Cadet: Star Defenders Book Two: Space Opera Adventure

by Pamela Stewart

  A rush of attackers spilled from the room. They wore black outfits, faces behind shielded helmets.

  There were a lot of them, half a dozen or more. I braced for impact. They converged, slamming me with gloved fists against the corridor wall. I lashed out blindly and tagged one of them. Three more took his place. Kicking, I got one in the thigh and elbowed another in the chest, freeing myself for a heartbeat.

  A large faceless goon ducked behind me. He wrapped his arms around my torso and squeezed. Air whooshed out of me as I twisted out of his embrace. Another smaller man snatched me and pushed me down.

  My body wobbled off balance. I hadn’t had time to recuperate from my Hub battle. I writhed and wiggled and gouged, but they wrestled me down to the floor and pinned me.

  The big goon put a knee in my back. Sharp pain ran up my spine, and I gasped. “I’ll kill you.”

  He wrapped my hands behind my back without comment. E-cuffs snapped around my wrists and burned into my skin. Then he added a set to my ankles. From my experience on the Lazarus, I knew there was no getting out of these torture devices.

  No getting out of them and retaining my limbs.

  A heavy breathing trog slapped something over my mouth. Some kind of binding material that held my lips together tight. Panic still sizzled through me like lightning on my nerves. I wiggled like a fish, struggling to escape.

  Were they military? Why didn’t they identify themselves? If they were legit, they would charge me and take me in.

  Seconds ticked by. They stood together, whispering, nodding. The big guy pointed toward me and then the corridor and shook his head. Which meant they couldn’t take me in public trussed up like a moonya ready for the Sol day slaughter.

  Again, if they were real military, they wouldn’t care.

  So I’d use whatever force I could to escape.

  They ran a pole between my arms and legs and carried me to the rear of the classroom. The leader held up a wristlet that projected a beam at the wall. Part of it wavered and slid back, creating a door.

  They had a secret passageway inside the military station.

  The feeling of being trapped spread through me like venom. I tried to scream through the gag but could only make muffled grunts.

  A thin corridor led us into darkness. Small circles of light popped on as we passed. The black-clad buttholes could barely fit as the tunnel narrowed and tilted down then up. I lost what little sense of direction I had but still tried to find some landmark.

  It felt very much like the Hub black market all over. My hands and feet throbbed from the tight ecuffs.

  If I was going to escape, I had to slow down my emotions and use my brain. Brute force wouldn’t work on these bindings. Only a thought-out plan could set me free.

  The squad members kept their faces forward, ignoring me and speeding ahead. I had a feeling that the destination wasn’t far, or they wouldn't be moving so fast.

  We would be at a second location soon, where there may be more of them. Now was my time to act. My appendages were bound, but I could still use my body. An idea sprang into my mind.

  It was going to hurt, but hopefully them more than me.

  I jerked my entire body weight against the rod, hard and fast. They had not been expecting the force, and the two in the back dropped their end of the pole. I shimmied free, swung my legs hard, and knocked the guard on my left’s feet out from under him, sending him slamming against the floor.

  The remaining attackers rushed me. I lurched to my feet. Still bound, I snagged the pole and jabbed it forward into the stomach of the big guy who’d cuffed me. He doubled over with a hard exhale.

  My face flushed, and I wanted to scream a victory cry, but my mouth was still sealed.

  The remaining guards raised their weapons. A blast from the muzzle struck me.

  I stumbled forward, dropped to my knees, and connected with the floor.

  Shards of heat flowed through me in ripples, but I held on to a last string of consciousness.

  The uninjured kidnappers rose and grabbed me by the shoulders. I kept my eyes closed, and my body slackened as they dragged me down the hall. I resisted struggling. If they thought I was out, I might overhear something vital.

  “Damn, the girl is strong. We’re going to be in trouble. We weren’t supposed to injure her,” one of the kidnappers said from the front.

