Tayrym (Galactic Defenders Book 4)

by Jessica E. Subject

  Tayrym nodded. “Thank you.” Calling home—or rather, calling the palace to talk to Gwenodyn—might actually be a good idea. It wouldn’t make the situation any better, but chatting with his best friend might get his mind off his slowly breaking heart.

  Head down, he found an empty com room and slumped into the chair. If he really was going to contact Gwenodyn, he had to wipe away all the pain, put on a show for her. He didn’t need her telling Bryce that he wasn’t happy as a Defender. He’d made the decision and had to accept every ounce of pain that came with it.

  After clearing his thoughts and taking a deep breath, Tayrym entered the code to contact Gwenodyn’s personal wrist com. He had no idea where she’d be in the palace, but he didn’t want to talk to anyone but her.

  “Tayrym!” When she answered with her usual bright smile, he couldn’t help but match her expression.

  But his smile faltered when he realized she wasn’t in the palace. She was someplace else he recognized well. “Gwenodyn, how are you? Where are you?”

  “Good, really good.” She giggled and turned away from the screen. “Stop it.”

  “Stop what?” He hadn’t done anything except ask her how she was.

  “Sorry, not you.” Another giggle and then the screen shook, showing him a strange view of the house of some of his friends.

  “Gwennie, if you’re not able to talk, I’ll let you go.” The idea of her hanging out there twisted his gut. He didn’t know why but couldn’t deny the feeling. And if she was distracted, he didn’t want to talk to her anyway.

  “No, no.” She appeared back on the screen along with Coop, the guy she’d told him looked like he should be a prince. “I’m here. We’re both here. Me and Coop.”

  Tayrym raised a brow. “I see that. So, you’re hanging out with them, now.”

  “Yeah, she is.” Coop wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer. “I like having her by my side.”

  “I see.” As much as Tayrym liked Coop, he hadn’t expected him to become an important part of Gwen’s life. “You’re dating, aren’t you?”

  They looked at each other before turning back to him with big smiles. “Don’t tell my mom.” Gwenodyn’s grin faltered. “She’ll be mad if she finds out.”

  Tayrym didn’t know why Queen Lalia would be mad. Coop was only a year older than him, and she had no problem with him spending time with her adopted daughter. Though Tayrym had no intention of dating Gwenodyn. And anyway, why would he contact the queen when he hadn’t talked to Gwennie for a while? Did his best friend not notice? Or was she too busy spending time with her boyfriend to realize he hadn’t contacted her?

  “So, I heard you and Guri barely talk anymore.”

  Tayrym swallowed at Coop’s proclamation. “Where did you hear that?” He really didn’t like the idea of the two of them dating.

  “Sol told us this afternoon when he’d finished teaching.” Coop shrugged. “Said he talked to Guri the other night.”

  “Oh.” Calling Gwenodyn had been a bad idea. That information hurt too much. Guri couldn’t find time to talk to him, but he had called Sol? Probably more than once. And talked about their relationship. Said they barely talked anymore?

  “I’ve got to go.” Tayrym cut the connection before the next batch of tears fell. Did that mean their relationship was over? Had he been worried for Guri’s safety earlier that day for nothing? Guri had walked away from him simply because they hadn’t had enough time together. No waiting. Or had something else that had come between them? Someone else? Tayrym shuddered with sobs. Why did his heart hurt so much?

  Chapter Six

  Guri rushed out of his bunkhouse. Not only did he want to try to catch Tay again, he’d also been asked to meet General Mulgrave, the leader of all the Defenders. Spotting his boyfriend on one of the couches in the lounge, he paused. What had happened to him? With red-rimmed eyes and hollow cheeks, Tayrym looked like he hadn’t slept or eaten in days.

  “Tay,” he called, hoping to put a smile on his boyfriend’s face.

  But the instant Tayrym spotted him, he leaped from the couch and rushed down the hall toward his own bunkhouse. Guri chased after him. He had no idea why his boyfriend would run at the sight of him.

  Just as he was about to go into the other’s bunkhouse, he was grabbed by the arm and swung around.

