by G J Ogden
Omega Taskforce
Books 1 - 3
G J Ogden
Contents
About this book
More by G J Ogden
Book 1: The Emissary
Prologue
Chapter 1
Cold hearts and dark thoughts
Chapter 2
Another day in the fleet
Chapter 3
Food for thought
Chapter 4
Griffin Delta Zero Four
Chapter 5
She’s one of our own
Chapter 6
We stand and fight
Chapter 7
Combat landing in ten
Chapter 8
Thanks for the assist
Chapter 9
Void Colony Vega Two
Chapter 10
The bank vault
Chapter 11
Secrets revealed in darkness
Chapter 12
McQueen to the rescue
Chapter 13
A two-horse race
Chapter 14
Nobody likes a sore loser
Chapter 15
I’ll take a twenty-seven
Chapter 16
Any upgrade is worth it
Chapter 17
A surge into the unknown
Chapter 18
A dark new discovery
Chapter 19
High risk, high reward
Chapter 20
A place in the new order
Chapter 21
Execute maneuver “breakout”
Chapter 22
A rapid getaway
Chapter 23
Colony Hera 4ML
Chapter 24
The Marshall of Vega 4ML
Chapter 25
Unexpected blood sports
Chapter 26
One good fight deserves another
Chapter 27
Hope Rises and falls
Chapter 28
Surge at two-fifty
Chapter 29
A surge too far
Chapter 30
The rise of the queen
Chapter 31
Diplomatic relations
Chapter 32
The razor’s edge
Chapter 33
Time to reflect
Book 2: Void Recon
Chapter 1
We stand with the emissaries
Chapter 2
A race against time
Chapter 3
Alight at the next stop
Chapter 4
Special investigations branch
Chapter 5
Suspicion and fear
Chapter 6
A rude awakening
Chapter 7
An old friend returns
Chapter 8
Leaving the gate open
Chapter 9
A strange knock at the door
Chapter 10
Star system Omega Four
Chapter 11
Worrying is for admirals
Chapter 12
The Oasis Colony
Chapter 13
The mystery of Fardepp-Neyn
Chapter 14
There are always twelve
Chapter 15
A game of hide and seek
Chapter 16
A Graves decision
Chapter 17
Knowledge is a dangerous thing
Chapter 18
Unwanted guests
Chapter 19
Slaying a goliath
Chapter 20
Upper body strength
Chapter 21
People are like music
Chapter 22
The ambassador ship
Chapter 23
Fleet Gatekeeper Halberd
Chapter 24
A table for two
Chapter 25
An alternative route
Chapter 26
The east viewing gallery
Chapter 27
The west viewing gallery
Chapter 28
Sting in the wasp’s tail
Chapter 29
Emissary of the Sa’Nerra
Chapter 30
An order and a directive
Chapter 31
The battle for G-sector
Chapter 32
An unexpected ceremony
Chapter 33
Captain Vernon Wessel
Chapter 34
Unofficial orders are orders
Book 3: The Exile
Chapter 1
Here we go again
Chapter 2
The courage to act
Chapter 3
The battle titan
Chapter 4
Intense dreams
Chapter 5
A brief moment of respite
Chapter 6
Justice versus the law
Chapter 7
Clanging balls of steel
Chapter 8
What lies beneath
Chapter 9
The ghosts of fleet’s past
Chapter 10
Judgement time
Chapter 11
Between duty and humanity
Chapter 12
Thrace colony in the void
Chapter 13
Uninvited guests
Chapter 14
Reluctant saviors
Chapter 15
The crazy old man
Chapter 16
A moment of weakness
Chapter 17
New discoveries. New questions.
Chapter 18
A gateway to the unknown
Chapter 19
The good homewrecker
Chapter 20
A taste of its own medicine
Chapter 21
A duel in Sa’Nerran space
Chapter 22
The prognosis
Chapter 23
Permission to speak freely
Chapter 24
Relics of the war
Chapter 25
Those we leave behind
Chapter 26
The unique warrior
Chapter 27
I hope he’s worth it
Chapter 28
A necessary evil
Chapter 29
A very important patient
Chapter 30
Fortune and providence
Chapter 31
A mutineer and a friend
Chapter 32
Blood and port wine
Chapter 33
An ignominious end
Chapter 34
An unexpected assignment
Chapter 35
An uncertain future
More by G J Ogden
About the Author
Copyright © 2021 G J Ogden
All rights reserved.
