Read Online Omega Force: Savage Homecoming by Joshua Dalzelle - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Joshua Dalzelle
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thoughts, and tried again. “There’s a very good reason you shouldn’t be here. Why is it that you think being on a warship that is flying to an unknown, possibly hostile planet is a good idea?”
“Look, Earth is my home too, probably more so than it is for you at this point .” Taryn came out swinging. Her experience told her that a full frontal assault would work best against Jason, so she’d take the initiative before he had the chance to build a logical argument. “Why don’t I have the right to be here?”
Jason spluttered indignantly for a moment, trying to articulate multiple points simultaneously.
“This is MY ship! For starters, you’re trespassing.” He knew he was on weak footing, but she had knocked him off balance by just being there in the first place. “I don’t have to explain my reasoning to you.”
“ You’re the one who pulled me off my home,” Taryn countered. “Doesn’t that make you responsible for my well-being? How is dumping me off with a bunch of aliens–no offense, guys–not shirking out of your duty to keep me safe?”
Jason opened his mouth three times, but no words came out as the angry red in his neck began to streak up into his face. The rest of the crew, who had gathered at the commotion, was staring wide-eyed and slack-jawed, their heads moving back and forth between the participants like spectators at a tennis match. Thankfully, Jason was saved from having to answer.
“ The Diligent is on the coms, Captain ,” Kage said over the intercom.
“Follow me,” Jason said to Taryn simply as he turned and stomped angrily up the steps to the command deck. Taryn cringed, but followed at a short distance. The rest of the crew bunched up and followed her at an even shorter distance.
“Ah, I see you’ve had our missing human this whole time, Captain,” Kellea said in a clipped voice. Jason recognized the tone and winced inwardly.
“If you mean my stowaway here, then yes,” he answered. “I take it there has been some concern aboard the Diligent ?”
“If by concern you mean the near dismantling of my ship over the course of the last four days to try and track down Taryn Brown , then yes, there was a level of concern,” she answered.
“I’m sorry about this, Captain. We just found her , actually, and contacted you right afterwards. Could you inform her parents she’s fine?”
“Of course,” she said. “But how is it your internal sensors didn’t warn you there was an unauthorized passenger before you departed?”
Twingo, who had thus far been thoroughly enjoying the show, was now aware of a number of angry stares aimed his way.
“How the hell was I supposed to know someone would sneak on board?” he protested loudly. “I deactivate the system when we’re on the Diligent to keep the annoying false alarms down.” Jason looked like he wanted to smack his friend, but instead turned back to the display on the canopy where Captain Colleren was standing with her arms crossed. Commander Bostco, her first officer, was standing behind her and waving with a big smile. Jason almost laughed but knew he’d just get his orange-haired friend in trouble.
“So now that we’ve solved the mystery, what are we going to do about it?” he asked.
“We meshed out shortly after you did, but not on your vector. We’ve actually been moving further away this whole time,” Captain Colleren said. “Your ship is quite a bit faster than mine , so I have no way to reach you to collect your stowaway.”
Taryn wisely kept silent while her fate was discussed. Jason rubbed at his hair and growled in frustration.
“We can’t backtrack, we’re almost at the halfway point and I can’t afford to waste this much time.”
“If it’s any consolation, you’re not likely to find much there,” Bostco spoke up for the first time. “The ships that attacked your planet wouldn’t have made it back there by now, if that’s even their point of origin.”
“We don’t know
“Look, Earth is my home too, probably more so than it is for you at this point .” Taryn came out swinging. Her experience told her that a full frontal assault would work best against Jason, so she’d take the initiative before he had the chance to build a logical argument. “Why don’t I have the right to be here?”
Jason spluttered indignantly for a moment, trying to articulate multiple points simultaneously.
“This is MY ship! For starters, you’re trespassing.” He knew he was on weak footing, but she had knocked him off balance by just being there in the first place. “I don’t have to explain my reasoning to you.”
“ You’re the one who pulled me off my home,” Taryn countered. “Doesn’t that make you responsible for my well-being? How is dumping me off with a bunch of aliens–no offense, guys–not shirking out of your duty to keep me safe?”
Jason opened his mouth three times, but no words came out as the angry red in his neck began to streak up into his face. The rest of the crew, who had gathered at the commotion, was staring wide-eyed and slack-jawed, their heads moving back and forth between the participants like spectators at a tennis match. Thankfully, Jason was saved from having to answer.
“ The Diligent is on the coms, Captain ,” Kage said over the intercom.
“Follow me,” Jason said to Taryn simply as he turned and stomped angrily up the steps to the command deck. Taryn cringed, but followed at a short distance. The rest of the crew bunched up and followed her at an even shorter distance.
“Ah, I see you’ve had our missing human this whole time, Captain,” Kellea said in a clipped voice. Jason recognized the tone and winced inwardly.
“If you mean my stowaway here, then yes,” he answered. “I take it there has been some concern aboard the Diligent ?”
“If by concern you mean the near dismantling of my ship over the course of the last four days to try and track down Taryn Brown , then yes, there was a level of concern,” she answered.
“I’m sorry about this, Captain. We just found her , actually, and contacted you right afterwards. Could you inform her parents she’s fine?”
“Of course,” she said. “But how is it your internal sensors didn’t warn you there was an unauthorized passenger before you departed?”
Twingo, who had thus far been thoroughly enjoying the show, was now aware of a number of angry stares aimed his way.
“How the hell was I supposed to know someone would sneak on board?” he protested loudly. “I deactivate the system when we’re on the Diligent to keep the annoying false alarms down.” Jason looked like he wanted to smack his friend, but instead turned back to the display on the canopy where Captain Colleren was standing with her arms crossed. Commander Bostco, her first officer, was standing behind her and waving with a big smile. Jason almost laughed but knew he’d just get his orange-haired friend in trouble.
“So now that we’ve solved the mystery, what are we going to do about it?” he asked.
“We meshed out shortly after you did, but not on your vector. We’ve actually been moving further away this whole time,” Captain Colleren said. “Your ship is quite a bit faster than mine , so I have no way to reach you to collect your stowaway.”
Taryn wisely kept silent while her fate was discussed. Jason rubbed at his hair and growled in frustration.
“We can’t backtrack, we’re almost at the halfway point and I can’t afford to waste this much time.”
“If it’s any consolation, you’re not likely to find much there,” Bostco spoke up for the first time. “The ships that attacked your planet wouldn’t have made it back there by now, if that’s even their point of origin.”
“We don’t know
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