Cadet: Star Defenders Book Two: Space Opera Adventure

by Pamela Stewart

  Binary snorted. “It was fun. We should do it again sometime.”

  “No. Thank you,” I said again and tried to pour my deep appreciation into my words. But it didn’t seem to be enough.

  “Bonded forever, or that’s what the brochure said anyway.” Binary winked at me. McKenzie touched her forehead then her heart before they both left the chamber.

  I sank to the pillow again as if my jet booster had sprung a leak. Passing out right here would be spectacular. I rested my elbows on my knees and let my head sink onto my palms. I had to make sure Dax was okay. Then I could rest.

  Too much had happened too quickly. My thoughts spun.

  The kidnapping replayed in my memory, and a wave of uncomfortable fear caressed my shoulders. If my strength wasn't enough, what did I have?

  I wasn't smart like Amelie. I wasn't an excellent engineer like Dax. I’d been the strong one. What if that wasn’t good enough?

  Ethan placed his hand on mine, not in a sexy, spine-tingling way but in a comforting way. He’d been there when I had wavered, and I appreciated it—more than he knew.

  He sat forward, riveted by was happening to Dax. I half-listened. I didn’t understand any of the hundreds of questions Amelie fired at Hamzah.

  “I can help him, or I can speak with you. Which do you prefer?”

  Amelie grew quiet.

  Dax was in good hands between Amelie and Hamzah.

  I took a deep cleansing breath searching for my center, my ability to take control of the situation, fix everything. But all I wanted to do was hug my mom and my dad. Hell, even my brother.

  Ethan squeezed my hand lightly. He looked disheveled and slightly bloody. “What's wrong? Besides the obvious.”

  He was so different than I’d thought when I first met him. I thought he was a fly-boy womanizer just in the service for adventure.

  He'd proven to be so much more.

  “I was just thinking about my family and how much I miss home.”

  He shifted to face me fully. “Tell me about your family.”

  “Not much to say. Grew up on a farm with a herd of moonya, my gato Orangy, my mom, pop, and a brother, Kal.”

  “You have a brother?” His eyes were fixed on me, hanging on my responses. He had always been an attentive listener. It was nice to have somebody that cared.

  “He’s older. He did his mandatory and then disappeared. Went AWOL and hooked up with a...bad group.” It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't exactly the truth either. A squiggly feeling laced through me, even mentioning him.

  An image of my brother flickered in my head. Why had he joined up with pirates? And why hadn’t he contacted me after he left the Academy?

  “You think he went home when he heard about the war?” Ethan released my hand and shoved his fingers through his curly, jet black hair. He pressed his lips together as if in pain.

  “You okay? Maybe you should see the doc after Dax is done.”

  “I’m not a doctor. I’m a healer.” A voice wafted from behind the curtain.

  We both gave the curtain a sidelong glance.

  “No worries. I'm good.” Ethan leaned forward again, resting his forearms on his knees, so we were looking directly at each other.

  “Kal’s not home,” I said. “I'm positive about that.” I tried to keep the sour look off my face, but I was not successful.

  “What’s that face for?”

  “Oh, it’s complicated. He abandoned me, then shows up and saves me. I don’t even know if he’s alive or dead. I shouldn’t care, but I do.”

  “What do you mean?”

  I just needed to vent, to be open and honest, to let the story out. And Ethan had proven himself over and over. Maybe he’d have some thoughts on how to find Kal?

  “My mother waited for hours for his call that first night. My dad assured me he’d be back in a week or two, then a month, and then we stopped talking about him.”

  I swallowed hard.

  “On Clementine. He was with the pirates. He did keep me from getting killed, so there’s that. I don’t know what happened to him after that. I don’t care really, but he didn’t go home.”

  Hamzah pulled the curtain back, revealing a pale-faced Dax. Amelie wrung her hands but looked slightly less worried.

  “It's the best I can do,” Hamzah said. “I sense the danger has passed. Your friend saved the boy’s life. He should rest and see a med bot as soon as possible.”

