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Sabotaged
Hope hangs on the far edges of the galaxy…
First Officer Bran Hyssop joined the Nightingale for the adventure of a lifetime, even though it meant setting aside his free-trader beliefs to join with the Serengeti Group. He ended up with more adventure than he anticipated after a harrowing battle with the despoiler fleet. Now with the repairs completed, the Nightingale has returned to the Thirteenth System only to be hampered by suspicious malfunctions, maintenance failures, and accidents.
Research zoologist with the Matahorn Alliance, Adriana Pepys joined the crew of the Nightingale for personal reasons. She expected challenges, but nothing prepared her for the continued delays, or the system failure that marooned her on Bright Star Deuce with the Nightingale’s enigmatic first officer. She would have suspected a Serengeti plot if he had not crash-landed with her.
As the Nightingale braves danger and the unknown to explore the first new system discovered in over two centuries, Bran and Adriana must form an uneasy alliance. Can a free-thinking officer and a brilliant scientist find love amidst the wreckage of a sabotaged mission, or will the person trying to kill them succeed before they can discover the truth?
This book is a re-release of Nightingale, Volume 1, which was in the Pets in Space® 9 anthology. No new material has been added.
First Officer Bran Hyssop joined the Nightingale for the adventure of a lifetime, even though it meant setting aside his free-trader beliefs to join with the Serengeti Group. He ended up with more adventure than he anticipated after a harrowing battle with the despoiler fleet. Now with the repairs completed, the Nightingale has returned to the Thirteenth System only to be hampered by suspicious malfunctions, maintenance failures, and accidents.
Research zoologist with the Matahorn Alliance, Adriana Pepys joined the crew of the Nightingale for personal reasons. She expected challenges, but nothing prepared her for the continued delays, or the system failure that marooned her on Bright Star Deuce with the Nightingale’s enigmatic first officer. She would have suspected a Serengeti plot if he had not crash-landed with her.
As the Nightingale braves danger and the unknown to explore the first new system discovered in over two centuries, Bran and Adriana must form an uneasy alliance. Can a free-thinking officer and a brilliant scientist find love amidst the wreckage of a sabotaged mission, or will the person trying to kill them succeed before they can discover the truth?
This book is a re-release of Nightingale, Volume 1, which was in the Pets in Space® 9 anthology. No new material has been added.
- GenresRomance
143 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 8, 2024
4 people want to read
About the author
E.G. Manetti
18 books157 followers
I write from the world around me, and the world around me is full of color.
Award-winning author EG Manetti has always enjoyed a vivid imagination and occasional scribbling. Her epic science fiction series, The Twelve Systems Chronicles, blends the intrigue and danger of space opera with the passion and social rigidity of historical romance.
The ten-volume series began in 2012, with The Cartel: The Apprentice, Volume 1, and completed in 2021 with Thorn Bearer: Thornraven, Volume 3. The series has received four Paranormal Guild Reviewers Choice Awards, seven InD’tale RONE (Reward for Novel Excellence) nominations with five volumes award finalist badges. Shield Bearer: Thornraven, Volume 2 received the 2021 RONE for Science Fiction.
Elemental Fire: The Hidden Realms #1, her first venture into fantasy, combines her favorite aspects of urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and action/adventure genres.
A former information technology project manager, EG resides in Florida with her beloved (often confounded) husband and their severely OCD Jack Russell Terrier. She writes as often as possible, cooks exceptionally, and gardens adequately.
The Twelve Systems Chronicles are epic science fiction romance that blends elements of space opera with the intrigue and suspense of a political thriller. “With characters that jump off the page, love that is forbidden yet unstoppable mixed with top-notch worlds and technology, sci-fi has never looked so good or become so addictive!” ~ InD'Tale Magazine, February 2018.
Enter The Twelve Systems with a free copy of The Cartel
Like EG Manetti on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...
EG Manetti Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/egmanetti/
EG Manetti Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@egmanetti
Award-winning author EG Manetti has always enjoyed a vivid imagination and occasional scribbling. Her epic science fiction series, The Twelve Systems Chronicles, blends the intrigue and danger of space opera with the passion and social rigidity of historical romance.
The ten-volume series began in 2012, with The Cartel: The Apprentice, Volume 1, and completed in 2021 with Thorn Bearer: Thornraven, Volume 3. The series has received four Paranormal Guild Reviewers Choice Awards, seven InD’tale RONE (Reward for Novel Excellence) nominations with five volumes award finalist badges. Shield Bearer: Thornraven, Volume 2 received the 2021 RONE for Science Fiction.
Elemental Fire: The Hidden Realms #1, her first venture into fantasy, combines her favorite aspects of urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and action/adventure genres.
A former information technology project manager, EG resides in Florida with her beloved (often confounded) husband and their severely OCD Jack Russell Terrier. She writes as often as possible, cooks exceptionally, and gardens adequately.
The Twelve Systems Chronicles are epic science fiction romance that blends elements of space opera with the intrigue and suspense of a political thriller. “With characters that jump off the page, love that is forbidden yet unstoppable mixed with top-notch worlds and technology, sci-fi has never looked so good or become so addictive!” ~ InD'Tale Magazine, February 2018.
