STARMAN - THE MERCINARY FROM HELL!! DOES HE HAVE A SOFT SPOT? LET'S GO SEE IF HE DOES. - Entertainment

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Star is a tough old bird. He has been a Merc. since the days of the early Egyptians.
In a sosiety that starhops the way present day people travel from country to country, his skills are much in demand. Small Wars fought by religious groups or comapnies. Governments on worlds just getting started. The type of warfare depend on the amount of money available. Comapny Wars are usually ultra modern with the latest wepaonry.
^I

While on Fellis, a small farming world, Star checks in with the local recruiting office and is assigned a billit as part of a Roman Era army. He meets Nova Henderson. Nova is fifteen, turning tricks in a port town gin mill. Star feels sorry for her for some reason and hires her as his cook.

From there we go to war. Ancient weapons to modern weapons and back again. Nova becomes quite the Merc.
Read this brand new novel and see how Nova reacts to her first kill. Be there when her friends die in battle. Live with the hurt when she is wounded. Be there when she discovers Star's secret.

Robert, Nova's father who owns a small farm that barely keeps food on the table for Nova's siblings, gets to know Star. When he finds out what his daughter was doing for a living, it about breaks his heart. What Star tells him leaves him puzzled and dismayed.
Star helps with the farm when he and Nova are visiting. Usually while Nova heals up from her latest battle wounds, his help improves the farm by leaps and bounds. Money from Nova's Merc. pay goes to modernize the farm.

The only way you can understand the relationships between Star, Nova, and the farm is if you read the book.
available at http://www.lulu.com/duncanpublshing in print for $13.07 or as $3.13 as a download.

EXERPTS

"Need some company big boy," A girl said approaching the table where he sat. She was
barely fifteen years standard. She sat her left foot on the bench, hiking her skirt to reveal her
inner thigh clear to her crotch. She flushed a little as she revealed her charms.

"Star! I shall call you Star." She whispered, looking into the gray eyes that looked back at
her, filled with curiosity.
Youro celebrated the miracle of her son's rebirth. She proclaimed to all who would
listen the miracle which had beseeched her. The Gods had given her back her son.

"I was a first once. Long ago. Little wench name of Berna. I sure wasn't her first. She took me through the steps. Everything from undressing her right down to the final act. Wasn't
near as bad as I thought it would be. Actually, once I got over being scared stiff, I
discovered I was quite stiff on my own, and Berna knew just what to do about that." While
he was talking the ship had passed out through the atmosphere. The rumble of the lift
engines had died away to a whisper and she found she could breathe again.
"Wasn't so bad now, was it?"
"No. I was to busy listening to you to really notice what was happening."
"That was the idea. Glad I could help."

A Dolbe has about the same intelligence as an Earth type dog. They can be trained to do
many things. These animals are Green. They have never been saddled, or ridden. The only
exception are the teams that are to pull the wagons. Teamsters will handle them. The cook
wagons will be pulled by a four up of seasoned stock. Take good care of your cooks ladies
and gents. They'll be indispensable in the months to come. By company, fall out and saddle
and bridle your Dolbes. At the first touch of the blankets on their backs, the animals went wild. Never before in all of
history was there such a circus. Dolbe's bucked jumped, reared, brayed and screamed.
Round and round they went.

Screaming and yelling, the Rebel force made their initial attack
Nova met her first enemy trooper. He charged her, head down, blade forward. She made a
sideways sweep of her blade, knocking his point aside, followed by a backhand cut to his
belly. He screamed, crumpled to the ground, holding his guts in with both hands.

"If they cut us loose now Corp. we'd have to ride like hell to make the relief zone." Chintz
was looking worried too.
"Hey guys!" PFC. Bradley suddenly sounded off excitedly.
"What is it now Bradley. You got to piss? Use the damned corner. Everyone else has."
Corporal Brown gumbled as he paced the little cell that held the squad.
"No. Nothing like that. There's a loose board back here and this is the outside wall!
Maybe we could pry it off and wiggle out. This shack just has a single wall. Don't know
how they expect to keep someone locked up in here. Knock off a few boards and you're
home free." With those words, Bradley began to work at the loose boards. In a few
minutes, he had a hole large enough to squeeze through.
Bradley was a small, stout man and the hole that let him escape with ease was just a bit
tight for a couple of the squad who were just a little on the plump side. Gordon lost quite a
bit of skin but with some pushing, pulling, prodding and prying they got him through the hole
and the squad made a hasty retreat to the bar where their Dolbe's had been left tethered.
Surprisingly they were still there. Any other time some resourceful farmer would have made
off with them. They were very valuable animals.

