Winged Lion — Steven Anderson

On the run from the Guild, the Union Marines, and a pirate captain looking for revenge, rescuing his crew is just the first step toward redemption.Captain Thomas Benson pushes cargo between worlds for the Trade Guild of the Most Serene Republic of Venice. His Gattino Alato is a small ship and the crew is tight. The cards turn over easy most days, and the memory of what he left behind is far away.Now the rebellion has dealt him a new hand. Privateers haunt the trade routes between planets still loyal to the Union. Tales of broken ships, stolen cargoes, and dead crews fill the Shipping News. His only protections are speed, luck, and the vast cold dark. But luck can run out and the Trade Guild is not forgiving of captains who lose their cargoes, especially not a container critical to the Union Aerospace Force.On the run from the Guild, the Union Marines, and a pirate captain looking for revenge, rescuing his crew is just the first step toward redemption. With the survival of the Union at stake, the cards have turned unfriendly and walking away from the game is no longer an option.You play the hand you're dealt. Anything else they call cheating.