Cadet: Star Defenders Book Two: Space Opera Adventure

by Pamela Stewart

  Before I could think to cover, he drew back and punched so hard that bells rang in my ears.

  I dropped backward, holding onto consciousness by a thread. He stood over me.

  “You’re just confused by hormones. You’re an asset to the military. You need some additional training, and I'm ready to give it to you.” He grabbed me by the heel and dragged me down the hall.

  Keeping my eyes open was increasingly difficult. I think I passed out for a minute, and then he dropped my foot hard against the steel.

  I forced my eyes open. We were at the sanitation station near the pilot’s area.

  I attempted to push myself to my knees.

  I knew he was going for Vega. This was her last location, according to Amelie. Despite the pain in my side, I had to do something. I leaped to my feet and sprinted after him.

  He rotated toward me, his forearms coming up. I tackled him and snagged his gun.

  I was fast, even with my injuries. I aimed the gun at Gleason as he rolled up and scrambled out of reach. A huge grin spread across his face.

  “Finally, you got the drop on me. I'm proud. Now give me the gun. I have a lot to clean up.”

  I held the gun steady.

  He raised his hands and continued to smile. “You won’t shoot me. Not for some girl you just met. I saved your life. I helped you reach your potential. I gave you a position. Everything you have is because of me. You owe me your loyalty.” He took a step toward me. “If nothing else, I’ve taught you that.”

  Humor drained out of him. His face flushed. The longer I held the gun on him, the greater the chance he’d get it back.

  He was right. I was torn. Gleason was my family.

  But letting Vega die was wrong. Completely and utterly wrong. She was loyal, kind, and angry half the time, but she was a good person. And so was Gleason in his own way.

  In the end, I couldn’t live with myself if I let anything happen to her. I gripped the gun tighter.

  Gleason lunged at me. I fired, striking him in the heart.

  He collapsed and hit the floor hard.

  The way this uniform smoked made me pause. I glanced down. I'd shot him with full power—in the heart.

  I hadn’t checked the settings on his weapon. I’d assumed he kept it on stun.

  I dropped to my knees and pulled him into my lap.

  Blood streamed from his mouth. His eyes fluttered open at my touch.

  “I didn't think that you had it in you.” His breathing became reedy. He coughed, and blood splattered onto me. I didn't care. Gleason was the closest thing to family I’d ever had and—

  “I always thought...of you...as my son. I'm proud of you.” The light in his eyes clicked off.

  No-no-no-no, this was impossible.

  I hadn't. I couldn't.

  This should have been a case of right and wrong.

  What had gone wrong? What had I done?

  Chapter Eighty-Nine

  Vega

  “What are you doing here?”

  My legs trembled. Blood throbbed in my ears like the tattoo of a drum.

  “I sensed trouble here.”

  “I...” My legs folded. Hamzah grabbed me and propped me up against one of the walls. His hand clasped my shoulder to keep me from sliding.

  “You’ve been drugged.”

  I close my eyes and tried to remember what was happening.

  “Poisoned,” I spat out. “Someone in the military Science Division who also created that.” My voice came out slurred as if I’d chugged Hub whiskey. I pointed to the monster I had killed.

  “Typical Phantom Ops vitriol. You’re burning up.”

  The spinning increased, and I slid down onto my haunches. Hamzah placed a hand on my forehead. A waterfall of tingles cascaded through my head and coated my entire body.

  I felt more aware and blinked rapidly to clear my vision.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Something to help clear your head. It’ll assist with the toxins and should keep you alive and lucid.” He waved a hand over me. “What will you do now?”

  That was a good question. And whenever the Phantom Corp returned, I'd be in a whole escape pod worth of trouble.

  “I have to go. I don't know where. I have to get out.”

  He inclined his head. “The base isn’t safe for you anymore.”

  I slowly pushed myself up the wall and stood on unsteady legs.