  Part of my mind that had been clenched slowly unwound by half. It remained tight, but the choking sensation eased. We weren’t out of the shuttle tunnel yet, but at least I could see light.

  Chapter Sixty-Four

  Dax

  I bolted up swinging but missed my target.

  Growling, I leaped at the blur next to me, and a high-pitched squeal made me halt. The person under me was soft and smelled good. My vision cleared, and I realized I’d pinned Amelie to the floor.

  I scrambled off and fell back against something hard. A table?

  Movement to my left. I tensed, waiting for an attack.

  “We’re friends. Remember.” It sounded like Vega, but the lack of light made it hard to determine.

  “Wait? What?” Realization flowed over me.

  Amelie struggled upright, her face locked in a frown, still beautiful but slightly wilted. Her hair had come loose from its tight ponytail, and dark smudges marked her face. Her eyes had half-moons under them.

  “I’m sorry. I—where are we? Last I remember, we were in the alley near where I used to live.” I didn’t want to call it home or refer to those who’d brought me life as parents. It wasn’t home. And they hadn’t treated me like their child since I could remember.

  I’d been an asset to sell and use.

  And now, Amelie knew everything. Or more than enough. She’d never know it all. I’d die before I told anyone all the details about my life in the Hub. I tried to rise so I could assist Am, but my muscles were empty. I felt like an old man.

  Vega reached for me and helped me stand, supporting me easily with one hand.

  “You guys look like you lost a match against a humbleball team,” I said.

  Barking a laugh, Vega pulled Am up as well. “Probably not much different. The Hub isn’t exactly a vacation spot.”

  I tried to get the corners of my mouth to turn up, but it may have just appeared as a grimace.

  Everything hurt, but not as bad as before in the alley. That had felt like dying. Now it was a sore, unrelenting ache that radiated from my ribs. Had Amelie stabbed me? I vaguely remembered flashes of pain, movement, and my parentals acting like vermin.

  And the girls. I’d heard their voices.

  It was too much to ask. Too much to say to both of them. But I needed to know. “The girls—how were they?”

  “Fine. I gave them my guzzle bits and my party dress,” Amelie said. “They should have food. Dax, I can help. I’ll send some credits.”

  “No. Thank you. No. They aren’t your responsibility.” Charity. I hated charity. The sharp pang of embarrassment slid between my ribs and hurt more than the wounds.

  “Oh. Sorry.” Her face and head dipped forward.

  Her eyes had shown a flash of something. I’d hurt her. Damn it. The last thing I wanted to do, but crap, this was messed up.

  The silence between us sprawled like a living thing. Both of us unsure of what to say.

  Vega cleared her throat. “Guys, reveille’s in half an hour. We all have to be at our posts.” She still held us both. We both pulled away, everyone avoiding the other's gaze.

  “I set the records to show you approved for the trip to the Hub, Dax. Sorry if I overstepped my bounds.” There was an edge to her voice, the one she used when talking to most people who annoyed her. But she’d never used it with me.

  “Amelie. It wasn’t that. I just—”

  “I need to go before I get into more trouble. Thank you for coming when I called, Vega. It means...you know.”

  “Yep. Now don’t make everyone�
��s sacrifice go to waste. Get back to your duty station. Don’t forget to thank Ethan too. He risked his career to get us past security.”

  I swallowed hard to remove the lump in my throat. “Ethan, Vega, Amelie. Thank you. I...I’ve never had friends like you guys before. Being from the Hub... Well, this is very different. I was used to being the reliable one. I never relied on anyone else.”

  Vega’s face shifted and softened. “I don’t know how you survived. You and Ethan are both tougher than I ever imagined.

  Amelie avoided looking directly at me.

  The dream of having her in my life faded. After seeing my family, she probably realized that we could never really be together. What strength I had wavered. I grabbed the cot to steady myself.

  A wrist com alarm sounded. Everyone jumped. Vega and Ethan wound their fists tight, ready to fight. Amelie reached for a teapot and held it like a weapon. I didn’t have the energy to move.

