Meredith Tate - Shipped

G. P. PUTNAMS SONS

An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, New York

Copyright 2021 by Meredith Tate

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

Ebook ISBN 9781984813534

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the authors imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Cover art 2021 by Ursula Decay

Cover design by Kristie Radwilowicz

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To everyone who has ever loved a fictional world so much that it became real.

To Jamie Howard, an amazing critique partner and friend, who has supported me from the beginning.

And to Vincent and my parents, Jessica and Paul, because every book I write is for you.

// APRIL 24, 2017 //

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For the last year, SFFStream has enjoyed bringing you Warship Sevena show that is often referred to as Robin Hood in Space. In Warship Seven, young space rebel Captain Jill Brighton and her mismatched crew risk their lives to raid wealthy military bases tightly controlled by the tyrannical Central Elite forces and redistribute their resources to the poorer outer planets. It has reached striking popularity in its first season.

While the show has found many fans, we have made the difficult decision not to renew Warship Seven for a second season.

It has been a great honor to work on this show, producer William Jackson says. Warship Seven brims with heart, action, and questions of humanity and morality. We would like to take the opportunity to thank the cast, crew, and viewers for making the past year such a memorable journey.

Captain Jill Brighton, Sergeant Aaron Lewis, and their quirky crew aboard the Revelry have become beloved characters, and the show has been dubbed a cult phenomenon. It will be missed. We wish the cast and crew the best in their future careers.

COMMENTS

JBStan12: youve got to be kidding me

Fleetlover9: NOOOO. WHAT?!

LewtonOTP: Honestly, I hope you rethink your decision. Ending one of the greatest shows of all time after one season is a disservice to its loyal fans. Aside from the fact that season one ended on a cliff-hanger, these characters have so much more of their journey left to complete. Canceling now proves that SFFStream cares more about revenue than viewers. Maybe I will take my subscription money to Hulu instead.

danversisendgame: oh get off your high horse its a tv show lol I love this show but Ill get over it, well always have those twenty amazing episodes to fall back on

theeighthwarship: there are two types of fans

C0NDORsBackup: lmaoooo the show had gone downhill anyway, no surprises here

LewtonOTP: @danversisendgame I wont just get over it, thanks though. Capt Jill and Serg Lewis were finally about to get together after TWENTY episodes of pining. You dont just end a show with the main character heartbroken after the man she loves abandons her for no reason.

danversisendgame: @lewtonOTP um, there was no love. he left her. Were we watching the same show?

LewtonOTP: @danversisendgame woooow. Clearly he was going to come back. He didnt want to leave, he was protecting her. He loves her. Youre wrong.

danversisendgame: @LewtonOTP He hooked up with her and then left in the middle of the night. Hes not coming back. Wham bam thank you maam

LewtonOTP: @danversisendgame well now we will never know because the show is canceled so stfu #Lewton is OTP

danversisendgame: @LewtonOTP there was literally no chance Jill and Aaron would end up together. They hate each other.

LewtonOTP: @danversisendgame They didnt hate each other. It was sexual tension.

danversisendgame: @LewtonOTP no. It wasnt. Sometimes people are just incompatible.

LewtonOTP: @danversisendgame Hate is a strong emotion. Love is a strong emotion. Are they really that different?

STELLA

There is an orangutan at the Cornerview Zoo thats infamous for flinging his poop. Its, like, a thing. Catch Orange the Orangutan mid-throw and post the photo on the zoos Facebook page. Sometimes they pick an entry to win a free water bottle or something.

Im pretty sure a speech from Orange the Orangutan would be more coherent than the crap currently being flung toward me, straight out of Wesley Clarkes mouth.

Wesley leans against the podium in front of our Public Speaking classroom, wearing a wrinkled green T-shirt. There is literally a giant Charizard on it. And for my closing arguments, Id like to reiterate that school uniforms stifle creativity and personal expression. How can I focus on my education when my clothing puts me in a box? Several people clap their approval; I keep my hands firmly in my lap.

His teammates smirk at the other end of the room, because clearly everyone thinks Wesley Frickin Clarke has the argument in the bag, just for being Wesley Frickin Clarke. Breaking news: when youre the heir to a big local candy factory and host parties in your gigantic game room with a Ping-Pong table and old-school Pac-Man arcade machine, everyone basically thinks youre a god.

In the same way that every student has the right to be comfortable in their learning environment, every student also has the right to wear what makes them comfortable. Even Ms. Hatley nods.

I thought the Geneva Convention outlawed this sort of torture, I mutter under my breath.

Dahlia snickers beside me. Hes milking it, too.

I know Wesley was assigned Team No-Uniforms, but showing up to class in a ripped Pokmon T-shirt and board shorts is pushing it. I cross my arms, leaning back in my chair.

Your initial argument decimated him, Dahlia says. Weve got this.

I wish she was right. But everyone knows Team No-Uniforms always wins at public schools. Plus, okay, heres my deep, dark secret: I suck at public speaking.

Imagine growing up knowing you can party your way through school and still wind up rich and successful because your last name is Clarke.