Trip and the Space Pirates — Bill Smith

(Outlaw Galaxy 1, stand-alone novel) Benjamin "Trip" Trippany dreams of someday traveling to the stars ... but he never imagined that he'd be kidnapped and forced to join Diamond Black Joe's pirate gang! A rousing space adventure for readers of all ages. 73,000 words or about 200 pages, reading time: five hours.

Trip lives with his Uncle Craz in the bustling port town of Pennick's Crossing, working in Craz's repair bay while dreaming of having his own ship and adventuring among the stars. A chance encounter and chase through the bustling city delivers him into the clutches of Diamond Black Joe, the infamous space pirate. Forced to join the pirate gang, Trip learns that Diamond Black Joe plans to attack and capture a Sh'nar cargo ship fleet, where his best friend Jinx is among the crew. Forced to choose between his own safety and saving his best friend, Trip is plunged into deep space battles, blaster battles with ferocious pirates and a desperate struggle to free Jinx and the captured Sh'nar!

By Bill Smith, author of Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels (Del Rey Books) and Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game (Second Edition, for West End Games)