Published by Ogden Media Ltd
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
Cover design by Laercio Messias
Editing by S L Ogden
www.ogdenmedia.net
About this bo
ok
This is a compilation of the first three books in the six-book Omega Taskforce military sci-fi series by G J Ogden.
Book 1: The Emissary
Book 2: Void Recon
Book 3: The Exile
Books four, five and six are available to buy individually and will be made available as a compilation, available late September 2021.
Book 4: Obsidian Fleet
Book 5: Dreadnaught
Book 6: Than Vanguard
More by G J Ogden
If you like Omega Taskforce then why not check out some of G J Ogden’s other books? Click the series titles below to learn more about each of them.
Darkspace Renegade Series (6-books)
If you like your action fueled by power armor, big guns and the occasional sword, you’ll love this fast-moving military sci-fi adventure.
Star Scavenger Series (5-book series)
Firefly blended with the mystery and adventure of Indiana Jones. Book 1 is 99c / 99p.
The Contingency War Series (4-book series)
A space-fleet, military sci-fi adventure with a unique twist that you won't see coming...
The Planetsider Trilogy (3-book series)
An edge-of-your-seat blend of military sci-fi action & classic apocalyptic fiction. Perfect for fans of Maze Runner and I am Legend.
Audiobook Series
Star Scavenger Series (29-hrs) - click here
The Contingency War Series (24-hrs) - click here
The Planetsider Trilogy (32-hrs) - click here
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Book 1: The Emissary
Prologue
WE CALLED THEM THE SA’NERRA
October 17th, 2317. That was the day humanity’s first inter-species war began. They were called the Sa’Nerra, named after the sound of their waspish breathing, but what they called themselves, no one knew. Their language of sinister rasps and wheezes was indecipherable to human minds, despite all attempts by United Governments' scientists to translate it. It was a haunting noise that once heard was impossible to forget, like the sound of a medical ventilator struggling to keep a person alive in the dead of night. Yet, while the Sa’Nerran language was impossible to understand, the intention of the alien race had been clear. War.
The discovery of Aperture Engineering in 2203 had allowed for the establishment of vast tunnels through space, extending sometimes by hundreds of light years. Decades of interstellar expansion followed the discovery, seeing humanity grow into the stars, creating hundreds of new colonies and outposts. But humanity burrowed too deep and too fast.
The first ship to happen, by accident, upon Sa’Nerran space was destroyed without warning. The second sent to make peace was intercepted and obliterated with equal disdain. Then they came in force. Relentless, single-minded warriors who wanted nothing but destruction. Humanity had disturbed their nest and now there was no going back.
Fifty-four years later, the United Governments Fleet was on the brink of victory. Then everything changed. The Sa’Nerra tapped into the neural implants engineered into every human at birth, allowing the aliens to control Fleet captains and crew like puppets. Ships were captured, colonies were lost. Hundreds of thousands of people were “turned”. The Sa’Nerra had flipped the war in a matter of years.
United Governments' scientists raced to find a solution. Early efforts focused on finding ways to remove or deactivate the neural implants. All such attempts met with catastrophic failure. Human brains had simply become dependent on the technology, to the point where they could not function without it. The use of neural implants was immediately banned, so that future generations would not be susceptible to this critical weakness. However, the fact remained that every man and woman in the Fleet was vulnerable, and there was nothing the United Governments could do about it. The Sa’Nerra had discovered a critical weakness; a weakness for which there was no defense, and the aliens wasted no time in ruthlessly exploiting it. Victory for the United Governments Fleet now required new tactics. Desperate tactics. Some might even say inhumane tactics.
January 20th, 2370. The Omega Taskforce was established in secret by Fleet Admiral Natasha Griffin. Under the cover name, 'Void Recon Unit,' these black ops vessels were charged with doing the Fleet’s dirty work, without oversight or interference from the United Governments. Omega Taskforce ships were staffed by crew sourced from throughout the fleet, via a macabre and brutal trial called the Omega Directive. These ships and their elite Omega Captains and crew were ordered to do the unthinkable. Kill without question or remorse, even when this meant killing their own people. Those 'turned' by the Sa’Nerra were an ever-present threat that had to be eliminated, by any means necessary.
