THE RIDER (Galactic Football League Novellas Book 4) by Sigler Scott & Cooley Paul E

Author:Sigler, Scott & Cooley, Paul E [Sigler, Scott]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9781939366511
Publisher: Empty Set Entertainment
Published: 2016-08-02T04:00:00+00:00

• • •

Out past the closed dugout doors, Pete heard the chant of the home crowd. He couldn’t worry about the attack, or anything else that went on beyond the arena walls — battle time had come. Focus, total focus, nothing in the universe but his team, his mount, and the enemy that wanted him dead.

Not today, you scumbags ... not today.

The sound of Rachel Guestford’s voice echoed through the arena.

“Welcome to Die ... nooooo ... litionnnnnn!”

The crowd ate it up. Not as loud as normal — Pete could tell the pre-game incident had hurt attendance — but it wasn’t every game that Rachel Guestford was there for introductions, even though this was her second game in a row at Smithwick Arena. Many of the fans in the stands had watched her movies for the past two decades: she was as much a part of the spectacle as the mounts themselves.

“I’m league Commissioner, Rachel Guestford. Welcome to this afternoon’s contest, a three-round affair with a ten-thousand total kilo weight limit. No replacement mounts allowed. And now, introducing the home team, with a record of six wins and four losses, I give you, the Roughland Ridgebacks!”

The huge doors rattled, then swung outward with the grind of old metal and the squeal of rust. Sunlight poured in, a thin rectangle at first, then a wide swath that brought the crimson armor to life.

Pete tapped his helmet’s comm-link.

“All right, Ridgebacks. It’s showtime. Make ‘em think their ticket was a bargain at any price. Remember, the league changed the home team entrance to individual intros, Dar’s up first.”

Guestford’s voice blared over the shouts of the crowd.

“A pair of rookies making their first appearance in Dinolition, with the bleach-white skin of Tower descent but born on Satirli 6 in our very own League of Planets, riding a xiongguanlong baimoensis, please welcome Dar and Yaaaaarrrrrr!”

Dar sprinted Yar onto the pitch. The pair gleamed like heroes. If there was any doubt left in that girl, she didn’t show it. Dar stood in the stirrups, both hands holding the base of a battle axe that she whirled over her head.

“Also a first-year rider, on a brand-new mount,” Guestford called out. “From the Jupiter Net Colony in the Planetary Union, riding an archillobator gigantus, please welcome Ian Bahas and Bucky!”

Bucky rushed out. Pete smiled when he saw that Ian wasn’t sitting in the saddle — he was standing on it, legs straight, arms spread out, palms upturned, his helmet held in his left hand. Rushing air pushed his perfect hair back, made it bounce like it was just as alive as Ian and Bucky. The crowd went wild, cheering twice as loud for the showboating Ian as they had for Dar.

“Look at that ham,” Pete said.

“Ham? Oh, right,” Clark answered. “I have no idea where the kid would learn that kind of behavior.”

“Shuck you, Critter.”

Clark laughed, but cut it short when he heard his own name being called.

“And now,” Guestford said, “a five-year veteran of Dinolotion, riding a gallimimus

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