Cadet: Star Defenders Book Two: Space Opera Adventure

by Pamela Stewart

  The leader’s swagger died down. “Of course, Ambassador del Lamarti.”

  “I’m a healer. Let me try.”

  The soldiers had been drilled in diplomacy. Offending an ambassador could create a potential civil war.

  They shifted uncomfortably, glancing at each other, then retreated.

  Hamzah raised his hands into the air as if to pull something down and put it back into Gleason.

  But even if he had the legendary powers of the Quazar, there was no getting Gleason back.

  Hamzah jerked his chin and shifted his eyes. He wanted us to leave while the guards were distracted.

  But my eyes were fixed on Gleason.

  Odd, but my thoughts ran back to my graduation from the Academy. His booming voice loaded with pure joy. He’d given me a rare smile and a full hug. The way he’d gripped me to him.

  No one had ever really believed in me. Not until Gleason. The jagged edges of my heart rubbed together.

  Vega touched my arm and squeezed, bringing me back. Survival. Even if I deserved to rot in Helios, Vega didn’t. I had to get her to safety.

  I waited for a heartbeat and slipped down the hall like a shadow with Vega glued to my side.

  My senses started returning.

  I squeezed my emotions into a small ball and put them into a black box in my brain. I had to focus on the moment at hand.

  Vega snagged my wristlet, her fingers flying over my com. “I need to get a message to Amelie.”

  Every nerve in me was still vibrating in reaction.

  She held up a finger and continued inputting. Lines of messages streamed back.

  “There's some kind of alert going on throughout the whole station. They say aliens are attacking.” She paused and shook her head. “At least whatever is happening will provide a distraction.”

  She read another volley of messages as we skittered between alcoves, avoiding passing squads.

  “She and Dax need to get out too, and she has a ride.”

  The wristlet in her hand emitted a low deep pulsing light. I knew what it meant. Enemy attack. Man down. Sweep the area.

  “Give me the com.” I scrolled through the different messages and brought up a schematic of the floor plan.

  The Phantom Corp and MPs swarmed. “Two squadrons are blocking our path to the bay completely.”

  “Can we try another way?”

  “I don't know another way. We don't even have any weapons.” Part of me wished I'd taken the sidearm earlier, and then I remembered Gleason and abandoned the thought. No more guns.

  “We need to get to Amelie’s ship,” she said plainly.

  Crossing her arms, she tapped her fingers against her elbows. It was as if the tiredness fell away from her as the wheels started turning.

  She was a creature of inspiration, with a plan that was usually something unexpected, dangerous, and slightly insane.

  “I have an idea. See those suits over there?” She pointed to the maintenance closet where different hazmat suits hung.

  “Yes—” What was she getting at?

  “I have an idea. But you’re not going to like it.”

  Chapter Ninety-Two

  Amelie

  The creatures’ armor and external skin conducted laser cannon technology.

  Fascinating.

  I would have paid good credits to be able to check the molecular structure under a microscope. What chemical compound allowed such a thing?

  But I shook myself to the present moment. These engineered aliens pointed their tridents in our direction.

  Honestly, if I were to die without a chance of figuring this out, it would be the ultimate tragedy.

  Could these monster be the evolutions of the creatures that were in the lab?

  They also carried tridents, as Vega had described in her report.

  She’d told us little. I figured she had some sort of stress disorder concerning the encounter.

  Were they the same? Or had the Axis military created them as biological weapons? It sounded like something they would do.

  The problem at hand was trying to kill me with the blue trident. It aimed with pinpoint precision.

  I was slow. Dax was not.

  He pushed me down and laid on top of me.

  The bolt exploded against the wall above us. He looked down at me, his eyes brimming with concern.

  “You saved my life again.”

  “Sort of,” he replied. “We’ll have to do a tally on who owes who what later.

  I struggled up, grabbing my weapon, and aimed it toward the trident but missed.