  “Not so fast, Private.”

  Guri wanted to yell and punch the person who had stopped him, until he realized it was Captain Daftar, the Mingot leader of Juliet squadron. Instead, he saluted her, two fingers pointed to his forehead then brought down in front of his face.

  She nodded in acknowledgement. “I heard you will be joining the meeting we are to attend with General Mulgrave. We must go now. You don’t have time to catch up with your boyfriend.”

  Guri froze. He’d forgotten that Mingots could read his mind, forgotten to block his thoughts from the captain. But had she read his mind or simply heard they were together from word of mouth? He didn’t have time to ask as she started marched in the direction of their meeting yet kept glancing back as if expecting him to follow.

  After a long sigh, Guri hurried to catch up and fell in step behind her. He couldn’t disappoint Captain Daftar, and especially not General Mulgrave. Yet, he had a feeling he’d already disappointed Tayrym. The man he’d called the most important person in his life. The guilt from that memory felt like a punch to the gut. He’d come to Kalara for Tay, so they could be Defenders together. Only, it hadn’t happened that way. What was he supposed to do to fix things?

  Guri slammed into the captain’s back, not having noticed she’d stopped walking. “Sorry.” He bowed as he would to the royal family then saluted after realizing his mistake. His mind was not where it should be. But he was meeting General Mulgrave and needed to focus.

  After a couple of deep breaths, he lifted his chin, heaved his shoulders back, and marched into the office of the general. Along with the members of Juliet squadron and General Mulgrave, Koesha, the head of the Galactic Alliance, was in attendance, too. He hadn’t expected her, had no idea how to act around someone so powerful. Sure, he was in favor with the royal family on Hemera, but Koesha was the ultimate leader. And unlike the two Alliance leaders before, the royal family of Hemera spoke nothing but kind words about her.

  Gripping the back of the nearest chair, he watched to see how the others in attendance reacted. When they saluted, he did, too. When they moved around the long table to find a seat, so did he. Though he carefully waited until the rest had claimed a place at the table before taking the last chair. Head down, he didn’t make eye contact with anyone, unsure why he was the only private in a room with so many high-ranking Defenders.

  “Private Guri.”

  He jumped in his seat at the general’s words. “Y-yes, sir?”

  “Please come forward.”

  With trepidation, he left his place at the table and headed toward the front of the room. What did they want with him? Did they plan to use his speed to their advantage? Intend to use him as Erebus bait? He gulped, even more convinced he should never have enlisted, should have found a way to convince Tayrym to stay on Hemera with him.

  General Mulgrave stood upon his arrival at the front, and Guri immediately saluted. The general nodded and turned Guri to face the rest of the room. “Today is the day we recognize the strengths of our first Hemera recruits. They have proven their skills to be above and beyond any privates we have had thus far. Tayrym has been promoted to communications specialist, and Guri will be part of Juliet squadron.”

  After mention of Tayrym, Guri missed everything else that was said. His boyfriend had had a chance to show his strengths and would serve the Defenders as a communications specialist. He wouldn’t be part of a squadron. They wouldn’t have a chance to go on missions together, be together.

  “Second Lieutenant Guri.”

  Snapping back to the present, he focused on the general. “Pardon?”

  “As you will be a member of Juliet squadr
on, your new ranking will be second lieutenant.” General Mulgrave patted him on the back. “And training for the mission begins immediately after this briefing.”

  Heat flared through Guri’s body. This wasn’t good. Not good at all. Tayrym would never be part of a squadron, but he already had one and would soon be leaving Kalara for his first mission. Nothing like they’d planned. Not even close to their dreams for their future together.

  “So, what do you say?” General Mulgrave grinned at him, waiting for his answer.

  But what could he say? If he said no, he’d be stuck with a different squadron, likely not one with as good a reputation as Juliet. And his boyfriend still wouldn’t be with him. “Tay….” He hadn’t meant to say his name aloud, but the general only grinned more.