They say space is cold. But the heart of an Omega Captain is colder still.
Chapter 1
Cold hearts and dark thoughts
Lucas Sterling followed Commander Ariel Gunn onto the bridge of the Fleet Dreadnaught Hammer, plasma pistol raised. The door hammered shut behind him, trapping the rest of their forces outside. Sterling cursed, but remained focused, aiming and firing at the Sa’Nerran warriors who had taken control of the ship.
“It’s just us two!” Sterling called out to Gunn over the rasp of his plasma pistol. Two warriors dropped, but more moved in front of the conn, forming a shield in front of Commander Welsh. The neural implant on the side of Welsh’s head displayed the tell-tales signs of Sa’Nerran neural corruption. The alien race was controlling the Commander like a puppet, and using her to steal the Hammer. As Fleet’s sole remaining Dreadnaught, its loss or capture would lead to certain defeat at the hands of the Sa’Nerran race. The Omega Directive was clear in this situation. Commander Naomi Welsh had to die, and Sterling was the one who had to kill her.
Gunn darted along the left-hand wall of the bridge, shooting two Sa’Nerran invaders before being pinned down. A plasma blast ripped past Sterling’s head, but he didn’t flinch, shooting the attacker in the torso then diving for cover as more plasma blasts tore through the air. Sterling returned fire, driving the aliens back and giving Gunn an opportunity to advance. She moved toward the conn, killing another two warriors, but the final Sa’Nerran invaders were still trying to shield Commander Welsh.
“They’re protecting her,” Sterling called over to Gunn, who was pinned down on the far side of the bridge. “I can’t get a clear shot!”
Sterling assumed the Sa’Nerra must also have known that without their human puppet, they would lose control of the Fleet’s largest and most powerful capitol ship. The aliens seemed willing to sacrifice themselves in order to ensure the ship surged through the aperture into the Void between Fleet and Sa’Nerran space. If that happened, Sterling knew the Hammer would be lost. The Sa’Nerra had planned the assault meticulously and would have ships waiting to escort the giant vessel back to Sa’Nerran space. The Hammer would then be turned against them, and eventually used to batter Earth from orbit until humanity’s home was nothing more than a wasteland.
Sterling glanced at the viewscreen and saw that the aperture was fast approaching. Despite plasma bolts flashing all around him and consoles erupting into sparks and flames, he had no choice but to press the attack. Charging forward, he unleashed a flurry of plasma fire at the remaining alien warriors. The Sa’Nerra returned fire and he took a hit to the shoulder, but pushed on through the pain. Gunn also advanced, catching the Sa’Nerra in a crossfire. Sterling took another hit, but his combat vest absorbed the bulk of the energy. Even so, his chest burned and the pain threatened to overwhelm him. Clamping his jaw down hard, Sterling continued to fire until all the Sa’Nerran warriors were dead. All bar one; a final alien warrior remained. It stood behind Commander Naomi Welsh, its long, leathery fingers wrapped around her neck, and a plasma pistol pressed to the side of her head. Sterling could hear the alien’s raspy breathing, faster and more labored than usual. Yet he could determine nothing about the alien’s state of mind from its round
, yellow eyes, and unyielding expression. The Sa’Nerra were simply unreadable. If they felt anger or joy or misery or pain, it was not possible to discern such emotions from their faces. They simply killed without compunction, just as Sterling had to. By holding Welsh hostage, the alien being must have believed that Sterling’s basic human emotions would cause his resolve to break. Yet if the alien warrior believed for one second that he would not shoot, it was sorely mistaken, Sterling told himself.
Sterling gritted his teeth and aimed his pistol at Commander Naomi Welsh’s head. He knew her and she was well liked on the ship. More than that, she was Gunn’s friend. The fact he had to kill her was a bitter pill to swallow, but he reminded himself that the Naomi Welsh he knew was already gone. The Commander’s eyes were glassy and vacant, like all of the other 'turned' humans Sterling had seen. Yet they were also staring straight at him. Part of him wished Naomi Welsh would look away, but the soldier in him preferred it this way. He was not ashamed of what he was about to do. It was repugnant, even callous, but also necessary. Sterling swallowed hard and was about to squeeze the trigger, when Gunn jumped in front of him and blocked his shot.