  Dax followed my lead and aimed at their weapons. They were almost within reaching distance. The aliens’ tridents spewed out fire.

  One of the soldiers took a bolt of blue to the chest and fell backward, a hole ripped in his uniform the size of a humbleball.

  The aliens meant business.

  “Aim for the tridents!” I yelled.

  With three quick shots, Dax struck one of the tridents. It exploded in the creature’s tentacle.

  Flames engulfed the creature, and it dropped. Its water-filled helmet shattered upon impact.

  The third was only stunned. Its trident sputtered on again, and he re-aimed at Dax. I yanked him down next to me before the blast exploded.

  “You can't die yet. I'm still mad at you.” I gave him a slight smile.

  He shook his head and grinned back and then took another shot at the weapon. The creature jabbed it forward blindly.

  It caught the last of the guards with another blast just as Dax fired again and connected. The trident exploded. With an agonizing scream, the alien crumpled.

  Soldiers moaned, writhing on the floor with serious second-and third-degree burns. They looked life-threatening. But I was sure the medics would be here soon.

  With the aliens out of commission and the soldiers injured, our path was clear. We headed toward the launch bay. As we ran, we passed different skirmishes. Nothing else in our direct path. More groups of alien creatures fighting against both the Phantom Ops and security.

  Red lights illuminated the clouds of smoke that filled the air and gave the hallways a hellish glow. I looked down to see if I had a message from Vega.

  And I found a slew of messages from Ethan.

  “Oh my!”

  “What?” Dax skidded to a stop. “We don't have time to hang out here Amelie—”

  “It's Vega and Ethan. They're pinned down by the Phantom Ops.”

  “Then tell her we’ll be there in a few.”

  “Wait. We'll get caught for sure if we go to the launch bay via the main corridors. We might be better off to meet at the ship.”

  “We can't abandon them.”

  I swirled. My dress made a rustling sound against the floor that was louder than the sirens that were still blaring. My face grew warm as anger bloomed. “I’d never leave anyone behind. Never.”

  “If we get captured or shot, what good does it do any of us? We have to think this through.”

  He had made sense again, and my temper simmered down. I sent Vega a message through Ethan's com.

  The Phantom Ops destroyed her com when torturing her. She added something about Gleason, but the information got truncated.

  I responded that we needed a new escape plan. The message lit up immediately.

  I grinned and shook my head.

  “She has an idea. Let's go.” I grabbed his hand and pulled him along the corridor. He looked at me, confused, but kept up easily.

  All I’d wanted to do for most of my life was to get into the Academy. Now, all I wanted was to leave.

  I entered the launch bay with a heavy heart. Then I looked at Dax. At least I wasn’t losing everything that was important to me.

  Together we crept forward.

  Chapter Ninety-Three

  Vega

  We donned our hazmat suits. As usual, nothing fit me, but it was airtight, had a minimal oxygen supply, and hopefully a resistance to toxic bodily waste...because we we
re about to wade into the deep end of the shit pond.

  Ethan’s face scrunched up like a small child who’d been offered something distasteful to eat.

  “Put on your big boy pants because this is not going to be fun, but it should send us where we need to go.” He nodded and pressed his lips together, then proceeded to throw up into one of the basins.

  “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay.” I snagged a few towels, tossed him one to clean up, and shoved the others into my pocket.

  You never knew when you might need a towel.

  Ethan remained bent over, his eyes dull. He had just experienced a very traumatic event.

  I couldn't imagine killing my mentor. No matter how many times I’d imagined it in training. Commander Wu, even with her flaws, had made me better.

  And Gleason had been more like a father figure to Ethan. It had to be terrible. The guilt alone would drive me insane.

  Keeping his mind on the task at hand was vital. We waded into the waste material up to our chests. I had a remote rigged to press the evacuation button, and I had disconnected the security backup.

  “One of the best things you ever did was to send me down here for punishment.”

  I tried to make light of the situation. He nodded. His eyes looked vacant like he wasn’t entirely with me.