Enter The Twelve Systems with a free copy of The Cartel
Like EG Manetti on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...
EG Manetti Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/egmanetti/
EG Manetti Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@egmanetti
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 15, 2025
Great story set in the 13th system. I always love EG Manetti 's characters and plot.
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June 3, 2025***A Favorite Passage***
Extracting two water vials from storage, Bran tossed Adriana one.
With a grateful smile, she cracked the seal.
He waited until she had swallowed half before speaking. “Are you deranged? Incapable of following orders? You should never have been out there when the nocturnal creatures emerged.”
Her eyes widened and a blush darkened her cheeks. “I apologize. I fell asleep while waiting for the lures to activate.” Her sharp little chin came up. “I did jettison the sample closest to the forest.”
“Closest to the forest? There was one even farther away from the DOP-C?”
She had the grace to look abashed. “Er, yes.” But then that chin came up, again. “The breeze carried the lures a good distance. I did not have time to recast. It takes at least a bell for my scent to dissipate.”
She fell asleep. The breeze carried the lures. Terror-fueled anger had him barking, “You are completely lacking in discipline. You endangered your life. The mission.”
“I did apologize.”
Bran clenched his fists against the desire to shake her. “This is your last landing until you can demonstrate the ability to follow orders.”
“What? No.” All signs of contrition vanished, replaced by defiance. “You cannot. I am the lead zoologist. We will not finish in time if I am confined to the Nightingale.”
Bran’s control snapped. His hands wrapped around her shoulders. So fragile. So readily slain. “You could have died.”
Defiance fled as quickly as it had surfaced. Her dark eyes filled with remorse, and warm fingers pressed against his wrist. “I am sorry. I was foolish and I know it. You can have no notion how relieved I was when I saw you standing on top of the DOP-C with the rifle.”
“Promise me you will not be so foolish, again.” He squeezed her shoulders. “Your word.”
With a deep breath she nodded. “My word.”
She was in his arms, her head against his chest. Her black curls soft and springy under his lips. The pleasant scent of the purple flora tickled his nose. Bran enjoyed women, but none had felt so right in years. Not since he lost his wife in the pirate actions. The memory returned him to the present and the fact that he did not have her consent. With reluctance, he released her. “I overstep.”
Her fingers lingered on his waist. “I do not object.”
“This is not the best timing.”
“I suppose not.” With a sigh, she released him. “What of communications?”
Extracting two water vials from storage, Bran tossed Adriana one.
With a grateful smile, she cracked the seal.
He waited until she had swallowed half before speaking. “Are you deranged? Incapable of following orders? You should never have been out there when the nocturnal creatures emerged.”
Her eyes widened and a blush darkened her cheeks. “I apologize. I fell asleep while waiting for the lures to activate.” Her sharp little chin came up. “I did jettison the sample closest to the forest.”
“Closest to the forest? There was one even farther away from the DOP-C?”
She had the grace to look abashed. “Er, yes.” But then that chin came up, again. “The breeze carried the lures a good distance. I did not have time to recast. It takes at least a bell for my scent to dissipate.”
She fell asleep. The breeze carried the lures. Terror-fueled anger had him barking, “You are completely lacking in discipline. You endangered your life. The mission.”
“I did apologize.”
Bran clenched his fists against the desire to shake her. “This is your last landing until you can demonstrate the ability to follow orders.”
“What? No.” All signs of contrition vanished, replaced by defiance. “You cannot. I am the lead zoologist. We will not finish in time if I am confined to the Nightingale.”
Bran’s control snapped. His hands wrapped around her shoulders. So fragile. So readily slain. “You could have died.”
Defiance fled as quickly as it had surfaced. Her dark eyes filled with remorse, and warm fingers pressed against his wrist. “I am sorry. I was foolish and I know it. You can have no notion how relieved I was when I saw you standing on top of the DOP-C with the rifle.”
“Promise me you will not be so foolish, again.” He squeezed her shoulders. “Your word.”
With a deep breath she nodded. “My word.”
She was in his arms, her head against his chest. Her black curls soft and springy under his lips. The pleasant scent of the purple flora tickled his nose. Bran enjoyed women, but none had felt so right in years. Not since he lost his wife in the pirate actions. The memory returned him to the present and the fact that he did not have her consent. With reluctance, he released her. “I overstep.”
Her fingers lingered on his waist. “I do not object.”
“This is not the best timing.”
“I suppose not.” With a sigh, she released him. “What of communications?”
January 12, 2026
This is a wonderful introduction to adventures in the Thirteenth system. You have space travel, intrigue, action, and a wonderful dog-like creature that plays an important role in the plot. Bran and Adriana work well together and increase the depth of their relationship once they admit their mutual attraction. They must postpone their personal exploration as they work to identify saboteurs before they cause more disruption to their mission.
June 11, 2025
Do love this series and the world building this author has created.
October 18, 2025
This is a solid start to a series of stories set in the 13th system of EG's universe. Exploration, intrigue, and of course, sabotage. Great characters.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews