[Star Wanderers 05] • Star Wanderers · Tales of the Far Outworlds (Omnibus V-VIII)

This omnibus edition contains parts five through eight of the STAR WANDERERS series. Thousands of years after mankind’s exodus from Earth, a small band of colonists seeks a better life in the Far Outworlds. These are their stories.

PART V: DREAMWEAVER

Noemi fully expects to die before her twentieth birthday. With a famine ravaging her home system and the neighboring stars refusing to offer assistance, her only escape lies in the worlds of the dream simulator. She may be the station master’s oldest and plainest daughter, but in the simulator, she’s a goddess of creation.

All of that changes when a young starship pilot whisks her away to the stars. Far from the monster she fears him to be at first, he seems like a kind and gentle young man. But he carries a heavy burden, one that he can’t divulge since neither of them speaks the same language.

When he took her from home, he saved her from death. But only she can save him from himself—by commanding the power of his dreams.

PART VI: BENEFACTOR

An outworlder is nothing if not fiercely independent, and Jakob is no exception. But ever since he brought his family of starbound refugees to Alpha Oriana, he's felt increasingly powerless. With the recent Imperial takeover and rumors of job cuts at the dockyards, it's only a matter of time before they're forced to move on—again.

When a young man and woman with an unusual story show up from his wife's homeworld, he takes them in, if for no other reason than that they remind him of a time when he was young and still in love. Ever since he sent his sons away, his marriage has been a nightmare—but all he wanted was to give them a chance at a better life out among the stars. Whether or not that was a mistake, his wife has never forgiven him for it.

In the face of so many challenges, it's not clear how long the family can hold together, but Jakob will sacrifice everything before he asks for help—even if the only way out lies through an open airlock.

PART VII: REPROACH

The Far Outworlds: an endless frontier of uncharted worlds and alien stars. A vast, unsettled stretch of space where generations can pass without outside contact and colonists can live out their lives without seeing anyone from the outside universe.

That prospect terrifies Mariya more than anything else. She’s one of the only Deltans on a colony ship where no one understands her religion or culture. She was supposed to marry a good Deltan boy and raise a family with the help of her many relatives, but now she’s headed for an unsettled world on the Outworld frontier. Twice a starbound refugee, every last shred of security has been stripped from her life, leaving her future prospects uncertain.

There is one man who can change all that, but he’s married to her best friend. Mariya doesn’t need to steal him, though—she’s perfectly willing to share. Whether or not her friend is willing is something else entirely, but in the end, she may not have a choice.

PART VIII: DELIVERANCE

Lucca Tajjashvili isn’t a typical star wanderer. The youngest son of a wealthy planetborn family, he took out his inheritance early in order to build his own starship and seek his fortune on the Outworld frontier. The starfaring life suits him well, and he has no plans to settle down.

All of that changes when he picks up a distress signal in the Far Outworlds. A small colony has been taken over by pirates, and Lucca is the only one in a position to help. Among the prisoners is a beautiful young woman whom Lucca decides to rescue. But when the pirates see through his skillful ruse, any escape plan he might have had soon falls completely apart.

Mariya isn’t the kind of girl who likes to take chances. But when she finds herself stranded on an alien world with her would-be rescuer, that's exactly what she has to do. Lucky for her, Lucca is just the sort of guy who can teach her.