  My mouth was parched as if a wringer had removed all of the moisture. Every inch of me ached like solar winds had battered me to the bone.

  Hamzah’s peaceful expression darkened. “No life should be squandered in needless violence. They do not respect life.”

  “Trust me, I know.”

  I was starting to feel a little better and pushed back up to my feet. I still supported myself with my hands against my knees. My breathing came in low pants.

  “What happened to instigate this carnage against you and this creature?”

  “They wanted to know about my brother.”

  “He was a good man. Tell Kal hello when you see him.”

  “You knew my brother?” I perked up more. This weird mystic was full of surprises, yet I trusted him.

  “Yes. He was very much like you. He loved asking questions.”

  I laughed. That was Kal.

  “I don’t know the full story, but the higher-ups want him. They thought I knew where he was, but I don’t.” I closed my eyes and exhaled harshly. “I guess I became a liability.”

  Hamzah shook his head. “You need to leave this place before it’s too late.”

  But I didn't know what we were going to do. What was I gonna do?

  “Go,” I said. “Pretend you’ve never seen me. Before you get in trouble too.”

  He gave a small, peaceful smile. “You two are very much alike. I can take care of myself. Let me assist you. Perhaps we will find a path that matches your needs.”

  I’d take any help I could get. Even from a zen healer who seemed a bit cracked.

  We made it twenty feet down the hallway, Hamzah supporting me with one arm. We turned a corner and came upon a sight that made my knees buckle again.

  It was Ethan cradling a body.

  Gleason’s body.

  “What the actual hell?” I broke from Hamzah and knelt next to Ethan.

  Ethan rocked Gleason as if he was a sleeping child. His eyes were glazed. He hummed the tune he sang when he tried to fly and got nervous.

  Pain radiated from Ethan. I put a hand on his upper arm. At the touch, he looked up and seemed to see me, a laser pistol still held in his hand.

  “Vega?”

  “What happened?” There was a black scorch mark in the center of Gleason's chest. No breath. The man lay completely still.

  “I didn't mean for it to happen. I was just trying to find you. Gleason and I fought.”

  Oh, by Sol and everything holy. The reason I’d almost died, the betrayer of trust, but he’d killed Gleason.

  “Rest in peace, brother. May you find what you always sought.” Hamzah did his weird salute, touching his heart and forehead, sort of like Kenzie did, but slightly different. His head perked as if he’d heard a sound. “Patrols are on the way.”

  “We have to run,” I said.

  Ethan blinked at me as if coming back into his self, then shook his head. “I deserve to be punished. I didn’t mean to kill him. I wanted him to understand, to be fair like he always was with me.”

  He was a boy suddenly, deep blue eyes filled with raw emotion. The hollow tin of his voice sent a dagger to my heart.

  “You tried to do the right thing, Ethan. He tried to do the wrong thing. You don’t deserve to be punished. Come with me.”

  I offered my hand.

  He looked at it like a foreign object. Emotion drained from his expression.

  Ethan laid Gleason's body down gently as if he was afraid he could break him further, then closed his eyes and straightened.

  He looked directly at me, ign
oring Hamzah. “Where would you suggest we go? The brass will never allow us to live. Everyone who gets off this station needs authorization codes.”

  I still felt weak from the attacks and being beaten, but my senses began to return.

  “First things first, we need to find a good hiding place. Next, we need someone to help us get off the station. I know only one person who might be able to get us the credentials we need.”

  Ethan and I looked at each other, and together we said, “Amelie.”

  Chapter Ninety

  Dax

  I attempted to walk like an officer. I kept my pace even, although I moved along at a good clip.

  Amelie’s com was still dead, but her last known position was in the lab, so I continued.

  The white officer's uniform was buying me a lot of leeway.

  I did get one sidelong look from another officer as I whisked by. I hoped that was the right protocol.

  The sense that Amelie was in trouble drove me forward.

