Battlespace

Battlespace
Ian Douglas

When called to do battle many light years from home, the 1st Marine Interstellar Expeditionary Unit rose to the challenge – and now thousands of enslaved humans have been freed, but the earth has moved on…Earth is twenty-one years older than the home planet they originally left, and the Marines need time to retrain and readjust – time they do not have, due to the bizarre disappearance of a detachment of their brothers- and sisters-in-arms. It is a mystery, but there is a starting point: an ancient wormhole threading through the Sirius system.Whatever waits on the other side must be confronted, with stealth, with force, and without fear – be it an ancient enemy or a devastating new threat.The Marines are heading into the perilous unknown . . . and what transpires there could reshape the universe for millennia to come.

BOOK TWO OF

THE LEGACY TRILOGY

BATTLESPACE

IAN DOUGLAS

To CJ, who’s helped me with my own battle space.

Table of Contents

Title Page (#uae7e75e3-f9a8-5c55-b145-213690966839)

Dedication (#u853deca2-1e9a-508b-85c9-01aef497b309)

“I hope they’re friendly,” Lynnley said. (#u89082aa5-6c93-5665-ad9c-e23101967c9c)

Prologue (#u3b5d5d31-1488-56a3-b5ff-434e84325db1)

Chapter 1 (#uae14e0cb-5a9d-5e53-93e4-15780e2a25b1)

Chapter 2 (#ua61340e6-4547-566b-83d0-32caaa8999dd)

Chapter 3 (#u4f89a6a6-08f2-5bd6-bc5f-4dab41be3a0a)

Chapter 4 (#u6e07585a-0316-5102-86f2-18518a00937d)

Chapter 5 (#u44aae6c3-39b3-5705-bdea-329a910ba9f1)

Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 9: Interlude (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 19 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 20 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 21 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 22 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 23 (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)

Also by Ian Douglas (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

“I hope they’re friendly,” Lynnley said.

“Of course they’re friendly!” Paul replied. “All the legends about gods from Sirius emphasized that they were friendly, taught humans how to plant crops, that kind of thing. They’re just coming out to greet us!”

The shipboard alert clamored in their minds. Now hear this, now hear this, intoned the voice of the Marine detachment’s resident AI. Battle stations, battle stations. All hands man your battle stations.

A precaution only, she thought. Here, almost nine light-years from what was known and understood, it paid to be doubly cautious.

“Damn,” she said. “I sure hope you’re right.”

She began to disconnect from the noumenal feed. Battle stations for the Marines was in the squad bay aft, suited and armed, ready to repel an attack on the ship or to deploy planetside in their TAL-S Dragonflies to meet an enemy. There was no planetside here, and the golden ship, or whatever it was, had made no hostile moves as yet, had it?

Just a precaution … just a precaution. …

Then something made her hesitate, to look again at the approaching golden vessel.

And then she felt her soul and mind being dragged from her body. …

She began screaming. …

Prologue (#ulink_929a7168-de6a-5dfd-afcd-5bdc789f05c3)