Free Salvage Marines (Necrospace Book 1) by Sean-Michael Argo

miscellaneous space junk that had, over countless years, become so large they acquired their own gravitational pull that drew in even more flotsam. Hulks usually began their lifecycle as single ship, typically large freighters or tugs that, for one reason or another, ended up dead and floating through space.
    Other ships, satellites, and various bits of scrap would collide with them and either become embedded in the larger ship or hovered nearby in a tight orbit. Over years and years more bits would collect until the gravitational pull would hold the whole thing together.
    Space Hulks were both a sought after prize and a likely deathtrap. Because they were comprised of so many ships, in addition to assorted space junk, they were often rich with salvage. Because of the haphazard method of their creation, the hulks could be affected by any number of dangers. Many were filled with toxic chemicals, fuel spills, breached and radioactive engine cores, and destabilized heavy machinery.
    In addition to those risks, there was always the likelihood that portions of the hulks were populated by various organisms.
    Squatters from the Red List would often seek shelter in the hulks even though scavengers and pirates frequently made raids into them for resources, scrap, or to carry off the squatters. There were also rumors, blasted as tall tales, about insectoid alien creatures that infested some hulks, using them like massive nests. (Though there was no official Grotto statement as to the truth of any such claims.)
    As Samuel looked at the photo he could see several gun emplacements bristling along the more stable sections of the hulk and he leaned over to Ben.
    “From the looks of those guns I’d say we’re going up against a pirate clan, not squatters,” he whispered.
    Ben nodded, “Calling them squatters must be more politically correct. I don’t know why they bother, we’re going to fight them, one way or the other.”
    “Personally, I’d rather them just say pirates, at least then we’d be more prepared,” grumbled Samuel, despite the fact that he was having difficulty in not being both excited and terrified at the prospect of carrying out a boarding action.
    “Hulks & Pirates,” whistled Harold Marr quietly, a marine from Squad Marsters, who sat behind the two friends, “Man, I used to play that game with my brothers. I think I might even have a few of the action figures in my closet back home. This is surreal.”
    “Me too, I always pretended to be the Pirate King,” Jada agreed from where she sat next to Harold, directly behind Samuel, “None of the boys could handle the crown.”
    “So does that make Tuck the Queen?,” said Ben amiably as he leaned back in his chair to smile at Jada.
    Samuel and the rest of the small group shared a quiet laugh as Jada blushed and gently kicked Ben’s seat before she joined in the laughter.
    It had taken Samuel several months and a few more firefights to clear his conscience of his tryst with Jada.
    After their very next mission, the first of the Hive Fleet 822 operations, he had taken a bullet in the side before gunning down two squatter resistance fighters as the marines were sweeping a small communications facility.
    Squad Ulanti had been down in the power plant and encountered similar fighting. Both he and Jada had sought the now familiar comfort in each other’s naked embrace after the fight. After that time, however, both of them had discovered a growing awkwardness, as if being together once more had changed their lovemaking from celebrating survival to something more towards romance.
    Samuel had felt ashamed of himself, and it seemed that Jada has as well, for she and everyone else in Tango Platoon knew Samuel was married and had a newborn. After that uncomfortable morning another two months of operations passed before the two of them spoke to each other again. Though now, over nine months into the campaign, they had found space for friendship.
    Samuel slotted his