  “No more chitchat.” The kidnapper to my left gouged pincer-like fingers into my shoulder with his other hand jammed under my armpit. It felt like I was in a vice.

  The four men slowed their pace. There was a low beep, and a door slid open.

  Chilled air brushed across my skin as we entered the chamber. My eyes stayed mostly closed, but I could tell we’d moved into a highly illuminated room.

  I wondered if I should make one more big rush, but I didn't know what I was facing, and I was so weak.

  Weak from fighting and getting smacked with a stun bolt. Plus, I wanted to see who had grabbed me.

  Who had known that the classroom would be empty and who could change my schedule? It could have been a coincidence, and I was just the first one in the room.

  They slammed me hard in a metallic chair bolted to the floor and attached my cuffs to the sides. They were accounting for my strength, and that wasn't good. Keeping my head down, I sneaked a look around.

  The room smelled strange. It reminded me of Maria and Daisy’s stalls back home. Or maybe I just imagined things, trying to find some comfort.

  Boots clomped against poly cement flooring. Voices muttered things I couldn't quite make out. The door opened and closed.

  Silence. Except for the sound of someone breathing slow and deep. Or something. It was close by. And technically could be one of the kidnappers.

  The flooring was bright white like most of the station and a stark difference from the dim hall.

  Still no sound except for the breathing. I raised my head and looked around. A wave of dizziness swirled and dipped in my brain.

  After a few moments, my vision cleared.

  I was in a lab.

  Part of it was partitioned off and seemed to be what smelled. Tables covered in complicated scientific equipment, monitors, and gauges lined the walls. Moisture vaporators, O2 gauges, and flight controls I knew, but this looked like something Amelie would drool over. This looked like the kind of stuff designed for experimentation. My heart jerked in my chest. Why was I here?

  I was in a deep well of trouble without a glimmer of light.

  Chapter Seventy-One

  Amelie

  After surviving last night and escaping Dr. Sinclair without detection this morning, I felt like a ninja. Stealth was my new middle name. I should start wearing black. Although it wasn’t my color. I noted where I was. Engineering.

  Hand-to-hand was brutal, but at least Gleason had been absent. Another instructor had led. Dax and Vega had not been present, which ticked off an alarm in me.

  I couldn’t help but worry about Dax. What if the med treatment had been subpar? Well, I knew it was subpar, or at least supremely strange, but he’d seemed stable when I’d left.

  A dozen secondary illnesses ran through my mind, infection being number one. I’d have to make sure they’d given him antibiotics.

  I should’ve checked earlier, but I was still smarting from his comments yesterday. Going back to my bunk and studying was the best plan.

  This was stupid. I was stupid.

  Dax stood at the duty station. He looked exhausted, still damaged from the night before, favoring his right side.

  My chest constricted. It was so good to see him chatting using his emphatic hand motions. Last night, it looked like I may never see him again. I approached slowly. Both Dax and the officer turned to look at me when I got close.

  “That’ll do it. I'll be back around 2200 if that works for you, sir.”

  “Gotcha down, Dax. See you later.” The duty station officer sounded friendly, but Dax tended to bring that out in people.

 
He approached me, quickly grabbing me by the upper arms. He looked down at me, frowning. “What happened?”

  “Well, a lot happened. What do you remember? We got back into the Academy-obviously.” What was he getting at? He seemed wound up.

  “Your face.” He released my left upper arm and reached out, putting a gentle finger next to my eye. I jerked back from the sting.

  “Did my dad...Did he do that to you?”

  He'd almost died, and he was concerned about me.

  They didn’t make boys like this in the satellite.

  “No. That was courtesy of my last hand-to-hand class. Is there somewhere we can go to talk?”

  “Sure, but just for a few minutes. I gotta catch up with some work.”

  He pulled me along until we found a quiet alcove. This one was just an indent for supplies and service bots. It was so tight that we were pushed together within touching distance.

