Cadet: Star Defenders Book Two: Space Opera Adventure

by Pamela Stewart

My stomach did an uncomfortable flip when I envisioned her parents again, but with her at my side, I could handle anything.

  The ship touched down inside the EDU-satellite. After decompression, I popped the door and offered Amelie my hand. She took it, wrapping her arm into the crook of my elbow.

  The driver exited the ship and gave me a sidelong look as if I shouldn’t have opened the door. Strange. I supposed in this environment, it was his job, and I’d threatened that. I waved at him. He ignored me but nodded to Amelie and stood by the ship.

  She led me down a tunnel that opened into a main open area. EDU-Satellite was pristine. The walls were shades of white, gray, and black.

  We made quite a couple—a celestial angel and me. I guessed I didn't look too shabby for a Hub kid.

  Other citizens milled and moved down pedestrian walkways. They wore clothing similar to what I was wearing, only slightly less embellished.

  “What do you think?” Amelie strolled at a brisk pace, guiding our journey.

  “It looks like the Academy multiplied and had a prettier baby.”

  Amelie dissolved in a fit of giggles. “It is somewhat accurate from a biological standpoint. Some of the same engineers and architects worked on the Academy as well as the EDU-sat for the beautification. They added spires and things. If nothing else, it’s quite pretty.”

  “Not a lot of plants or transports.”

  “Mostly pedestrian traffic,” she agreed. “It's not as big as the Axis Mil-station or even the Hub, so we made a point of keeping things compact and visually pleasing. Everyone is all about aesthetics. Real plants are too wild. They use artificial copies and visual representation. Everyone likes their clean straight lines.”

  She didn’t sound too impressed with that. I wasn’t either. Although the chaos of the Hub was something I didn't enjoy, it had a life to it.

  In the Hub, people laughed and danced and fought and stole and devoured delights. The Sat was cold, controlled, and sterile. Almost like a lab. Amelie slowed her pace, and we arrived at a large building.

  “This?” I asked.

  “Yep.”

  It was about a thousand times bigger than my family’s niche in the wall.

  We walked up to the front entrance. The real wood door was taller than two men standing. I reached up to knock, and Amelie stopped my hand mid-motion. She glanced up at me through her lashes.

  “Check this out.” She pointed down to the ground at two sets of glowing footprints and indicated for me to step on one set. She stepped on the other and grabbed my hand. “Hold on.”

  We started rising in the air slowly as if a platform supported us, but there didn't seem to be anything below us. We shot into the air as if we were flying.

  It felt like when we were in the Lazarus anti-gravity area but without the weightless, euphoric feeling.

  “Nanotechnology. You can't see it, but we have a thousand tiny engines with enough power to lift two tons. It simulates levitation. Amazing!”

  “Sure is.” I didn't like the shaking in my voice, but I was unnerved by the floating without any warning.

  The invisible lift was an incredible feat of tech. The price of it would have fed five families back in the Hub, but when you had money and credits to burn, your priorities were different, I supposed.

  At last, we arrived on the third floor and stepped onto the balcony. I stepped onto the landing first and offered my hand to Amelie.

  The view from here was as good as any spaceships. The faux sun had set, and a spray of stars scattered into the nebula. It looked as if we could just reach out and touch the sky.

  A man approached us. He wore elegant, black and white clothing, his long hair pulled back at the nape of his neck and fastened with a bow. Most of the service class wore a similar uniform.

  He bowed deeply to Amelie and shifted to address the large group of milling people clustered inside a gym-sized room. “Lady Amelie Dupree and escort.”

  Amelie’s arm hooked into mine. She squeezed again tightly. With one final glance at me, she whispered, “Showtime.”

  Chapter Seventy-Three

  Vega

  My wrist chaffed. Warm blood oozed from the wounds and dripped down my fingers. The chair had bent but remained welded to the floor. My breathing came in harsh gasps as I strained against the bonds.

