Cadet: Star Defenders Book Two: Space Opera Adventure

by Pamela Stewart

  We were in a circular training room. At least fifty similar rooms surrounded us, most with transparent walls, all pressed together in a honeycomb.

  Some chambers used anti-gravity, some H2O submersion, and others held the basics with mats, bags, and equipment for general hand-to-hand. Gleason had decided to go old school.

  I knew he had more he wanted to talk about. Like why in the galaxy, he put me up for a position at the Academy. Not that I didn’t want it. Everyone wanted to teach at the Academy. It usually took years to score a general instructor job for the military, even longer to teach at the Academy. Something was most definitely up.

  During my days in the Academy, I trained in every one of these rooms. I had been beaten until I couldn’t fight back anymore. And then something clicked inside of me, and I changed.

  I learned to listen. I learned to use all my unfocused energy on improving. I got good. Really good. So good that the Phantom Ops invited me into their ranks. Then the real pain had begun.

  If I didn’t want to be pummeled into a bloody mass, I needed to draw on those skills. My mind stilled, and my breathing evened. I bounced, waiting for the next volley of attacks.

  His fist shot out. I weaved under and jumped back.

  He nodded. “Now that’s the Ethan I remember. You would never have been captured on the planet if you'd shown up like this.”

  A pinpoint attack meant to make me lash out. But he was right. When I’d gone down with Commander Wu to the planet, I hadn't expected any hostile forces. I'd taken for granted that all the miners had left, and the planet was unoccupied. I'd been very wrong. The scar on my head proved it. The nu-skin had not covered the mark completely—a reminder not to let my guard down.

  I ducked and jabbed forward, actually catching a hint of his jaw. I danced back, waiting to get a good hit.

  “Much better.” Raising his guard, he sidestepped. “Tell me about what happened on the planet. Your reports were vague. How did a fresh off the planet recruit take on those hostiles, survive, and free you?”

  “I'm not sure. Never got to talk to Vega about it.” I cross-stepped, still keeping my full attention on every movement he was making.

  “Vega, huh? Still carrying that torch.” Another needle, but I wasn't rising to the occasion.

  He lashed, and I dodged. The breeze from his laser-fast right cross wafted by my face. Close. Gleason never pulled punches. I didn’t want him to.

  “How did she combat half a dozen pirates? What's her secret?” He danced on his toes with the grace of someone half his age. Damn, better than someone my age. I couldn't keep up much longer.

  “Why don't you ask her?” I countered, and the words did more damage than my attempted step and jab. I missed his ribs by an inch.

  “Close, son. I have a feeling she’d be more forthcoming with you.” He tried for a roundhouse kick to my head. I jumped out of range.

  One of Gleason's mottos was to get them before they got you, by whatever means necessary. I didn't necessarily ascribe to that ideology, but the Hub had taught me to be on constant guard, even among friends.

  I dropped to the floor and swept my leg until it connected. Gleason tripped and landed hard on his upper back, woofing out air. I leaped up and angled to drop my elbow against his chest but stopped when I saw the small pistol in his hand.

  “Be ready for anything. Remember?”

  My attack stalled. Panting, I fell to the mat next to him. “Not fair,” I gasped out.

  “Life isn't fair. If you don't question your old girlfriend, then she'll be interrogated. And when I say interrogated, I mean by our people. She may not come out right at the other end of the questioning. You know the methods.”

  Icy claws dug into my chest, and my blood ran as cold as deep space. “You wouldn't. Why?”

  “No. I wouldn't, usually. But the brass are fighting for our lives here. We need to get out in front of this. If they don’t get a real answer, she’ll be questioned, tortured, and put into deep lockup.”

  My cold blood heated to boiling, but I kept my face neutral. I knew he was monitoring me, and Vega's freedom, her very life, could depend on me.

  “I'll do whatever is needed.” Maybe I could pull him back from this raggedy edge. I felt like I was looking over an abyss that had no top or bottom. Gleason had always been tough, but he'd been fair. “Sir, I was there. And she really is smart. She's young and makes mistakes, but she's brilliant.”

