By Cate Reine
Hunted. Augmented. Running out of galaxy.
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Gillian can slip through any electronic lock, erase any security record, and rewrite a ship’s manifest with nothing but a touch. It’s the one gift she took with her when she escaped the laboratory that built her. For five years, she’s stayed one step ahead of the people determined to reclaim her.
The plan is simple: keep moving, stay invisible, and trust no one.
Then Gillian makes the mistake of helping someone.
When a chance encounter throws her together with a runaway billionaire heiress and a former elite soldier, Gillian is forced into an uneasy alliance with two strangers carrying dangerous secrets. As powerful enemies close in, Gillian and her unlikely allies uncover a conspiracy that reaches far beyond a single corporation—and threatens the future of the Terran Triad Imperium.
To survive, Gillian must do the one thing she’s avoided since the day she escaped.
Trust.
No Refuge for the Lightning Touched is a character-driven space opera of corporate intrigue, impossible choices, and found family. Perfect for readers who enjoy intelligent science fiction, capable heroines, reluctant allies, and a hopeful vision of humanity’s future.
No Refuge for the Lightning Touched
The Claire Protocol • Book One
Adult Science Fiction / Space Opera
Publication: January 23, 2027
Endorsements
“When I read the first line of the first chapter, I was immediately drawn into the story. The story captured and held my interest and I look forward to the next book.”
— Eileen Janke
What you’ll find inside
Genre: Space Opera
Tropes: Found Family • Reluctant Allies • Corporate Conspiracy • Space Adventure
Themes: Trust as a Survival Skill • Running vs. Fighting Back • Humanity in a World of Augmentation
Read An Excerpt
The refugee ship was crowded. They always are.
I glanced around at the grimy open compartments. Were there even ten seats installed on the entire deck? This barely classified as a passenger ship. With a sigh, I hoisted my duffel onto my shoulder, the weight pulling at my bra strap, and moved toward the back. Dozens of families already crowded the deck, most huddled up against the available bulkhead space. I moved past a group of spiky-headed Lonarians, careful not to let my clothing catch on anything. Lonarians are extremely sensitive about their spikes. As soon as I cleared the group, I spotted an alcove still unoccupied, probably because of its lack of proximity to a viewport.
I immediately made a beeline toward the niche, reaching it at the same time as another woman pulling a hard-sided suitcase whose hover device appeared to be broken. She was a few centimeters taller than me, her long, dark hair tucked under a knit cap. The woman gave me a small smile and shifted all her weight to one side. She glanced at the alcove.
“Want to share?” Her voice was friendly, maybe a little flirtatious. Definitely amused.
I considered her for a moment, noticing the tenseness of her shoulders, the way she peered behind me at the rest of the ship. I shrugged. “Sure, there’s enough room.” I gestured for her to take the corner. I had a feeling she would feel more comfortable with two walls at her back.
She settled down on the decking, pressed her left shoulder against the bulkhead, and placed her suitcase at her feet like a bulwark. I let my duffel slip off my shoulder with a thump, then dropped next to her, pulling the bag against my side.
She rolled her head toward me and held out a hand. “I’m Kari, by the way.”
I took her hand. “Gillian.”
About the Author
Space opera for curious minds who believe humanity’s best adventures lie ahead.
Cate Reine is a space opera science fiction author who combines her background in engineering psychology, human-computer interaction, and wargaming strategy with a lifelong fascination for how science fiction becomes science fact.
Her character-driven novels feature compelling female protagonists navigating political intrigue and high-stakes adventure while grappling with questions about leadership, identity, and humanity’s future.
When she’s not writing or being managed by Kently, her productivity-enforcing dog, she’s exploring the intersection of emerging technology and storytelling through May Imagination Reign, rewatching Firefly, or singing along to the radio—the only audience that truly appreciates her talents.