  “You did the right thing, you know. He was a monster.” I shouldn’t have said it.

  His eyebrows lowered, and his lips pressed tight. “You’re sure Amelie got your message?”

  “Yeah. She and Dax will be there. Ready?”

  I pressed the button before he could respond and prayed the suit worked as advertised as we spiraled downward.

  I lost sight of Ethan as we careened down through twisting tubes that grew narrower and narrower.

  As the sides pressed in, claustrophobia constricted my lungs. A section appeared way too small for either of us. I closed my eyes and felt the flexible sides expand to accommodate my body.

  We slid lower in the station until, at last, we tumbled from the last tube and spiraled through space.

  My suit pressurized and warmed instantly. A cool jet of air piped into my head covering.

  I was coated with gunk, but I was alive, and I was free of the Mil-station.

  Chapter Ninety-Four

  Amelie

  “Guards!” Dax whispered and pulled me out of sight.

  A squadron of soldiers guarded my parents’ ship. We hunched behind flight equipment to get a better look.

  “They know. No way we can make it,” Dax said.

  “But Vega and Ethan are depending on us.”

  “I have an idea. The Icarus is docked in the next stall. You know how to fly that, right?”

  “Yes.” Where was he going with this?

  “If I can draw their attention, it’ll give you a chance. You have all the passcodes. Just make sure you have enough fuel.”

  “To go where? I can't just leave you here? What are you thinking?”

  “You’re the brains, Vega is the leader, and Ethan's a great pilot. I’m not necessary.”

  “You are necessary. To me. I'm not doing this. You can't make me.” I grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him to me, kissing him hard on the lips. My heart throbbed into my ears. My face tingled. He kissed me back and kept his eyes closed even after we parted.

  He blinked twice and shook his head. “Come back for me when it’s safe again.”

  “I won’t let this happen. I can't lose you.”

  He tilted his head and smiled down at me. “My logical Amelie, all emotional. Just trust me.” Before I could stop him, he pulled out of my grasp and ran, shooting randomly toward the squadron.

  They jetted after him. Only one remained in the bay.

  I wanted to run after him.

  But I couldn’t. That would be sacrificing Vega and Ethan.

  Dax had chosen to run. He’d decided to leave me alone. And even though I understood, it hurt.

  Now how to get by the remaining soldier?

  I wasn’t fast or a great shot. But I was smart.

  I set a delayed command in my weapon, just in case I screwed up, and she saw me. On silent feet, I crept to the Icarus.

  My dress snagged on a platform and made a rattling sound. The soldier’s attention snapped to me. She fired.

  I wasn't quick enough to dodge. The heat caught me in the shoulder and sent a blaze into my arm, and I dropped my weapon.

  She raised her gun, her eyes bright, excited that she’d gotten the prize as she approached. I stopped breathing.

  “Kick your weapon over here.”

  Relief poured over me.

  “With pleasure.”

  “Who are you and why are y—”

  The explosion of my gun knocked her back against the bulkhead of my parents’ ship. She slipped to the ground, unconscious.

  I looked at the timestamp and realized Vega and Ethan had only about five minutes of air remaining.

  If I didn't hustle, they would die. Also, if discovered, they would die.

  No pressure.

  I opened the Icarus and stepped inside. Too bad my parents shuttle was hard locked but this shuttle would work in a pinch.

  After I stocked extra power rods, I backed out of the dock slowly.

  I waited for some tractor beam or blast of plasma to vaporize me, but it didn't come. No one had thought to block this old mining shuttle.

  The ship tripped forward with a burst of energy. I barely missed a squadron of fighters as they streaked out into the darkness.

  How the hell was I going to find them in this massive structure? I wasn’t a great pilot. I’d barely spent enough time in the SIM to avoid obstacles.

  I'd helped on the way back from the Lazarus, but I certainly was no Ethan or Vega. I checked my messages. Blank. I arrived at the location she had sent.

