Threads Unbound is the fourth book in the Triple Strike light novel series (starting with Threads of Fate), and it picks up a year after the events of the third book (A Gathering Storm). For me personally, this has been one of the most fun books in the series to write, but it's also been one of the hardest in terms of planning and structure. 

As the second-to-last book in the Republic of Pirates arc, it draws a number of subplots to a close while laying down the foreshadowing and hints needed that will hopefully make the final book (tentatively titled Starfarer's Dream) extremely satisfying. And of course it still contains all the fast-paced action, investigation, romance, and banter that is the heart of Triple Strike!

To celebrate, I'm including a couple color versions of the illustrations and art in Threads Unbound here along with an excerpt below. Enjoy, and if you want more content like this on the regular, please join my Discord! I'm going to do my darndest to get Starfarer's Dream out later this year, so look forward to it!

Threads Unbound Excerpt

Dunn hesitated before asking, “What should we do with the humans we’re holding?”

“Dispose of them,” Steele answered without hesitation. “And dispose of any others you’ve taken previously. We can’t have word getting back to the HIA. Make it look like an accident, or ‘send them off to the mining colonies’ if you’d prefer. I don’t really care how this gets resolved, so long as you take care of it. I am trusting you to handle this.”

“As you wish, General. Thank you.”

Dunn saluted then stepped back as he touched his earpiece. He started walking toward the facility gates, no doubt in the process of delivering orders to dispose of the captives.

With Steele still in earshot of Alan, Alan couldn’t risk speaking, so he typed out a terse message on his pocket communicator. Greta, you need to get them out now. They’re about to be killed.

There was only the briefest pause before Greta responded. “Understood, Beringer. We’re almost out. So far we’ve avoided enemy contact, but we’re prepared to meet resistance.”

As Greta cut off communication, Alan returned his attention to Steele. The general folded his arms as he regarded Dunn’s retreating back.

“I can see why Hilde wanted to cut ties with the separatists,” he muttered.

“We knew we’d have to clean up this mess sooner or later,” the woman replied. Alan couldn’t make out her features, but from her dark skin and hair, she didn’t seem to be Fimmel.

“Sooner at the rate Dunn is going,” Steele muttered. “I suspect these Fimmel groups have almost outlived their usefulness. The least they could have done is finish building out this system’s infrastructure before I disposed of them. It’s my fault for expecting too much, I suppose.”

The woman started to respond, but something must have come in through her comm, because she stopped talking, her hand unconsciously going to her ear. At the same time, Greta’s voice came through Alan’s own ear piece.

“We’re taking fire! They’ve blocked our way out.”

“I’m finding you a new route,” Colin said at once. “Sending a recommended path to you now.”

Alan’s hands clenched into fists. His heart was already racing, but it all but leapt out of his chest when the woman turned to Steele and said, “General, we have a problem.”

“Another one?” Steele muttered. “What’s happening, Captain?”

It took all of Alan’s self control to stay in place. From the sounds coming through Greta’s comm, her team was barely able to handle the Heritage Keepers already engaging with them. If Republic forces joined the Fimmel separatists, there was no way Greta’s team would get out safely — with or without the hostages.

“Colin, we need to get them out of there,” Alan whispered into his comm, voice low and urgent. “Steele is here, and he’s about to send in his forces. Our team will be pinned in.”

Alan could hear gunfire through Greta’s line. She was directing Nimi and Petr to escort the humans down some corridor as she provided cover, but it didn’t sound like she’d hold out for long — especially not if more soldiers were on their way. Alan glanced nervously at Steele’s captain, who was directing her soldiers toward both of the facility’s entrances.

“Okay,” Colin acknowledged. “I’ll create a distraction.”

Something about Colin’s laconic response made Alan hesitate.

“What does that mean?” Alan asked in a low voice.

Colin didn’t say anything else, but a moment later, Alan got his answer.

There was a distant explosion before the whole of Biosphere 9’s power grid went down. Moments after the lights dotting the dome flickered off, an urgent wail pierced the darkness, and red emergency lights pulsed to life.

A pleasant robot’s voice announced on the sphere-wide communication network, “Power to Biosphere 9 has been lost. Please begin evacuation procedures to your nearest neighboring biosphere. I repeat, power to Biosphere 9 has been lost. Please begin evacuation procedures to your nearest neighboring biosphere.”

“That’ll work,” Greta murmured, not bothering to hide her genuine admiration at Colin’s methods.

Alan was less impressed. “Colin…”

“It’s fine, Alan,” Colin insisted. “There’s no need to worry. This biosphere should have at least two days of life support in the reserve system before we all die.”

This somehow made it feel both like a lot of time and not very much time at all.