Eryx is part of a team of scientists charged with monitoring and protecting relocated animals on a privately owned planet. When sensors indicate poachers, Eryx leaves base to confront them, only to lose his way in a sudden snow. After trudging to a nearby observation station for shelter, he comes across an unexpected intruder.<br><br>Smuggler Leander flies an old, sometimes unreliable ship. When the engine starts to fail, he attempts to set down on the nearest planet where he’s stashed supplies, but his descent turns into a crash, and he’s forced to take shelter wherever he can.<br><br>The two can’t possibly trust each other, but storm projections show they’ll be stuck together for days. Worse, the poachers aren’t letting a little inclement weather stop them, and they’re armed and ready to kill. Can Leander and Eryx put aside their differences and save the animals -- and themselves -- before something disastrous happens?

Under Snow and Stars

The poacher glared. “Don’t move or I shoot him. Drop the bag. Slowly remove the tazing device from your belt.”


Leander took a step forward, then another. The poacher didn’t seem to know what to make of this, but Leander could guess he was making calculations in his head about how much time would be lost to drop the tranq gun and go for the more deadly weapon on his belt.


“I will blow his brains out,” said the poacher.


Leander saw Eryx wince and wondered whether he still trusted a smuggler like him. At the floor in front of him, one of the snow leopard’s legs twitched.


“I don’t think I will.” Leander took another step.


The poacher was visibly shaking and sweating. Leander needed to get closer, needed to get to a position where he could rush the man and disarm him.


“You’re going to get your friend killed.”


“I don’t think so. Not with a tranq gun.”


“Asshole. Never seen a rifle before?”


Chapter 28