The Exiled Earthborn Read Online Free PDF Page A

uniform was dark blue instead of gray and had a full array of commendations across the chest. Black curls of hair spilled down his forehead, and he had a pronounced dimpled chin like a cartoon villain. His brown eyes were deep and dark, and immediately worked their way up and down Asha. Annoyed, she cocked her eyebrow at him. He turned away from her with a smile.
    “Yes, Admiral. How can I be of service?”
    “You’re first in line to meet the aliens. Lucas and Asha, this is Mars Maston, former Commander of the Fifth Fleet and current First Watchman of the Guardians. He’s helping out with security tonight.”
    Lucas noticed a thin line that ran down the right side of his neck, parallel with his collar. A scar? It was the only visible imperfection on what was otherwise a flawless visage.
    “It is an honor,” Maston said, bowing deeply.
    “Mars like the planet?” Lucas asked.
    “Which planet is that?” he said, righting himself.
    “Oh right, errr, it’s one of ours.” Lucas felt foolish.
    “Well, I’d love to visit it someday,” Maston said with a smile. “It’s amazing,” he continued, turning to Asha.
    “What is?” she asked, eyebrow still arched.
    “That the first contact we make with another species, they give us an ambassador that outshines our entire race with her beauty.”
    Asha rolled her eyes.
    “I didn’t need to fly a trillion miles across the galaxy to be hit on by soldiers. I had plenty of that at home.”
    “Don’t mind him,” Talis said helpfully. “He’s been a charmer since he could walk. Trust me, I used to babysit him.”
    Maston looked a bit sheepish and veered the conversation elsewhere.
    “I was impressed to learn that you two are enlisting in the SDI. That’s quite a high calling after just finishing a war of your own.”
    “The highest calling,” Tannon said. “And it’s the real reason you have the honor of being at this gala, incidentally.”
    Maston looked confused.
    “I don’t understand.”
    “The Earthborn will be joining your Guardians.”
    A look of fury swept over Maston’s face for a brief moment, but it was quickly wiped away and he forced a smile.
    “But Admiral,” he said, his voice dropping an octave, “the Guardians are the most elite unit in the entire Initiative. They’re bred from birth for the squadron. It’s not even possible to enlist.”
    “It is now.”
    “But sir, there’s no way their skills will match that of the existing team. The Guardians have the finest genetic material on the planet. My best soldiers cost billions of marks to assemble.”
    The charm was gone, and his voice was now distinctly hollow and cold.
    “They also have a bad reputation after your last few missions went … awry,” Tannon said. “You need some good press, and these two joining up will turn them into heroes again in an instant.”
    “They are heroes, sir.”
    “Not recently.”
    Lucas felt the need to interject, though this was the first he was hearing about the Guardians or his imminent deployment to them.
    “We’ve been fighting for years now, and outlived everyone on our planet. We took out an entire Xalan space station, and killed a Shadow general on his own ship.”
    Maston looked upward in a way that was dangerously close to an eye roll as he let out a sigh. Lucas wanted to hit him.
    “Yes, yes, I’ve read the Stream.”
    “Then you should know we’re ready for anything you can throw at us,” Asha said menacingly.
    “I very much doubt that.”
    “You have your orders, Commander. They’ll report to you in a week,” Tannon said forcefully.
    “Yes, sir,” Maston replied without breaking eye contact with Lucas.
    Apparently Sorans didn’t salute, or Maston was just overcome with anger as he turned and marched off into the crowd without glancing at either of them again.
    “Oh, Mars,” Talis said wistfully. “He’s a royal pain sometimes, but underneath he’s a fine soldier, and a fine man. And he’s been through so much