  I could almost feel the electricity coming off of him. I fought my desire to touch him, but I wasn't sure what he wanted. He was acting strange.

  “How are you?” I asked.

  “I'm okay.” He looked up and down the hall uncomfortably as if wanting to avoid detection.

  “What happened after we separated?”

  “Not much. Got some rest and saw the bots this morning. Said I was fine.” He looked away, avoiding my eyes, then cut back. For once, Dax seemed uncomfortable.

  His throat bobbed as he looked down at me.

  “Thank you.” He reached out and grabbed my hand. “For helping my family. I don't want charity, but I know you did it out of the goodness of your heart. So, thank you.”

  A beam of joyous energy shot from his palm into my hand. It was all I wanted to hear. It was all the little rift inside my heart needed to heal itself instantly. I knew this was just an emotional reaction, and my heart was still fully healthy, but it felt better. Much better.

  I smiled up at him. We weren't far from the same height, the difference of a few inches. I suddenly remembered how soft his lips were against mine and leaned forward. Then stopped. Not the time for snogging. Time for talking.

  “Are you coming to my party on Friday?”

  He blinked rapidly, released my hand. Taking a short breath, he raked a hand through his hair and cupped the back of his neck.

  “I don't know, Amelie. I want to go, but I only have this.” He pointed to his uniform covered in gray overalls.

  “Don't worry about that. No problem. I still have to replace my dress. I’ll have everything sent, and I’ll also have an official pass for you. It all comes down to, do you want to go?”

  He looked down at me as if I was a cold drink of H2O, and he hadn’t had a drink in a long time. “I want that more than anything, Am.”

  “Then it’s settled. I know you have duties. Get back to it. I have some studying to do as well. I have to tell you what happened in my lab later.”

  “I can’t wait to hear. Have you seen Vega?”

  “She’s been out of touch with flight training, Ethan and Jess.”

  I sighed. I missed her. The few moments we had to catch up had been fleeting, but we all had lives and duties.

  “I’m sure she’s fine. We both know Vega can take care of herself.”

  He nodded and exited the alcove with a single look back that made my heart flutter.

  My spirits dropped as I realized we probably wouldn't be kissing again for a while.

  Maybe at the party. Parties were a good place for kissing. I waved at Dax and made the trek back to the Science Floor. Things were looking better again.

  It was just a slight storm, and now everything was back on track.

  Chapter Seventy-Two

  Dax

  The next day slipped by in a whirl of hard work, training, and classes. I tried to contact my sisters twice without result. But I felt they were okay from what Amelie told me. Or as okay as I could get them.

  At 1800, I descended the lift wearing the form-fitting jacket and separate trousers Amelie had sent. They had fit perfectly. I fought my unruly hair with a combination of products until it looked somewhat presentable. I’d never cared about my appearance before tonight. It seemed like an unnecessary chore. But if Amelie wanted presentable, she was getting presentable.

  The doors opened, and there she was. She’d struck me speechless before, but this was different.

  Her dress was silver to match my outfit, and she wore a choker around her neck that connected to two chains attached to bracelets on each of her wrists. Cadet uniforms were fitted but designed to protect the human form, not enhance it. This gauzy dress accentuated the curve of her hips, breasts, and the length of her legs.

  The gossamer fabric exposed just enough skin to make it tantalizing.

  But her face was the best. Her unguarded smile pierced me like an arrow in my chest.

  I never thought I was lucky. But at this moment, I was the luckiest guy in all the Mil-station. Maybe even the whole damn Axis.

  I realized my mouth was hanging open and closed it, trying to think of the right words. I just had to speak what was first on my mind.

  “Damn, Amelie. That's some dress.”

  Her smile brightened even more. “It’s second best, but it will have to do.”

  I snorted and wrapped my arm in hers. She led us to the dock, where her family’s transport waited.

  A long black cylinder-style vehicle hovered above the grid system. The driver leaped from his seat and lifted the side door.

  “Ms. Dupree.”