  Ethan’s wrist glowed red. A priority message. He didn’t allow a lot of emotion to scroll across his face, but he stood straighter as if coming to attention. Then he heaved a sigh.

  “I’ve got to report to Command.”

  “Do they know anything?” Vega asked.

  “I hope not. Take care of yourself, Dax.” He clasped my shoulder and exited quickly.

  I wouldn’t want to be in his position. Gleason was a nightmare walking.

  Vega stared at the closed door a minute too long after he left. Something basic had changed. Like, I knew he had a thing for her. Had since the Lazarus. But now it looked to be mutual.

  “Walk in peace,” a man said from the corner. He wore strange clothing and sat cross-legged on a cushion. Funny, I usually noticed things, but he’d escaped my attention completely. Maybe almost dying had thrown off my senses.

  If Vega and Amelie weren’t upset by his presence, he must not be a threat.

  Vega approached the man and inclined her head. “I’m grateful for your help.”

  “Service is my joy.”

  She shook her head slightly and smiled.

  “Remember, if you need me, you have...”

  “I know,” Vega said and rejoined Amelie and me at the threshold. Amelie still wasn’t making eye contact.

  “You need me to help you to engineering? I can...” Vega paused a long moment, rolled her lips in, and bit them. “It’s no trouble.” It sounded like a lie. Vega was the most upfront person I’d ever met. Whatever came to her mind, she said, regardless of the consequences.

  She’d gotten better, but overall, her default was big, open, and honest. She would’ve never survived in the Hub.

  “Go. I’ll be fine.” I pumped up my voice and straightened as if my internal battery was at 100 percent and not dropping swiftly.

  She slid open the manual door slowly and scanned the hall.

  Amelie started with me in the direction of my barrack. I couldn’t allow her to risk herself anymore. “I got this, Am. You had my back in the Hub, and I’ll never forget it.”

  “I set you up for open permission until your next duty assignment. You should be free to return to the barracks without harassment.” She blinked repeatedly, then swiveled her head to me. “Are we good?” The question had a thousand meanings. I couldn’t pinpoint which one she meant. Was she asking me about our relationship, our friendship, the Academy? In the end, if she was still anywhere near me, I supposed it would be fine.

  “Yeah, we’re good.”

  That seemed to please her, and she shifted back to Vega. “Want to walk back to our bunks together?”

  “Absolutely,” Vega said.

  I watched them walk away. One towered over the other—both battered and bruised and dirty. My friends. If nothing else, I had them.

  Chapter Sixty-Five

  Amelie

  “Why were you down in the Hub?” Vega lit into her first question as soon as Dax was out of earshot. “I asked you to come to the game, but you never responded.” Her voice was a low whisper.

  Vega’s uniform had been shredded in part, and a small burn marred her arm. Dirt and blood smeared her cheek. She’d been through something before finding Dax and me. Something bad.

  “My mom sent me to get my dress for the party. Well, that's a long story, but I saw Dax and wondered what he was doing, so I followed him.”

  Her curiosity was piqued now. Her pace slowed to a crawl. “So, tell me.”

  “Dax was already injured. Then I met his father, mother, and sisters. He never even told us. He didn't say anything about his past.” The images of the squalor replayed in my mind in perfect detail. I bit my bottom lip to keep from telling Vega too much.

  “It was bad. It was so bad. We were lucky to get out of there alive. I just hope Dax is okay. The healer was adequate, but Dax really should rest and have a proper doctor examine the injuries.”

  “That’s not exactly an option when you’re at the Academy and don’t want anyone to know you left.”

  Vega took a very long pause, inhaled, and released. “I wonder how much trouble Ethan will be in.” A deep V formed between her brows, and her mouth folded down.

  “You’re worried...about Ethan?” This was a change from the last time we’d spoken. She’d told me that she loathed him.

  Of course, I didn’t believe that as she kept giving him sugar eyes every time he turned his back, but I’d taken her at her word.

  Her cheeks flushed, and her eyes fell to the floor.

