Omega Force 7: Redemption by Joshua Dalzelle Page A

embraced. The pair had had their many differences, but Jason was genuinely happy to see his old friend.
    "Hey! He's not as stupid as I thought," Jason said as he walked back into the kitchen area where the surreal vision of a battlesynth cooking breakfast over an antique stove greeted them.
    "You know that's a lot of the problem, Jason," Doc said, blinking as he watched Lucky flipping an assortment of local vegetables in a pan like a professional chef.
    "Don't ask," Jason muttered. "He's taken a real shine to cooking recently for some reason. Anyway ... what's a lot of the problem?"
    "You're always so combative," Doc said as he took a seat. "We made our choice, but Crisstof also had to make his. He had a lot more at stake than a single person's life."
    "We've talked this to death," Jason said, dismissing the subject with a wave. "Crusher deserved a better effort than Crisstof gave no matter the circumstances. He'd earned that much. By the way, how are the Galvetic Marines doing?"
    "They're gone," Doc admitted. "I keep mostly to myself when aboard the ship, for obvious reasons, but I heard there was serious discontent in the ranks after they'd discovered what happened on Faulli. Mazer learned that Crusher had returned to Galvetor and gave Kellea notice that they intended to depart as soon as their contract was up." Doc looked at Jason expectantly, waiting for him to ask the obvious question after he'd mentioned Kellea's name. Jason refused to take the bait.
     
    "Was it Crisstof's lack of concern for their Guardian Archon or his trying to hide the facts afterwards that pissed them off the most?" he asked instead.
    "I'd say a sixty-forty split of both those factors," Doc said. "Crisstof had been beside himself that he'd lost control of such a valuable asset. In the end he released them early and took them back to—could you be any less obvious with that smile on your face?"
    "Hmm?" Jason asked innocently. "Oh, sorry. Please continue."
    "As I was saying," Doc went on, rolling his eyes, "he released them from their contract and had them flown back to Restaria. They had made it pretty clear they had no intention of giving much of an effort on any new missions Crisstof had for them."
    "Poor Crisstof," Jason said in mock sympathy. "He had to learn the hard way that there are consequences to using and manipulating people."
    "I don't think that's a fair—"
    "Hello, Doc," Kalette said as she walked out into the main living area. She had put Jason's shirt back on while her hair dried.
    "Good morning, Kalette," Doc said, giving a Jason a look that was equal parts exasperation and disgust. Jason shook his head emphatically at the unsaid accusation and pointed at Lucky's back. Doc waved off Jason's protestations and made a choking motion with his right hand, the old Omega Force gesture for when someone was screwing things up beyond all measure.
    "Am I interrupting?" Kalette asked as she watched the silent conversation of hand gestures for a moment.
    "Not at all," Doc said. "Please, have a seat."
    "Jason has been entertaining me this morning with tales of your old crew," she said as she slid into one of the chairs surrounding the table.
    "Really?" Doc asked in genuine surprise. "How was I portrayed in these tales ?"
    "A reluctant participant, maybe," Kalette said, squinting her eyes as she gave the off-the-cuff question serious consideration.
    "That describes most of my adult life," Doc muttered sourly. "Anyway, while I'm thrilled at the chance to visit with my old friends, I did come back down to the surface to talk specifically to you."
    "Let me save you some time," Kalette said, raising her hand in the galaxy's universal sign for stop. "I do not trust Crisstof Dalton. There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is his convenient timing in showing up here almost the exact instant I did. I will not go with him willingly."
    "What would be your preferred outcome at this juncture, Kalette?" Lucky asked as he walked from the