  Flashing lights and movement. I concentrated on keeping the current location. They’d better show up fast. The rotation of the Axis would occur soon.

  Trying to find Ethan and Vega would be like trying to find a white blood cell in a sample with my naked eye.

  I turned on the front illuminators. No alarms or alerts yet. Nothing on the coms system at all. I stopped the forward motion of the ship and sent another message to Ethan.

  He probably couldn't see it in his suit, but I had to try. I desperately looked out the front viewfinder, searching for a sign of where they were, using the pathetic scanners in the shuttle to find any trace of them.

  If I lost them, I would have no one. And Dax’s sacrifice would’ve been for nothing. Setting the scanners, I sought any indication of life.

  As the seconds ticked, my heart deflated like a giant balloon.

  They were going to die, and it was all my fault.

  Chapter Ninety-Five

  Vega

  I could feel the cold of space around me even through the insulation in the suit. The change in pressure and temperature had been sudden and drastic.

  My sense of direction, as usual, was terrible.

  Up and down were relative. My body tumbled, and I clutched at something to grab so I wouldn’t slam into a passing freighter.

  Ethan spun about twenty-five feet away, reaching for a support beam.

  I’d thought I’d be able to see something familiar and get my bearings. Not so much.

  We made swimming motions trying to get to each other as ships passed in the distance.

  I finally reached Ethan, and we clasped each other's arms. Part of me wanted to hug him, just for the comfort, but I saved my strength for whatever came next.

  Amelie and Dax had better be here. If they weren’t, I wasn't sure what would kill us first, the cold or the lack of oxygen, probably lack of oxygen.

  My suit emitted a tiny beeping sound with each spray of O2. Not as advanced as the spacesuits I'd used on the Lazarus. It was designed to last a very short time during extreme emergencies.

  So beeping? Probably not good.

  Ethan tapped h
is wrist and pointed up and to the left. We must've overshot the rendezvous point.

  Our suits would appear like specks against this monstrous station. No way Dax and Amelie could find us if we weren’t in the correct zone.

  I followed Ethan, floating in the direction of the coordinates.

  The beeping sped up. I could tell the oxygen level was dropping by the way my head spun. Ethan held tight and pulled me on to some distant goal.

  Moving my arms and legs in rapid succession, I grabbed any protrusion of the station to aid my ascent.

  And then I saw the shuttle.

  The vessel moved in a jerky and unsure way. As if whoever was flying the ship was impaired. I recognized that style. Amelie.

  She’d never taken to flying.

  The craft was small, box-shaped, and looked like it shouldn’t be capable of flying. Why were they in the Icarus? The last message we’d gotten from Amelie said we would be flying in her parents’ ship. The plans must've changed. But why wasn’t Dax at the helm?

  The ship jerked forward in spurts, interspersed with random motions to the side.

  She was looking for us.

  And she was about to pass us.

  We had to stop her.

  But how could we get her attention? Our suits blended with the outside of the station.

  Even if she had fantastic powers of observation, it would be difficult to see us.

  Then I remembered the towels I had shoved in my pocket.

  I handed one to Ethan and motioned for him to wave them. The air stopped pumping. I held my breath.

  The ship came to a halt about fifty feet away. And floated. I could vaguely see Amelie behind the controls waving madly at us.

  I waved madly back at her

  Ethan's face transformed into a dark shade of red. Amelie disappeared from the controls. My lungs turned to fire, and the desire to suck in a breath became overwhelming.

  My throat constricted. I tried to breathe in air that wasn't there, grabbing and snatching for the opening rear cargo bay.

  Lurching through the opening, I collapsed to my knees. The rear hatched closed behind me. The lights popped on, and the chamber pressurized. I clutched at my throat, trying to rip off the mask. Suction popped, the helmet released, and I sucked in air. Ethan did much the same thing. We met each other's eyes, and I shook my head with a small crazed smile.