  “Yeah, he came through for me back there. So much happened. We were trying to go to the game and got jumped, and someone grabbed me. If he hadn’t interceded, I’d be marked as an indentured servant.

  “They can’t just sell you into slavery,” I said it matter-of-factly, but after what I’d seen in the Hub, my certainty was shaken.

  “According to Ethan, they can. The military has an arrangement that they don’t bother them.” Her nose curled, and she shivered slightly. “I don’t like politics.”

  “Me either,” I said, not sure how to process the information. I’m just glad you and Dax are out and safe.”

  We took the service stairs up two levels to the pilot’s area. I doubled over, panting. It felt as if I’d been put into a heavy grav suit turned up to full. Vega glanced at her wrist com.

  “I wish we had time to talk. But it’s almost 0600, and we could be discovered soon.”

  “We have time. I have a location alert tracking everything moving. Look.” Clicking my wristlet, it projected the layout of the complex. A few dark areas were Top Secret, but I could generally track everyone with a dot and a note above it describing their rank and assigned position.

  “Amelie.” Vega paused, closed her eyes, and shook her head. “You never stop amazing me. Have I told you lately how happy I am we’re friends?”

  “I don’t think you’ve ever told me that.” A tight feeling scrunched in my chest, not bad, but I wanted to change the subject quickly.

  She cleared her throat and half shrugged. “How’s the Science Wing? Is it everything you’d hoped for? And what’s up with you and Dax? I get a feeling that something’s changed.”

  Leave it to Vega to dig to the heart of everything occupying my mind. How did she do it? Some kind of mental alchemy that I needed to emulate.

  “Well, you’re not wrong.”

  The image of Dax leaning down and the touch of his lips returned in techno 4-D. I fought to keep my expression casual, but heat rose in my face, and my heart sped up.

  “What do you mean?” Vega arched an eyebrow.

  “Fine! We kissed, and it was amazing!”

  She shot me a tired, closed-lipped smile. “About damn time.”

  I leaned back and frowned deeply. Then my expression softened. “Yeah.”

  We took another turn to avoid two red dots coming our way. Probably security.

  “So! More details! How did it happen? You were both pretty set against it.”

  It already felt as if I'd been too exposed, like a ship with no shields. I needed
time to process all that had happened. Emotion swirled in me like waves of an angry ocean. “Um...”

  I didn't get to finish as the map I'd pulled up had two red flashing dots approaching quickly.

  “We have to hide. Someone’s coming.”

  “Oh, crap!” Vega noted the map and instantly went into battle mode, snatching me back into a side hall and pressing me up against the wall. We squatted down in the alcove of a service cart entrance. Vega peered around the corner and then leaned back, breathing heavily.

  I could lose everything in a moment if the wrong person found us and reported back.

  I had always been a bit of a rule-breaker, but only enough to get what I wanted. Nothing that would get me in real trouble.

  Well, not since meeting up with Vega and Dax. Now it was a weekly event.

  My parents would never understand. What would I do if I was discharged? Would I just go back to the Sat? Dread clawed at my belly as the two shadows lingered.

  More thoughts crowded.

  I crouched into a tight ball, sweat beading at my hairline.

  It hadn’t bothered me before. There had been no time to consider the consequences. Now the future yawned before me like a supermassive black hole.

  “Am, I think they’re gone,” Vega whispered.

  “What?” I glanced at the door that was free of shadow, then pulled up my map again in translucent miniature. The red dots had moved on to another corridor. I rolled backward to release the pressure on my knees and fell on my ass, panting as if I’d just finished a PE exercise.

  Vega raised an eyebrow and gave me a half-smirk. “We’ve gotten out of worse situations before.”

  “I know. It just seems like...” I grasped for why it felt worse. “Like it’s been happening more and more. My adrenal gland can’t handle it.”

  With a snort, Vega rose and offered me a hand. She grasped me in a firm grip and helped me to my feet. “You’re in the Star Defenders. I think we’d best get used to it.” She flicked her eyes down to her wrist com. “It’s almost time. We’ll be in another high adrenaline situation if we don’t report for duty.”