  At last, I arrived. Usually, there was an ID panel on the right side of the doorway to allow for a secure entrance. The panel had been covered in a clear shield. The lab was in hard lockdown.

  I searched for a way to open it and found nothing. I tried Am again.

  “I'm here. I can't get through the door. Any ideas?”

  After five seconds, I got a response.

  Stand back.

  I barely had a chance to move out of the way before the door busted open, flying with a grand explosion. I was way too close. The force knocked me back five feet, and my ears buzzed.

  Dark smoke wafted into the hall.

  Five black-clad squadron members rounded the corner and targeted me.

  Something shifted in the doorway, and it wasn't Amelie.

  The creature looked like a combination of OE animals. With tentacles on each side of its torso, it lumbered out, mouth gaping with sharp teeth. It reared back on its hind legs, standing taller than most Axis citizens.

  I scuttled back on my hands and heels.

  The creature undulated in my direction and snarled a deep-throated sound that sent ice pricks down my spine.

  Where was Amelie?

  She’d just sent me a message. She had to be alive.

  I held in place, hoping the creature would look for fun elsewhere.

  Behind me, a squad of security officers entered the hallway. Weapons clicked. The explosion must have drawn them.

  Their laser rifles hummed and discharged.

  The smoke increased. Screaming, the creature flailed and sped by me in the direction of shots fired.

  Amelie emerged wearing her blood-stained party dress. Her hair hung limply around her sweat-coated face. She looked more beautiful than I’d ever seen her.

  Reaching down, she offered me a hand. “We have to get out of here.”

  I hadn't thought about where to go. But I was certainly in a galaxy of trouble, and it looked like Amelie might be as well.

  “I need to get someone to listen to me about what's happening. I'm not sure how high the corruption goes, but I’m in deep trouble.”

  I gripped her elbow and guided her through the smoke, eyes burning. We scrambled in the opposite direction of the creature and soldiers.

  She leaned heavily on me. I wrapped my arm around her, enjoying the solid warm feel of her against my side.

  I'd been so worried that something had been wrong and that I might never see her again. No matter what, I’d never leave her again.

  I glanced at her. I could see the wheels turning in her brain. Her jaw was tight, and her eyes unfocused.

  She pulled me to stop and tapped her wristlet.

  “Doctor Sinclair only blocked the Science Lab. I have open access. And I know just who to call.” She waited for a moment while the com connected. “Reg?”

  “Yes, Ms. Dupree, Do you require my assistance?”

  “I most certainly do. Meet us back at the drop-off.”

  “Right away, ma'am.”

  “Having somebody on-call with a transport is very handy,” I said.

  “He’ll take us anywhere we need to go.”

  “Of course.” Now that I had a destination and had Am with me, I felt like we might actually survive. We had been through so much together. Now escaping was just another obstacle to overcome.

  “I want to apologize.”

  Her brow furled, and she turned to me. “Why?”

  “I ran away after everything you did to help me.” I stopped walking and stared at her. “You didn’t deserve that. The Sat just made me realize how very different we are.”

  “Of course, that’s why being with you is fun. I'll always be there for you, Dax. You just have to have some faith in me.”

  That was asking a lot. I lived with a low-grade assumption that everything would always go wrong.

  But with her around, things often went right.

  Alarms and flashing red lights pierced the corridor. The PA screamed instructions.

  Threat Level Red. Threat Level Red. Hostile aliens have gained access to the station. Repeat, hostile aliens have gained access to the station.

  I pulled Amelie faster, even as she dug in her heels and didn't want to move.

  “They’re talking about those things in the lab. Those bioweapons,” she said.

  “Amelie, we have to move.”

  Whoever made them, wherever they came from, didn’t matter.

  We turned into the next corridor.

  It seemed unusually quiet. The alarms were silent here.

  Strange. I immediately stepped in front of Amelie as we both stopped, sensing something was wrong.