  “I'll be the judge if she's brilliant or not. You’ll report back to me daily with anything you discover. Is that clear.”

  “Yes.” I croaked on automatic, my mind reeling with what I would have to do. The real reason I’d been tapped as an instructor was to spy on Vega.

  “Yes, what?” he barked.

  I jerked. That was his commander tone, and there was no arguing or petitioning, not now at least.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Report to your duty station at 0600 hours.”

  He gave me a smile that was a bit too carefree. “See you on the flight deck tomorrow.”

  He pocketed his gun, rose, and offered me a hand. I looked at it for a long moment, and then I took it.

  How was I going to get Vega to talk to me again after everything? And even if she did, wouldn’t it be betraying her all over? I let the thoughts rattle against each other until the noise filled my head.

  I started humming to find my equilibrium.

  I strode out of the room alone into the dim hall lighting. A weight descended on me as if I’d put on a heavy grav suit, a weight even music couldn’t lift. It pulled my shoulders down as I slowly made my way to my quarters.

  Chapter Eleven

  Amelie

  “Keep up.” Vega flipped into mission mode, which meant she lost most of her social graces.

  Usually, she was pretty warm and friendly, one of the few people who remained once they found out about my penchant to share information. I believed everything I said provided useful additions to conversations, but others in the general populace did not.

  “Come on.” Dax put his elbow out toward me. “You can hold on to my arm if you need some help. The incline is a bitch.”

  Dax’s slow, calm voice soothed my nerves like warm molasses. Another one that would listen to me talk endlessly, but I knew he listened. He always asked questions or made comments about what I said. But I didn’t want his pity.

  I shook my head and dug my toes into the incline. The greenery fell away as the soil turned rockier. Judging by the slope and the approximate height of the obstacle, it would be 1.75 miles before the summit, and my legs screamed in protest.

  If the officers were looking for ways to damage their fighting force, this was the best test ever. When I got into the Science Division, I would call these physical and mental tests into question. They were antiquated.

  I should have known there was a reason the inscription on the school exterior was Momento Mori. “Remember, you will die” in Latin.

  My legs burned, almost seizing as I forced myself forward. Why, oh why, hadn’t I worked out harder? Vega had warned me, but I’d never imagined that the tests would be so arduous—hard I meant. I reminded myself to use more common expressions so I wouldn’t be singled out as usual.

  Dax cut me another glance. His light brown eyes were so warm that his gaze felt like an embrace. I had to stop thinking that. My mind needed to be on the task at—wait, something was off.

  “There are bushes here. I thought the tree cover ended down below? Is this normal?” I’d learned a bit on Clementine about how the environment could be treacherous.

  Vega froze and examined the path. Her face had shifted from its normal tan to dark red without her planetstrength.

  She bent down and examined the ground and touched one of the bushes.

  “Those shouldn’t be here. Something’s up. We need to find another way.”

  “This is the only path up from our clearing,” I said. “We’d have to backtrack to find a new path.” I couldn’t
imagine going back down the mountain only to have to climb it again. My throat was bone dry, and my stomach knotted. I took a deep breath, praying Vega would see reason.

  “Let’s keep on the path. Just circle wide.”

  “You know the Axis military—gotta be deadly stuff waiting for us anywhere we go.” Dax gripped up on the trident, smiling. “And remember, we got this.”

  He was the most positive human I'd ever met, and I should have found his endless positivity maddening or annoying, but I didn't. It felt comforting when somebody believed things worked out,even after what he must've gone through growing up. He hadn't talked about it, but those tattoos could only mean one thing. He'd been sold into service at some point.

  And that did not indicate that his history was full of jet suits or meteor sparkle.

  “Let’s stay here.” My voice came out croaky sounding. I tried to stand straight, even though I felt like a plasma whip had ripped my muscles to the bone.