  “He’s training for the mission, too. Only he’ll be on the carrier helping to guide your squadron on the planet.” The general reached into his pocket. “Which reminds me. Here’s your badge for your new ranking. And a wrist com since you’re no longer a private. You can keep in touch with family and friends without having to go to a com room, but it’s also a way for us to keep track of you and contact you.”

  “Oh, okay.” This was all happening too fast. He hadn’t expected to be training for an actual mission so soon, hadn’t expected to be ripped away from his boyfriend. But he had no idea how to stop it from happening. He was either part of Juliet squadron, or he went back to Hemera. Either way, he’d be far away from Tayrym. At least as a Galactic Defender, he’d have some chances to see his boyfriend. That is, if Tay still wanted to see him. And based on their last interaction, he didn’t know if Tay did anymore.

  After shaking the general’s arm and receiving his new badge and wrist com, he wondered if that meant he could keep in better contact with Tay. Did he have a wrist com, too? But the general immediately began the mission briefing, giving him no time to find out.

  Their mission would be hard. Travel to Gyoun, the planet of the Erebus’s creation, to locate the digital journals of those who created the monsters. The population of Erebus on the planet had decreased dramatically, giving the Defenders a chance to sneak onto the surface to find the information they needed. But they’d be the only squadron going, not wanting to attract the attention of the Erebus and bring them all back. Dangerous, but everyone in his squadron was known for their speed and precision at bringing an Erebus down. Or so General Mulgrave assured them all. Guri wasn’t so sure. But, tomorrow, they’d board a shuttle for the carrier. And after seven Galactic Days of training while traveling to the Yephapni system, they’d board another shuttle to take them to Gyoun. He made it sound so easy. Even Koesha seemed convinced it would work. But he wasn’t so confident. Not based on his gut feeling or the grim faces of his new squadron. Was this how he would die?

  The general excused them for a break but expected them to report for training at the simulation field in an hour. Just enough time for him to track down Tayrym and find out why he’d run away from him earlier. He was supposed to grab a darobar, but didn’t think he could stomach any food at that moment. His thoughts of Tayrym and the mission had twisted his stomach into a huge knot.

  Finally having a chance to figure out his wrist com, he examined the face and buttons. Back on Hemera, Tayrym had given him a basic tutorial on how to use the com tab. And this was similar, only smaller. Though it was only by luck he found the Defender directory. His breathing shuddered when he located Tayrym’s contact info. He sent a message right away. What’s wrong? Why did you ignore me this morning?

  Though he hoped for an immediate answer, he knew Tayrym could be busy with his own training. So he decided to hunt him down instead. He’d passed the console training room often enough during his time on Kalara to know its location. His boyfriend should be there. If not, he’d find someone in there who could tell him Tay’s whereabouts.

  Standing in front of the wide windows of the training room, Guri searched for his boyfriend. Or rather, the back of his head. The door had been locked when he’d tried to get inside, and everyone faced away from him, not even acknowledging he stood out there. Tay was easy to spot, the only Hemera inside, as he worked confidently on the console in front of him. But how would Guri get his attention?

  He sent another message on his wrist com. I’m standing outside the console training room. Can we talk?

  Tay paused to look at his wrist com. He didn’t react immediately, only stayed completely still in his chair. Then, finally, he turned around. Guri hoped for a smile, some sign of hope that his boyfriend was okay, that they were okay. But when Tay met his gaze, he shook his head then returned his attention to the console. Was he too busy? Or did he simply not want to talk to him?

  Guri sent another message. He had to know. I miss you. Did I do something wrong?

  This time Tay didn’t even glance at his wrist com. He continued on with his work as if Guri wasn’t even there. Fear and anger clutched Guri’s chest. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see with the tears threatening to spill. They’d planned their future together. And now, Guri was sure they’d never have one. Maybe this was for the best. If he was to die on the upcoming mission, it would hurt Tay less if they weren’t together. Maybe….

  ***

  Tay clutched the edge of the console and closed his eyes. Why was Guri suddenly talking to him when he’d avoided him for days? Did he want to make their breakup official? Break his heart face-to-face instead of at a distance? He ignored the next message that came in, couldn’t deal with the emotions Guri stirred in him. Not when he was supposed to be training for the upcoming mission. Tomorrow, he’d leave Kalara for more training on the carrier, use the actual console he’d be in front of during the mission. Until then, he wouldn’t let anything distract him. Including his broken heart. He was a Defender as he’d dreamed of being for so long. Nothing else mattered.

