish me. Mary also gave me the benefit of her Clarion experience.
Thank you, Stan Schmidt of
Analog
. You were the first to see the writing potential in me and give me the approval I desperately needed. Like with all writers, that approval came in the form of a check.
Jenn Jackson has been the best agent that I could hope for. She’s given me all I needed and kept out of my way when I needed that. My longtime editor at Ace, Ginjer Buchanan, picked me up and gave me a second chance when others might not have. She was a perfect match for twenty years. I hope she
enjoys a long and fun retirement; she surely deserves it. I appreciate Diana Gill’s contributions to
Rebel
and my other latest books. I’m grateful to the whole gang at Ace for the work they’ve put into the production that turns my manuscript into the finished product you readers enjoy. Oh, and I do love Scott’s cover art.
The folks at Lincoln City, both at the Historic Anchor Inn and the Sunday brunch bunch, have supported me through a lot and helped me keep going. I’m sure you will keep me going for a long time to come.
I really want to thank my first readers, Lisa Muller and Edee Lemonier. They do a great job of cleaning up my typos and nits. Oh, and occasionally backing up my wife that “I really need to change that section.”
At home, Nikki and Danny are not only interesting sources for inspiration, but they’ve also come to understand what it’s like to have a writer for a grandpa. They’ve learned to enjoy the ups and put up with the downs with accepting smiles.
And then there’s Ellen. She’s devoted years to learning how to be the best first reader that a writing husband could hope for. Thank you, honey, for everything.
CONTENTS
PRAISE FOR THE KRIS LONGKNIFE NOVELS
CHAPTER 1
H
ER
Imperial Grace, the Grand Duchess, Lieutenant Commander Victoria of Greenfeld felt the pressure in her ears change ever so slightly. The battleship
Retribution
had sealed locks with High St. Petersburg Station. She should be getting herself off to pay her respects to Admiral von Mittleburg.
She stood and faced the door.
Commander Franz Boch, the latest officer to swear that assassins got to Vicky over his dead body, and the one to survive the longest, cleared his throat.