  Behind the partition, the creature’s shuffling increased. It let out a low, guttural growl that I felt in my guts.

  The urge to hide spread through me like a flash flood.

  But I pushed back.

  I didn’t hide. I was a fighter.

  Whatever it was, I could handle...or could I? I’d failed in the Hub, the classroom, and against these restraints.

  What if I failed again?

  A spray of fresh air drifted in half a second before the door slid open.

  An older man with magnifiers walked into the room. He wore a white lab coat and did not acknowledge me as he made for the wall nearest to the cage.

  He put a hand on the entrance pad, and it swung open. I couldn't see what was inside, only vague shadows. A grunt and a whine, and the movement stopped. The white-coated man exited the enclosure and sealed the door.

  Then he turned to me.

  His eyes were blue but not like an ocean nor sky, more like the cutting edge of a steel knife. He took in the blood, dripping down my hands and nodded to himself.

  “I knew it would hold you. Planetstrong or not.”

  My mouth dried, and my heart ramped up. He had to be Ax-Military. This was bad.

  I allowed only cool reserve into my expression. Showing weakness would only give him an advantage. I didn’t know what his goals were, but I had to think defensively.

  He pulled a chair from the work area and slid in front of me. He had a wild look, like Amelie whenever she was trying to figure out a new software program.

  “Cadet Volante, you’ve quite been busy since being conscripted. I need to speak with you concerning some of your activities and about your family.”

  He leaned forward with his palms on his knees. His eyes narrowed as if he wanted to look inside my head. I instinctively drew back but regretted it. Movement caused the burning pain in my wrists to double.

  “You really shouldn't fight the ecuffs. They only reflect the exact amount of pressure you exert. Therefore, if you do not exert pressure, you will not feel any pain.”

  “Or maybe you can just take them off of me and let me go.” It was a long shot, but I wanted to see his response.

  He snorted softly. “No, I think not. We have some work to do. And the minute I let you out of those cuffs is the minute you attack me, judging from your file. You had a very interesting time on the Lazarus with Captain Price.”

  Was this interrogation about the Lazarus? Was he some agent of Captain Price’s? Or was this a segment of training? Why didn’t they just question me when I’d first gotten here? I wished Amelie were here. She had so much random knowledge about things. I was just going off of guesses.

  He stared at me with that intense sharpness then glowered. Jerking up and out of the chair, he walked over to his work area and scrolled through a few holo-screens with quick, sharp motions.

  He slammed his hand against the tabletop, waiting a beat and breathing in and out harshly.

  What was he doing?

  I wiggled again, feeling the burn down to my tendons. He wasn’t wrong. If I escaped, my first goal would be to pound him.

  “Who are you? My CO won’t be happy that I’m not on duty.”

  He chuckled. “Stalling? I thought you were merely strong, but you have a bit of intelligence as well. Let me appease you. I’m Doctor Sinclair, and your commander knows exactly where you are and what we’re doing. Tell me about your brother.”

  His words gripped my heart with an icy hand.

  He returned and leaned on the back of the chair with two hands. “Tell me where your brother is, and we will let you return to your duty station. No one will bother you again. If you refuse, you
will be considered a traitor.”

  This man who had me helpless and bound seemed to think I knew where Kal was—

  Ethan.

  I’d only spoken to Ethan about my brother. I felt like I’d been scalded. Shock waves rolled down to my spirit. I should’ve known better than to trust him again. My feelings spiraled downward, but I threw out a shield against them. No time to feel. It was time to survive.

  This questioning couldn’t be sanctioned, or else they wouldn’t have felt the need to snatch me. I had to stall until Amelie, Dax, or Jess realized I was gone.

  “I haven’t seen my brother for a long time. He never came home after his mandatory.”

  A thin, evil smile spread across his face. It looked like he had taken a bite of chocolate from a forbidden cake.

  “I fear you’re not telling me the truth.” He retreated to his work area. My entire body tightened. I couldn’t swallow as he rotated back. He held a long syringe with an OE metallic needle in his hand.

