A new story for The Black Watch Regiment, titled Return to Ariel, will be part of Craig Martelle's The Expanding Universe Vol 12 Anthology! The anthology will be available on Amazon in ebook, Kindle Unlimited and print beginning September 20, 2026.
In this story, Arlen McGregor and Garrett Michaels must take Bravo Company to Ariel, the same moon on Uranus the pair escaped during their cadet training.
Explore the universe… with the 12th Volume of The Expanding Universe, a short-story collection to pique your interest and sharpen your mind.
“Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the universe, or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.” Arthur C Clarke penned those words, and they stand true to this day. Do we want to be alone? Leave it to science fiction authors to address that question in equal measure.
Aliens can be peaceful or not. Who will emerge as the superior strain of intelligence? Humanity may be new to the game, but they aren’t new to conflict.
Fantastic races vying for dominance. A microcosm of the greater good. Battles fought for higher ideals. Battles fought just to survive.
War doesn’t care about human or alien. The soldiers fight, and they fight hard, as if their lives depend on it.
Because they do.
Join new friends as you immerse yourself in high-tech worlds scattered across the stars. Seize your copy of The Expanding Universe Volume 12 today to enjoy these compelling tales.
This anthology is packed with fantastic stories from your favorite Sci-Fi authors. Look at this line up!
Contributing Authors and Stories:
Portal Guard: A Portal Raiders Short Story
By Tyler Burnworth
Guard the door. Kill anything that knocks
Learning Curves
By John W. McIntire
After taking responsibility for two hapless humans, can a grizzled covert operative mold her charges into something more?
The Terraces
By Scott D. Rodriguez
On an alien cliff above a crimson ocean, a colonel and a young farmer discover that the terraces feeding their colony were built by someone who knew they were coming.
Knuckling the Hull
By Martina Anders
An undercover operative. A high-stakes mission. One wrong move could blow everything.
Quotations and Lies
By Lawrence M. Schoen
A human who cannot speak truth seeks purpose in service to an alien pirate
Across the Broken Frontier
By Adam Gaffen
The Empire thought the Federation was dead. The Federation disagreed.
Dead Reckoning
By Jacque Alanbery
When the stars don’t align, trust your gut.
Battle of Ambon
By Lorri Moulton
Earth is in contact with aliens they consider allies, but when two ships appear on their long-range scanners and a message is sent, they soon realize these are not the same aliens.
Jax
by Robert G. Williscroft
In the Belt, trust your gut. Just don’t ask where it learned what it knows.
Wreck Rats
By Andrew P McGregor
Turns out you can fight gods with rebar.
Fugitive Holiday
By Jay Veloso Batista
A gruesome murder, a mysterious suspect and a plea from Terran authorities draw the Arwen Station Immigration Enforcement team into a high-stake investigation—are they up to the task?
Another Flag
By J. K. Stephens
His Mars claim is undisputable, but it conflicts with a few other plans.
Steel and Shadows
By Richard Fierce
A routine mercenary job turns deadly when Captain Jayde and her crew discover their targets are guarding something far more dangerous than stolen cargo.
The Enlightenment Protocol
By R K Paul
A thriving colony becomes a threat when it proves it can succeed without permission.
Stealing the Muse
By LJ Dix
Some thieves steal cargo. Ash stole an escape.
Purgatory’s Shadow
By Brice Chandler
A battle-weary Marine faces an alien killing machine and a war he thought he was leaving behind.
Return to Ariel: A Black Watch Regiment Story
By T.D. Wilson
If the Black Watch Regiment hopes to turn the tide of the war, they must journey into the graveyard of the Earth Defense Force’s greatest defeat.
Hillcats
By Craig Martelle
Where did the Hillcats get their telepathy? This is their origin story, as told by one of their own.
Be sure to get your copy on September 20 and post comments here. I would love to hear from my readers about these stories and Return to Ariel.