"Permission to marry a local Sir." Morton squirmed about like the ground was hot.
"What local?" The request wasn't unusual. Batt. had been on many campaigns and was
used to the younger troops falling in love with local girls.
"Farmer Zoziliski's daughter, Muriel Sir." Now that the deed was done, Morton's
courage was returning.
Batt. was a little surprised. He considered the problem for a while.
"Farmer Zoziliski must be eating pretty well Private. You are the fourth trooper that has
requested to marry Muriel this week."

"Mom. This is Star. I signed on as his cook on our last mission. Just signed again. We leave
in a couple of weeks. Wanted to see you and Pop before we left. Where's Pop?"
"He's up in the North Forty."
"You really a Merc. now?" A ten year old wanted to know..
"What?s it like?" another wanted to know.
"Yes I really am and it's not bad long as you don't get killed." This brought stares of
surprise from the group.

"The girl wasn't doing to good at whoreing then?" He asked out of the blue. His name was
Robert and he was practical in all matters. Star was a little embarrassed by the subject.
How could he discuss such things with a girls father

Nova found it hard to believe one of those monstrous tanks could shoot a satellite out of
orbit.

"We going to be put out in capsules this time?" Nova asked, becoming very nervous at the
prospect of being locked in a capsule all alone for a trip down to the plant's surface.

"What's that noise?" Nova asked.
A private snickered. "Call it outgoing mail mam."
"INCOMING!! INCOMING!" Rang from the speakers and the right hand patrol car
disappeared.

Nova knocked on the door of the little house. It was a three bedroom ranch style with the
latest conveniences added.
A woman in her forties answered the door. She was short, slightly stoop shouldered,
black hair just beginning to turn gray and the blackest eyes Nova had ever seen. Behind her
were two Young men, both in their teens. The oldest was about the same age Nova had
been when she signed her first contract.
"Yes." She said, opening the door to find two strangers standing on the stoop.
"I'm afraid I have some bad news for you."
"He's dead, isn't he?"

Nova and Star returned to the farm. She had been shot up pretty badly when her battery
was overrun by ground troops and was still recovering when she was hit again while riding in
a tank. Her position as battery commander had been expanded to Xo. of a battle group
when she got hit the second time. This time her wounds had been much more serious. The
wounds had healed but the emotional trauma was still fresh in her mind. The scars were
terrible red welts on her left side and head. Much of the skin of her back had been burned
away. The new pink skin was tinder and very sensitive.

"If she had a baby it would settle her down. She ain't getting any younger. Won't be long
before it'll be to late." Ellie would tell Rob. "To bad Star can't make her pregnant."
"Star's done told me that he told her long time ago that if she wanted to get pregnant
he wouldn't complain. After all, he took her out of a whore house. Don't guess he'd fret to
much if she wanted some young buck to knock her up." Rob didn't seem to worry to much
about Nova being childless. After all, the other kids had a passle of youngins. Didn't know
why Ellie couldn't be happy with the pack of brats they had, instead of worrying about
Nova all the time. Some women just weren't the mother type. He kind of figured that Lt.
Colonel Nova Henderson was one of those women.

"We served with Jacob's Rangers through five campaigns. Kind of got used to thinking of
him as Batt. This time you were Batt. Made a difference. We weren't together much. Know
you did it so I could take the promotion but still didn't like it much." Nova got to her feet
and ambled off outside. Ellie spied her from the porch and decided there wasn't any hay
rolling going on after all.
"Been thinking. Next time out if I have to take Batt., you'd make a good Colonel and a
damned good staff officer. That'd keep you with me and still let you take a step up."

"Maybe this time well visit without you being all shot up." She was taken by surprise. It was
as if he had read her mind. But then, they had been together for a long time. She suspected
that by now he usually knew what she was thinking.

After two days, Star wandered down to the engine room and stood around watching while
mechanics ran around like a bunch of mice freed from their cages among a house full of cats.
After some hours of observing, Nova nudged Star and pointed to a large Crescent
Wrench which had slid down to lay across the main power terminals for number two and
four feeder coils. It was glowing cherry red, indicating that it was conducting the entire load,
effectively shunting the coils.
"Wonder how long it?ll be before they find that," she asked with a sniker.
"don't know. They been looking for two days now. All their readings come up normal
but they can't get any power. Should tell them something."
"Have you worked on Enfield engines?" One of the mechanics asked Star, who was
still standing quietly out of the way of all the bustle with a knowing smile.
"Yup. Few times." Nova was jumping up and down with glee wanting to tell what she
knew.
"Don't suppose you would have any idea what the problem is, would you?"
"Yup. Had a similar one some years back."
"Don't suppose you'd care to enlighten me?"
"Could do that but would ruin your fun."
"Fun Hell! We're fighting for our lives here. Say, you're the Merc. Guess you'd know
about fighting." The mechanic wiped his hands on his greasy pants and stuck the right one
out. "Leon." He announced.
"Star," he replied, taking the offered hand.
"Now, if you know what's wrong?" He nervously ran his fingers through his hair. A
habit he had practiced a lot of late from the looks of the grease and grime collected in his
hair.
"Nova can show you. She spotted it in about an hour."
Nova danced forward, pointed to the large crescent wrench and stepped back to
Star's side.
"I'll be damned!" Leon exclaimed.

The house was finished on Nova's fifty-third birthday. She walked through the rooms,
admiring the furnishings. Star had thought of everything. Even the porch with its rocking
chair. There was even an old fashioned porch swing. The kitchen was a marvel of
technology. All you had to do was select a menu. The rest was automatic.

"Name?" The clerk asked.
"Henderson, Nova."
"Last rank Held?"
"Brigadier."
"Hmm, got 35 outfits lifting at the end of the week. Real busy season for us. Can't get
enough people to fill the top ranks. Half the outfits are leaving with open ranks at the top."
"Don't mind what slot, anything will do. Just want to get back in the action."
"Says here you're part of a team."
"Teams split up."
"OK Brigadier, what ever you say. You can have your choice of nineteen billets as
Co., or 31 as Xo."
"You chose. Makes no difference to me."
"Burnside is a modern war. Says here that's your specialty. Be OK?"

Star found the note on the dining room table when he returned from the fields at sunset.
"Ha guy. Know this is going to hit you in the gut but I had to do something. I shipped
out early this morning. Don't know to where yet. Figured would leave that up to the Clerk.
That way I wouldn't be tempted to tell you. It may seem to you like I'm running out but fact
is I had to do something. All I can see these days is that kid's face. His sister's visit made it
even worse. She put a name to the face."
"Don't be mad Star. Try to put yourself in my shoes. I know you've been there.
Probably more times than I can imagine.
"I got that kid killed. If I had took a pulse rifle and put a round through his head it
would have been cleaner. I keep wondering what I could have done to save him. I don't
have an answer. All I can do is try to put it out of my mind. I can't do that sitting here
playing with the farm computer."
"I do love you Star. Oh Geez, do I ever. I just can't sit there and vegetate."
"I know you'll try to follow me so I'm not leaving any records behind. I'll purge the
assignment computer after I get hooked up. That one you taught me."
"Good luck with the farm. Give Brenda and Dave my love. Hug little David for me.
All my Heart
Your Nova."

The heartbreak of loves that have to pass. Another war.
The saga of Starman
continues in WAR IS HELL.

STARMAN and WAR IS HELL are writen to be companion books. Starlight is the tie between EMPIRE and the Company worlds. It also ties Starman to a very interesting woman. To really understand STARLIGHT it is necessary to read THE BEGINNING and BOWMAN.
E-mail blackcat@artelco.com
Use my web site at www.lulu.com/duncanpublishing to order. The button below will take you straight to the site. Prices start at $3.13 on this book for downloads and $13.07 for printed version.

WHAT IF?

Do you ever play WHAT IF? I do often. That's where I get some of my best ideas.

What If there was a ship wreck. Not a run of the mill ship at sea type wreck, but a

SPACE SHIP. What if there was only one chance in a million someone could

survive. What if that someone were a small child, only a few days old.

See what fun you can have playing what if.

CREATING STARMAN

STARMAN came from a what if session. I have always had the theory that old Earth has been
visited more than one time by outsiders. So, What if a ship were in trouble. It would be all
hands to the life boats. Suppose there were only one very slim chance that someone could
survive. Suppose the ship were headed for utter and total destruction. There was only the
tiniest chance that one individual would survive but that survival depended on a tragedy that
had just taken place.
As you can see there can be a lot of what if's. By the time I finished playing (What If) I had a story line.
I started putting it on paper and waited to see where it would take me. My imagination got pretty wild
at times. We went to the stars. Seems all my what if's end up there. Maybe that's because what's
out there is a mystery. We have pretty well turned this old ball of dirt inside out and shook it a few
times.
Old Star had a pretty good time of it with my (What If's) He takes his young prostitute on the
adventure of a lifetime, fighting wars on worlds of the imagination, against odds that no soldier in real
life could possibly survive.
Read it and enjoy my imagination. I really enjoyed writing it.
Order for $6.00 from me and you can put in your two cents worth. We will gladly reply to all your
e-mail. All comments, good or bad, are welcome.

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