Made in Heaven (Slip Runner Book 6)

J. N. Chaney Copyrighted Material Made in Heaven Copyright © 2023 by Variant Publications Book design and layout copyright © 2023 by JN Chaney This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living, dead, or undead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from JN Chaney. www.jnchaney.com 1st Edition For JS, who routinely saves my sanity. CONTENTS Don’t Miss Out Previously In Slip Runner Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Epilogue Acknowledgments Glossary Join the Conversation Connect with J.N. Chaney About the Authors Don’t miss out on these exclusive perks: Instant access to free short stories from series like Backyard Starship, Sentenced to War, and more. Receive email updates for new releases and other news. Get notified when we run special deals on books and audiobooks. So, what are you waiting for? Enter your email address at the link below to stay in the loop. Click Here PREVIOUSLY IN SLIP RUNNER BOOK 5, DERACINE SUN After Gray’s capture by the parasitic aliens known as Controllers, Cole refused to leave his friend to an unknown fate. With his co-captain gravely injured and the rest of his crew needed on the Star Treader, Cole sought help from an outside source. Aaron, director of the Keepers, agreed to assist, stating Gray was a linchpin in the ongoing war and could not stay in enemy hands. The rescue mission saw Cole braving an Anypsian warship overrun by the parasitic aliens known as Controllers. He found Gray locked up in the brig because the Controller who attempted to merge with him was unsuccessful. Upon leaving the cell, Gray asked to free the other Anypsian prisoners. This brought them face to face with an Agent of Chaos named Switch. Together, along with a handful of other escapees, they fought to reach the ship's hangar, eventually splintering along the way. Gray again allowed himself to be captured, but he had a plan to kill the Controllers' leader. Cole and Switch teamed up to crash the martyr party, which revealed an important update. The enemy leader had taken an Anypsian Cole and Gray knew as its host: Commander. After a short battle, Commander was saved and initiated the warship's self-destruct sequence so it wouldn't stay in enemy hands. That action invoked chaos as everyone aboard tried to save themselves. This facilitated a successful escape from the ship, but all was far from good. The ship exploded with Commander still aboard, and Cole had to battle not only with the debris, but also Controllers in Anypsian fighter ships. Cole and the crew went to Anypsia after learning of an imminent attack on the planet. The Controllers appeared to be making their move by concentrating the bulk of their forces on breaching the planet to reach a closely guarded secret called Armin’s Gate. Created using Precursor tech, it is the last known access point to the gods’ domain. There, Commander was found alive and Cole learned he had been working with the enemy to reach the gate himself. After 1 “Maybe I should take a rain check,” suggested Deacon. He eyed Gray warily as the Anypsian selected a weapon from the assortment hanging on one wall of the training room. After the Chaos Section Chief—whose name turned out to be Roderick—had laid out his offer the day before, I’d taken it to the crew. In exchange for our services, Chaos would escort us home when the time came. On the surface, it didn’t sound like an equal trade-off. Under different circumstances, it wouldn’t have been, but we only made it to Anypsia by the skin of our teeth after a series of unfortunate (not to mention pain-in-the-ass) events. Under this new contract Chaos would provide access to their resources, plus I got peace of mind from knowing Gray wouldn’t be left alone in a war zone while suffering from memory loss. Throw in the perk of taking the express route back to the Sol System and it was an easy decision. Roderick had our answer. All that remained was signing the contract and getting our first job. Well rested and wanting to pass the time productively, I’d asked Gray to lead an impromptu training session on Anypsian melee weapons. I took in the nervous way Deacon shifted in place, rocking on the balls of feet. “What’s with you, D? We’re training. Gray isn’t going to come out of the gate full throttle.” “Not to mention, you were all gung ho when the idea first came up,” recalled Barrick from behind me. He’d already gone a round and earned Gray’s stamp of approval. Being one of the Alliance military’s finest assets, I hadn’t expected any less of the lieutenant. Deacon was a different story. “Kinda thought we were going to do more range practice, not jump around waving sharp objects at each other. I’m no sword saint, just a lowly tech.” I couldn’t help myself and laughed. “No one is. Because much like galactic unicorns and worthwhile timeshares, they’re made up.” “Oh, they’re real,” Barrick interjected. “I’ve seen the Alliance file myself. A bit of a dying breed.