  Vega scowled at both of us, her eyes narrowed. “I don't like walking into a trap. Especially if we can—”

  The foliage in question popped upward like a secret door. The brush fell away. An alien head rose, and a tentacle reached out. We all jerked backward as an appendage snaked out and snagged Dax’s leg. He stumbled off balance.

  The trident popped into the air. I instinctively caught it. Once my hands touched the alloy, a surge of blue fire streaked into the sky from the end. My fingers vibrated and burned as if I’d touched fire. I dropped it and screamed...which I hated because I did not like behaving so atypically, but sometimes the emotions overruled the brain. All I could think was to keep the fire away from my friends and me.

  I could hear my mother's voice. Amelie put the laser down. You're not supposed to construct weapons in your bedroom. Why can't you just be like the other girls?

  “Throw it to me. Throw it to me!” Vega screamed.

  I trusted Vega. She knew what to do in situations like this. Dax hauled his leg back, but the tentacle wrapped tighter

  I scooped up the weapon and tossed it to her. The trident hummed with blue light. Vega targeted the helmet in one smooth motion.

  A blue streak sizzled from the three prongs and combined into one powerful stream. I held my breath. The alien’s head and the gravel path exploded in chunks of flesh and soil.

  The constriction around Dax’s leg slackened. He slid back a few feet down the trail and kicked off the tentacle. His face screwed into a disgusted mask as the appendage tumbled from him with a splotch.

  “Damn, V. Thanks. That thing had me.” He panted and pushed to his feet.

  My fingers still stung as I looked at both of them. My eyes rested on Vega. I expected the stagnant water smell to return, but all I could detect was the smell of burning dermis.

  We were silent and still, probably in shock. Time didn’t move.

  On the steep incline above us, two cadets crawled up directly below the apex of the mountain.

  “Look.” I pointed.

  My words jerked everyone into motion. Vega put her head down, her feet sinking into the shifting soil. The prints of her shoes dug inches deep as if she weighed three hundred pounds.

  Technically, she did with the heavy grav applied to her suit.

  Dax jogged up behind her, favoring his injured leg. He offered her his arm to help. She took it.

  That was my team. My people. I ran to catch up. Maybe we could still have a chance if we kept working together.

  I knew my thoughts had no basis in logic, but for the moment, I didn’t care.

  Chapter Twelve

  DAX

  My leg hurt like a son of a Hub-whore. I shouldn’t have even thought that. With my two sisters still trapped in our hovel, I should have been the last one to judge, but everyone said it—even in the Hub—so it just kind of stuck in my brainpan. The pain distracted me. My thoughts narrowed to just helping my friends get to the top of this Sol-damned mountain.

  The gravel shifted under my feet, and I nearly face-planted, but Vega hoisted me upright.

  “Got ya.”

  “I’m supposed to be helping you,” I said.

  Vega twisted her head to the side and smiled. “We’re in this together. Remember?”

  “Hmm.”

  Amelie caught up with us and took my other arm. The touch was firm but gentle, and I felt the heat of her shoulder against mine.

  Our competition scrambled as if fire hounds were chasing them up the incline.

  I had to keep my mind off of how close Am was to me. No matter how I tried to keep the friend vibe in my head, it slipped, especially when she let her guard down and showed a flash of what was underneath.

  It made me want to protect her. It made me want to get to know her even more. It made me want something I could never have. A Hub kid would never in a trillion light-years have a chance with a satellite girl. It was best to remain friends. I should have been happy with that.

  I was happy with it.

  Really.

  Some days were just harder than others.

  “At our current pace, we will be in the third group to the summit. Still within point range of keeping our spots in the Academy but low enough to worry.”

  Vega’s breathing came in harsh gasps. She shot a look at Amelie that said her patience had expired, and carrying hundreds of extra pounds had to be taking its toll. I decided to oil the cog before we had a full break down.

  I shifted more of Vega’s weight onto me to give her some relief.

