On Mars, survival isn't a choice-it's the only rule.When the colony is wiped out in a sudden, mysterious attack, Security Officer Jacin Jacobs and Martian Born Renegade colonist Issabella "Issy" Masters find themselves the only survivors. They're total opposites-he's disciplined and by-the-book, she's stubborn and unpredictable-and neither would have chosen the other as a partner. But with the main routes to safety cut off, they have no choice but to take the long way around the planet.Their journey will force them across lethal terrain where storms rage for weeks, the cold bites through steel, and the thin air gives no second chances. Every day is a battle against the hostile planet-and their own clashing instincts.But as danger closes in, the unlikely pair discovers that survival might depend on more than skill and grit. It might mean learning to trust... and maybe even love, in a world determined to take everything from them.Perfect for fans of survival-driven sci-fi with a slow-burn romance, Dustbound: The Badge and the Brat is the first step in a gripping journey across the red frontier.