A man recorded as Vel is a citizen in good standing of the Collective, a galaxy-spanning authority that rules the daily life of every civilized sector through an increasingly iron fist. Licensed operator and navigator with an active ship lease and sterling performance record, Vel might even be considered an elite by most of the half-trillion currently under Collective rule, but still well below the notice of anyone of any real power within it. That's for the best as there's something more beneath his cold blue eyes, a story beyond what the data files recorded and a trail which some may be beginning to follow. The Black Maria is a Sci-fi, action-adventure novel, part classic fight against a faceless tyranny and part Dexter in space. It is the first in, hopefully, a series of novels. Enjoy and all feedback is appreciated.