by Gail & Doug Freedman, Mike Tomzcak

Curse this damnable heat! Whatever possessed you to leave that comfortable barstool back in Karkarham? Sure, you owe Captain Jeffries a string of favours longer than your arm from the old days, but that was a lot of years and rum ago. Time changes people, and you don't like the look of this lot 'es flyin' with now. Cap has a new--well, refurbished--airship doing some transport work, calls it Moon of Shastapsh, and a new crew, and who knows where any of their loyalties lie? There's a war on after all and you can't be none too careful.

And them passengers ain't too savory, either: Flock of perfumed Martian merchants as keep running down to the hold to check on God-only-knows whatever it is they got down there, set of shifty-eyed priests on some sort of pilgrimage, and that damned tatooed mongrel Hill Martian. Showed up before dawn, 'e did, banging on the hatch and demanding to be allowed to book passage. That poor British officer must be half out of her wits, just trying to get back to her post.

Well, Cap pays good, and always has decent rum. Or at least used to anyway. Just a quick out-an-back 'e says. Nothin' to it. Gravy run, 'e says. Tea won't even get cold... Crimey, three days in this damnable heat! And bloody Phobos is rising now--no good ever comes when the Terror Moon is in the sky. Should never have left that barstool.

Shadow Over Mars begins the tale of the airship Moon of Shastapsh and its crew, as they join the famed Red Captains of the Space:1889 universe.