  “Anyway, to stay in is fine by me. But let’s get moving. Between us, we can figure a way to speed up or maybe locate a faster—there!” I pointed to a dense wall of vegetation. These leaves were pastel green. They didn’t fit with the rest of the dark green creeping vines and seemed to drift as if an oxygenator was blowing. Something was behind it.

  “It may be a short cut!” Amelie said. “That’s so smart.”

  I couldn’t help a quick side glance at her. Her perfectly arched eyebrows had quirked higher, like when she was curious—or surprised.

  A tiny knife of pain struck at me, but I batted it away. She had said I was smart.

  “I try,” I said.

  Vega wheezed, sweat bathing her face as she pulled back the curtain.

  An alternate path up the mountain that tilted up hard. Two towering walls so close, they looked like they had once connected. One ragged edge could almost fit into the other like a giant puzzle. It spired into the sky at least 100 feet. I didn’t mind close quarters, usually, but this tiny gap made my nerves rattle like a ship that needed a tune-up. The Axis had made almost everything here to be a test. A trial. Why leave a back port open? I didn’t know. I wasn’t the clever one.

  I opened my mouth to ask V and Am when a dollop of moisture smacked against my face. It wasn’t sweat. This H2O dropped from above.

  The tan stone darkened as more drops sprinkled from a higher altitude.

  “Did we trigger a water effect?” I hadn’t done much full virtual reality.

  Vega laughed and stopped moving forward in the narrow gap between the walls. “It’s rain.”

  “Rain!” Amelie’s voice rose. “I’ve always wanted to see rain. My VR chamber was too small to reproduce the effect fully.”

  Even in the middle of a training exercise, Amelie’s face lit like a thousand-lumens.

  The rain, as Vega called it, increased. Amelie giggled and opened her mouth. She had a bit more headroom than I did and could tilt and catch some drops in her mouth.

  “I knew it! Freshwater.” Then she frowned, a W forming on her forehead. “I wonder if the SIM operator knows for certain this type of planet has freshwater or salt.”

  She looked like a kid getting a Sol day present. Droplets clung to her eyelashes and seemed to add even more sparkle to her eyes. I couldn’t look away.

  “We have to move, guys.” Vega took another scraping step up the loose gravel path. “Rain won’t hurt us.”

  As if in response, a booming noise erup
ted like a bomb exploding. Through the crack in the mountain crevice, flashes of light arced against a darkening sky.

  “I may have spoken too soon. We need to get out of here. Quick.”

  The gentle shower redoubled and pounded through the opening, nearly blinding me. I fought forward, keeping an eye on Am to make sure she didn’t slip. She was great with the brain stuff and fast on the draw but had trouble with the physical parts.

  Water slicked stones pulled at my combat boots. They were studded and designed for traction, but the steep incline matched with the deluge caused me to slide.

  I grabbed the stones on either side of me and dug my fingertips into the hard surface.

  Amelie froze and hunched against the pounding water. Vega didn't move. The added weight of her suit held her steady.

  She shouted something, but I couldn't hear. Am went down and tumbled toward me. Her body slammed into my legs so hard I went down too. We skidded along the path. The lower area was clear, and the walls didn't press as tightly. We lost ground quickly.

  I grasped at her with one hand and the wall with the other. Mud and water came so quickly now that it forced us faster down the incline.

  “Hold on!” I yelled and grabbed Am against me.

  The sharp rocks jabbed into my back but didn't break skin where the suit covered. It still hurt like hell.

  My boots dug into the gravel. With raw fingertips, I clawed at the walls. We were moving fast. Too fast. And if I didn't stop us soon, the end of the trail meant the edge of the mountain. I grasped at the walls trying to slow our slide.

  Vega yelled, but I couldn't make out the words. I sensed the end of the crevice as more wind and rain slammed into us. The edge had to be nearby. I jammed my leg out, desperately flailing, searching for something to stop us. Am clung to me.

  “Dig in!” I screamed.

  My vision cleared, and I saw the edge. No time to grab anything else. No time to stop. No time for words.