  “Reg,” she replied in an upbeat voice. She seemed excited, but I noticed a tightness in her shoulders.

  She slid into the seat. I rubbed my palms against my thighs, leaving slight wet spots, and rolled my eyes. Amelie giggled as I slid in next to her. The seat was butter soft. I'd never felt such material.

  Partitions separated us from the driver. There was enough room for two more passengers, but we remained cozy on the same bench seat.

  “Is this a Stealth Limo?”

  “Yeah, my parents have two.”

  Of course they did. But it wasn't Amelie’s wealth or family that I cared about. It was the girl sitting next to me with a halo of blond hair and a way of looking at the world that made me question everything and made me excited to be alive.

  “It's pretty okay.”

  “Eloquent as ever, Daxson.” She squeezed my hand and gave me that smile again that made me wanna pull her to me and make sure she wasn't just a figment of my imagination.

  Less than two days ago, I thought I’d lost everything—my spot at the Academy, a chance with this girl, and even my life.

  And now the universe had changed, giving me a second chance. Most Hub kids didn’t even get one.

  I leaned in and locked eyes with her, waiting for her to close the distance. She took my meaning and met my lips. My brain lit up like a booster rocket with my heart pulsing into my ears. Every good thing that I’d ever felt condensed in a moment when my lips touched hers. Plasma-hot energy spread through me.

  I wanted to press her to me hard, to find out what other wonderful experiences and sensations we could create together.

  Like a shaken fizzy drink, pressure built inside of me. I had to slow down this supersonic train. Slowly, I pulled back, placed my hands on her shoulders, and pressed her gently back into the seat.

  Her lips were swollen, and her eyes had darkened.

  “Listen, we’ve been through a lot in the last few days. I'm about to meet your parents at a social event. I gotta keep my head on straight.”

  Amelie, for once, didn't have anything to say. She leaned back and pressed two fingers to her lips, giving me a sideways glance.

  “Now tell me what to expect when I get there. I have all the social knowledge of a starship’s rat.”

  She wiggled down in the seat. Pressing closer to me, she gave me a conspiratorial smile. “You're more of an OE hamster.” With a finger, she pushed my hair back out of my face.

  Then her fo
cus returned. “You're not wrong. These court parties can be challenging. Stick with me. I’ve got the conversations. You probably won't know anyone there besides me.” She closed her eyes hard as if in pain.

  “You're the only one I need to know,” I said.

  “Same. But this party is important to me. I’ve waited a long time for my parents to acknowledge my achievements. Don't worry. Even if my parents aren’t the warmest, they observe the decorum of society. They should be polite.”

  “Better than my parents.” I wanted to take it back the minute it came out of my mouth.

  She shook her head. “There are different kinds of bad parents, Dax. Don’t worry. We won’t stay long. I just want to show everyone how successful I am.”

  The limo banked hard. We grabbed our seats as the ship spiraled up, up, up, directly toward satellite orbit.

  With only milliseconds to spare, the ship ducked under the first set and cruised the commercial lane. Like the OE moon, the satellites hung in orbit around stations.

  They were larger up close, bigger than most cities, more like mini-worlds.

  “I forgot you've never seen this. It’s a rather incredible feat of human ingenuity.”

  “It's also wicked cool.”

  “It's also wicked cool.” She repeated with a grin.

  I blinked and sat back in the seat. Our time together was so fleeting that I wanted to know everything there was to know.

  “They have you in research? Are you doing experiments?” I really couldn't even guess. I had so little knowledge in that area, and she could basically do anything.

  Amelie pursed her lips and glanced outside at the stars again. “You could say that. I think they're making bio-weapons.”

  If Amelie wasn’t sure about something, it must be complicated.

  “How would they know what diseases would affect the aliens?”

  “No, no, not like that. More like things. It's hard to describe. I have to show you one night when we’re alone. They’re growing...creatures.”

  The limo eased forward into a bay area, distracting us.