  He was trying to scare me.

  Probably.

  Someone had to realize I was gone soon. Right?

  Chapter Seventy-Four

  Ethan

  I trotted down the corridor, searching for Vega.

  When I’d asked two days ago, Gleason had said she would be fine. They would be questioning her, possibly a partial mind wipe. My resolve stayed strong. I’d done the right thing.

  She would survive that and not even remember it happened. It was worth it, according to Gleason, for the good of the Ax-military. He’d never outright lied to me. I waited and watched...and waited some more.

  Yesterday, I’d started searching.

  Nothing. No sign of Vega at all. Not even a hint she’d disappeared. A low buzzing rattled my insides. The feeling I got when a mission was about to go south.

  I searched for hours, careful to avoid detection. Still no sign.

  If she was going to be fine, why couldn't I find her?

  I knew better than to ask any of the other agents. Even if they knew, they would lie. And they would report me.

  The unease ratcheted up. I should just go back to my quarters and get prepared to take off on the Ax-Atlantis.

  My new assignment was to be a pilot on the ship. Just straight up pilot, no spying. Which was a relief, but made me realize how much of a failure I’d been. Worst of all, I couldn’t find her.

  If I got caught, I would have to explain myself to Gleason, but I still had a few more questioning rooms to check. The last one contained two of our specialists questioning a low-level noncommissioned officer.

  “I didn't know it was a restricted area,” the kid said.

  “You were unaware that that was a launch bay? The launch bay for officers’ ships and support staff only? The posting appeared on every corner. Your excuse is unlikely.”

  The boy’s face grew red. He fought against his bonds. “I just needed to get away. I wanted a quiet space and—”

  None of the falsehood signals showed in his demeanor. He just looked scared.

  One of my co-agents reached out like an automaton. With one black-gloved hand, the agent grabbed the back of the cadet’s jumpsuit and slammed him into the table.

  Gratuitous and unnecessary violence.

  I jerked back. The Phantom Ops soldiers noticed me in the antechamber. I quickly waved off the agents and exited, but one followed me out to the corridor. She raised her visor and looked at me with dead eyes.

  “You're not assigned to this interrogation, James. Step off.”

  “I had no plans to invade your interrogation.”

  She tilted one eyebrow up and thrust her chin forward. “Suuurrrre. Just move along and find another way to make up for falling in love with a traitor.”

  My mouth fell open. How did she know about Vega? Maybe she was just baiting me, but the comment had been so specific.

  “What do you know?” I tried to keep my tone neutral, but some desperation must have leaked into my voice.

  “Talk to your boy Gleason. You’re lucky you’re his pet, or else you’d be court-martialed or more likely floated.”

  I usually didn't want to punch members of my own team. I would have made an exception for Jasmine.

  But violence here would end badly.

  “If I’m so close to Gleason, you’d best watch your back, Jasmine.” I sneered, and without saluting, retreated. I’d get nothing useful from her.

  The agitation boiled within me. Gleason had banned direct messages that weren’t life or death. I sent one anyway.

  What is the status of Cadet Volante?

  A full minute passed before a reply flashed.

  You are no longer assigned to that mission—report for a brief with your new CO on Ax-Atlantis. Gleason out.

  His message sounded final. Cadets brushed passed me on their way to their bunks, training, and study rooms.

  I stalked down the hall, passing an external opening that allowed a view of the spires.

  My pace slowed. I'd only get in more trouble if I kept looking, but I couldn’t seem to help myself.

  The image of her long dark hair, her eyes, her honest knee-jerk reactions replayed in my mind. I didn't want anything to happen to her. My stomach twisted and would not release.

  Did I screw up? Should I have just told her?

  I couldn’t leave the base without ensuring her safety.

  Gleason had been pretty clear that he wouldn’t tell me where she was. But I knew one person who could find Vega.

