Every empire begins with a single house. So it was with the great Pardigan Line.
Today, the Pardigan Line and its ships carry the people, communications, and cargo that hold the United Worlds together. But would you have believed it in the beginning, if you had met Andreas Pardigan and seen the Fountainhead, and the people and goods it carried?
These are the stories of how an empire began — with one man, one ship, and one galaxy….
All about the Pardigan series
Pardigan is the story of Andreas Pardigan, owner of the trading vessel Fountainhead, his crew, and the galactic empire he calls home. In his quest to make payroll, pay off the mortgage, and keep his ship in one piece, Pardigan is bolstered by the skill and loyalty of his crew, while being hampered by a body that is rebelling against him. His finer qualities can lead to glory and freedom — if they don’t get him killed first!
Meet the Crew
George Curry is Pardigan’s best friend from their Service days. He is the steward for the Fountainhead, in charge of keeping the crew and passengers alive, fed, and safe in Jumpspace. He is also the ship’s Gunner in the event of trouble.
Tora Tanaka (“Tora” is Japanese for “Tiger”) is Fountainhead’s pilot. She flew fighters for the Space Navy before Pardigan came into the picture. Compared to that, piloting a trader is easy and boring — until it isn’t!
Rounding out the crew is 683, the Engineer. 683 is an android, originally built for service and sold into illegal slavery. They escaped captivity and now works for Pardigan as a salaried employee. Aside from their engineering skills, 683 is known for their intelligence and aesthetic sense, and always picks up books and art from every stop they make.
The Novels
So far, there is one Pardigan novel in print.
The Steel Crucible
In the first Pardigan novel, the Duke of an Imperial cluster gives Pardigan the task of retrieving and bringing home his dissolute son, whose behavior has become quite concerning. But while they go to retrieve this son, the situation in his homeworld deteriorates rapidly, and one person is manipulating events to bring down the Ducal House, and soon they have their eyes watching for the return of the Prodigal Son. To survive, Pardigan and his crew will need to face a deadly enemy who will stop at nothing to encomass the death of their charge.
Pardigan: The Steel Crucible is currently available from Amazon.com at a price of $4,99 for a Kindle ebook and $9.99 for a printed paperback.