  At the end of the hallway, a double door opened, and three aliens entered. They walked fully upright and carried long tridents.

  Amelie took a sharp intake of breath. I retreated, and she moved forward.

  “Is that the evolution? Look at that! Are they intelligent?” She reached out one hand.

  At the sound of her voice, the creatures advanced.

  Their heads were enclosed in bubbles containing water. They looked similar to the visual representations we’d fought back on the first day.

  The lead alien raised its trident and fired.

  I dodged, pulling Amelie out of the path of a blue blast.

  She landed against me, and I almost fell at the impact. My side was still blazing in pain, but it didn't matter. I wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Not while I was alive.

  “The bay is that way. We need to go that way,” she said.

  Another blast erupted. I dove, yanking her against the floor.

  “We can't make it to the ship if we’re dead. There has to be another way.”

  I started crawling back down the hall, and she followed.

  The aliens advanced steadily toward us, randomly firing.

  We stopped speaking as it seemed they were aiming toward the sound. We reached a fork in the hall and took the one to the right.

  A rush of movement ahead and a squad of soldiers approached us.

  “Sir, are you and the civilian injured?” I looked up reluctantly. The squadron peered down.

  He was older than me with a tattoo across half of his face. He sneered. “You’re no officer. Get up, and put your hands in the air.”

  “There’s a group of aliens following us.” I stumbled to my feet.

  Amelie huffed and fluffed her monstrously huge skirt.

  He laughed and motioned with his gun. I started to raise my hands. I didn’t know where else to run. This was the end of the road.

  The aliens had blocked our path forward. And our route back was cut off by the squad.

  But I wouldn’t give up for Amelie’s sake if not my own.

  I was already in court-martial level trouble. Would it hurt to take it a bit further?

  And there was still something I was good at. Fighting.

  A sharp punch to the throat and the leader dropped. I snagged his gun and pointed it at the other soldiers. I motioned for Amelie
to get behind me.

  Instead, her foot lashed outward. Another one of the soldiers crumpled as she connected with his kneecap.

  She wrestled the gun from him and pointed it at the other soldiers.

  “Nice,” I said.

  “I’m not just a pretty face. As you well know.”

  We trained our guns on them. They did the same.

  We were in a standoff.

  The injured soldiers struggled to their feet.

  One of the two pushed up her face-covering helmet. Her mouth gaped.

  I glanced over my shoulder. The aliens had caught us. Their tridents glowed blue, humming. The hallway shrunk as we stood between the aliens and the squad.

  “Any bright ideas?” I asked.

  “Don’t die,” Amelie said.

  The aliens approached with squishy steps. Their teeth bared.

  I aimed and fired toward the head of the alien in front.

  Amelie did the same but missed the target. The two remaining soldiers decided the alien creatures were more dangerous than Amelie and me. They also fired at the aliens.

  The blast hit against their serpentine armor. The energy spread without boring a hole and dissipated over the entire body.

  My nervous system ratcheted up and turned my body cold.

  Our weapons did nothing. The bolts slid off their suits like water.

  I put myself in front of Amelie as the creatures lifted their tridents again.

  Chapter Ninety-One

  Ethan

  Hamzah looked at Vega then at me. “I’ll buy you as much time as I can.”

  “Why are you helping me? Helping us?” Vega asked

  His eyebrows rose as if genuinely surprised. “It’s the right thing to do. Now hide. Someone is coming.”

  We pressed against the wall of the alcove, holding our breath as Hamzah faced the squadron of Phantom Ops soldiers.

  “Sound the alarm. Lieutenant Commander Gleason is injured.” Just the right amount of panic and concern threaded in his voice.

  I couldn't see it, but I felt their hesitation. The wonder if perhaps this strange civilian might be involved.

  “Could you explain what happened here, your rank and position?”

  “I’m Hamzah del Lamarti, Ambassador from the planet Quazar. I'm a healer and came upon the scene as you did.”