  Chapter Seventy-Five

  Amelie

  My parent's house was small by satellite standards.

  Yet it always seemed like a palace to me, long before I knew what squalor others lived-in or about the Mil-station or spaceships–this had been my world.

  But never really my home.

  It had been a place I had learned who and what I was. And that I was a failure.

  I clung to Dax as we walked into the main soirée. The candelabras dripped with crystals from the mines of new Jupiter's moons. Faux candles flickered, setting the room aglow with a warm wash of color. Everything was monochromatic and pale.

  Another thing I didn't miss about this place was the lack of anything vibrant, anything genuinely living. This world was cloistered and buttoned up tighter than a corset.

  Old feelings poured back in like a hydraulic press, constricting my heart and lungs, but I sauntered forward as if I was the absolute center of the universe.

  My training on how to behave in public at a Dupree event ran deep. Pale couples of lords and ladies greeted me, inclining their heads in small bows. I returned the gesture. Dax was a quick study and copied the ritual immediately.

  I squeezed his arm a little harder. “You’re a natural,” I whispered.

  He suppressed a smile but kept a pleasant calm look on his face, a pillar of strength.

  The pressure in my chest loosened. Dax always made me feel important and unstoppable.

  My parents traipsed into the room in a regal cloud and stood at the apex of the staircase. A window framed them beneath a bejeweled sky.

  I'm sure they’d planned it to look fantastic, and it worked. They were...perfect. On the outside. Slim and tall with chiseled features. My parents looked more like artificial life forms than actual humans.

  My dad bowed deeply to my mother. My mother curtsied.

  In private, this did not happen. My mother ruled all.

  “Welcome to our Amelie's celebration. We are honoring her position within the military Science Division as an assistant to Doctor Newton Sinclair.”

  Audible muttering ran through the audience. Someone gasped.

  A tiny spear dug into my heart. Maybe they were surprised that I’d finally shown some actual use in the world. It helped that Sinclair was nothing if not a pragmatist, and he would only have an assistant that could actually do the job.

  “We regret to inform you that Doctor Sinclair will not be attending due to urgent matters. The party will continue as planned. Let me
take this moment to introduce Courtney Marie Angelica Dupree.” My mother gestured to the double doors that led to the drawing-room.

  A little girl walked in, wearing a long white dress with a pink sash. With her curled white-blond hair and intensely blue eyes, she appeared to be a doll come to life.

  My sister.

  “We are also so proud to announce that Courtney has been accepted into the Education Science Academy.”

  More gasping from the crowd. This time some couples clutched each other's arms. Hands flew to mouths.

  She was five. Five.

  I’d tried to get into the Science Academy my entire life, and she had done it before most kids went to primary school.

  I glanced at Dax. His eyes narrowed. “Sister?”

  “You had two sisters you never told me about.”

  He shrugged one shoulder and gave me a small secret smile. “Touche. So, she's like you.”

  I tilted my head up to the ceiling and rolled my eyes. “She's better than me. Better than five me’s.”

  “Hey now. Let’s not go there. I’m sure you both have talents. My sisters can out eat me, and I can eat.”

  “I thought satellite families could only have one kid,” Dax said.

  “Yeah, unless one child is promised.” I let a deep breath go. “When I was twelve, my parents pledged me in service to the satellite to have another child.”

  “They sold you off?”

  He wasn't entirely correct, but it still smarted. The deal was I spent part of the time after school tutoring and helping at the infirmary. I tried upon occasion to get into the Military Academy for science, but every time I’d frozen. In the end, I was only allowed to join the general corp, which hadn’t sat well with my parents.

  “Joining the Axis Military was my way out. I was the broken first attempt. At least now, they have to acknowledge me. But even when they do, they have to make her the center of attention.”

  I’d never expected this. The party was supposed to be my moment. When I finally proved myself, and now...it was over.

  Crumbling. Everything was crumbling inside of me. My breath was gone, and I wanted to slink away and hide in my quarters back in the base.