Under Strange Stars — Gareth Moore

How much is your life on this planet really worth? For Lana Velasquez, a quarter of a billion dollars was what it took for her to finally abandon her failing business and sign on as captain of humanity's first manned expedition outside of the solar system. The distant Mehen is a lush planet full of fresh air, open land, and new possibilities. It's also one hundred and sixty years away from Earth. But she, along with three reluctant others from similar dead ends, decide that giving up what little they have left is more than reasonable for a chance at starting over. What awaits them on the surface of their new planet, though, is hardly the peaceful paradise they hoped for. Vicious wildlife rules the land around them, and Earth is strangely silent. With two years on Mehen ahead of them, the crew is forced to ask themselves questions they thought they'd left behind. How hard are they willing to fight for life, and what kind of life would it be if they made it back?