The Joust

A short story—

Starfighter pilot Nathaniel "Pyro" Higgins has seen it all—or so he thinks—until a pampered heiress named Joleen crashes his crew's favorite dive bar with a bold request: take her planetside for the first time in her life.

What begins as a harmless excursion turns into a deadly diplomatic crisis when a Keshian prince challenges Nathaniel to a starfighter duel—with Joleen's life and freedom as the prize.

Now, with missiles stripped, shields failing, and his career on the line, Nathaniel must outfly an arrogant royal in a zero-sum combat trial known only as... the Joust.

Honor, survival, and unexpected love hang in the balance in this high-octane space opera of duels, duty, and desire.