Scrapyard Ship 4 Realms of Time by Mark Wayne McGinnis Read Free Book Online Page B

news of Stands in Storm’s honorable death in battle, Traveler had presented himself to her, as so obligated, to become her new mate, her provider. But the obligation was dismissed. Believing Stands in Storm dead, she had already found another mate to provide for them. And something else surprised Jason as he listened to the rhino’s deep voice.
    “ This place is no longer my home. I miss the land where the Furlong bear hunts, where the wolf howls at the moon. Captain, would you allow me and several of the other rhino-warriors to return to that place, to the habitat on board The Lilly?”
    “ Of course. You can return there whenever you wish. I do have one request, though.”
    “ Yes, Captain. The admiral has already spoken to me of your situation, the plight of your home planet. I would be honored to join you, to again fight at your side.”
    Now, with the outpost cruiser secured alongside the Minian, Jason and Billy watched their friend exit through a mid-deck airlock. Traveler greeted them, ready for battle: a heavy hammer hung from a thick leather thong at his belt, and an energy weapon strapped to his left wrist. He wasn’t alone; Rustling Leaves followed close behind, and eight other rhino-warriors followed soon afterward.
     
    * * *
     
    Jason hadn’t had the opportunity to check out the Minian’s flight deck previously. He was surprised to see a fleet of one hundred royal blue two-man fighters, similar to the Pacesetter, and numerous shuttles all symmetrically lined up in parallel rows. There were also hundreds of smaller un-manned drone fighters, secured, with their wings collapsed, mounted in rows high up along the bulkheads. Equipment began to load onto the largest of the Minian’s shuttles, one nearly twice the size of the Epcot. There was a flurry of activity: SEALs stowing their packs and multi-guns; Ricket maneuvering equipment into place; several rhinos carrying extricated seats; and Dira, who’d abruptly brushed past him, carrying several large medical bags. He heard her say something under her breath about him cutting Bristol some slack.
    Ricket emerged from the shuttle. Jason noticed he wasn’t wearing a battle suit. “We’re scheduled to leave in ten minutes, Ricket. You need to get into your battle suit.”
    “ Captain, deploying the drones from the Minian will be a fairly technical process. There may be a necessity to alter the code, or handle any number of issues on the fly.”
    “ We may have similar needs on the ground,” Jason replied.
    “ Undoubtedly, you will.”
    It was then Jason noticed an awkward-looking member of the team hovering nearby. “That better not be who I think it is,” Jason spat. Both Dira and Orion, who had been conversing closer to the shuttle, turned to see what the commotion was about.
    Ricket took a deep breath and brought his hands up in surrender. “I cannot be in two places at once, Captain. The only other person who has sufficient technical capabilities is Bristol. Please understand, these advanced drones are programmed not to be detected. Even with specialized equipment, you’ll need to get in close—even then, it will be hit or miss locating them.”
    “ I don’t want him on my team.”
    “ Would you trust him alone on the Minian, which will be operational within the next few days? I would be happy to switch places with him, but I don’t think that is the best course of action.”
    Dira glared at Jason; behind her helmet’s visor, he could see her furrowed brow. Jason looked around and spotted Rizzo coming out of the shuttle.
    “ Rizzo!”
    The young SEAL jogged over to Jason’s side, “Aye, sir?”
    “ See that guy over there? That’s Bristol.”
    “ Yes, sir. I know who he is.”
    “ You’re responsible for him for the duration of this mission. Where he goes, you go, and visa versa. Do you understand?” Jason could see Bristol was listening. “One more thing. If he does something to compromise this mission, or exhibits harmful action