  “Okay Tayrym. Time for a break.” Captain Nyogi turned off the console in front of him. “Go grab yourself a darobar and take some time to stretch. Too long in front of the screen slows your reaction time.”

  Pushing his chair back, Tayrym took a deep breath. He didn’t want a break, needed the distraction of work to keep his mind off other things. But without the assignments, he was tempted to check at his wrist com, find out what else Guri had messaged him. He couldn’t help himself. Saw the message where Guri said he missed him and asked if he had done something wrong. Tayrym pressed his palm to his forehead. Really? What has he done right? Since they’d been on Kalara, Guri had barely spoken to him yet somehow found time to call his friends back home and update them on their failing relationship.

  An image flashed on the main screen of the console training room before the footage became clear. The other specialists in the room cheered. “Yes, I love seeing them train for a mission,” one of them said.

  Tayrym examined the screen closer. It was live feed of the simulation training area. A squadron getting ready to run the course. Guri’s squadron. He was bouncing on the balls of his feet the way he did when he was nervous. Tayrym needed to comfort him, give him a boost of confidence to go into the course and win. But they weren’t talking. Why? Tayrym had been so busy with his own training, he hadn’t had time to realize their relationship was falling apart until last night. Though, hadn’t Guri been just as busy training? Maybe more so since he’d been promoted and assigned to a major squadron with a current mission.

  Tayrym swallowed hard. Was this all his misunderstanding? Had he been the one to push Guri away when Guri finally had an opportunity to see him? But then how had he found time to contact Sol? Tayrym was more confused than ever. He and Guri did need to talk, sort everything out, and find out if they did have any sort of relationship left. Everything had happened so fast, much faster than Katrina had described her training. It took her two Galactic years of training and being a part of a squadron before she went on her first mission. Why were he and Guri part of one so quickly? Why was Guri being sent to battle Erebus with only weeks of simulations and obstac
le courses under his belt? He wasn’t ready. And Tayrym definitely wasn’t ready to watch the mission happen from so far away.

  Bolting from the room, Tayrym rushed toward the simulation training area. He had to talk to Guri, see if he was okay with all of this, see if they were okay, if they’d ever be okay. But the room was locked, closed to all those not involved in the training of Juliet squadron. Everything else had been halted for them, other privates standing around, trying to get a glimpse inside. Tayrym had a better chance of seeing Guri by watching from the console training room. He’d go back there shortly. But first, he needed a moment alone.

  Tayrym ducked down the nearest hallway and leaned with his back to the wall. This was why they never had time together. When one of them had a moment, the other was busy. That’s how he’d had the chance to call Sol. But by the end of the day, they were both exhausted. It wasn’t on purpose, only how things were. And he’d been the one to ruin the one moment Guri had to spend with him. He kicked the wall behind him and shook his head. He had to fix this mess before the mission. Hopefully before they left Kalara.

  On his wrist com, he scrolled through Guri’s messages then hit reply.

  I miss you, too. So much. Can we meet after training today? I love you.

  Chapter Seven

  Guri tried to roll over, but hard objects on either side of him prevented him from moving at all. Groggily opening his eyes, he came face-to-face with the back of the couch. And he guessed the identity of the body behind him. Or hoped who it was anyway. Though if it was anyone else, they’d better run before he fully woke up.

  He grabbed the hand of the arm draped over his waist and interlaced his fingers with theirs. “Mmm, Tay Tay.” Holding onto the other so as not to knock them off the couch, he flipped over so he could see the person he believed to be his boyfriend. He stroked the side of his sleepy face, and chuckled at his pouty lip, thankful to finally have him so close. Last night, he’d waited for Tay in the lounge, but he must have fallen asleep before Tayrym had arrived. All that time they could have spent together, wasted. Because soon they’d both have to board shuttles and head to the carrier for the early stages of their mission.