Sergeant Ron stared at Trinity before looking back at Jerad. “As I was saying, I know some people on the general’s staff. They told me this Perkins character had issued orders for a squad of military police to be waiting when we land back at the spaceport. According to my source, the general signed court martial orders for our major here.”
Jumping out of her seat, Trinity pounded the table with her fist. “Are they crazy? Court martial for what? If it hadn’t been for Jerad, the priests’ gem would be off planet, and the Carsoloians’ fleet would be under a stealth shield going who knows where.”
Jerad stood. He looked at Trinity locking eyes with her for the first time. “It’s not unexpected. I lost twenty-two soldiers during that surprise attack on the compound. I left my post before the general arrived in order to lead the special operations’ team.”
“Who all made it out safely according to my source,” interjected Sergeant Ron.
Some of the tenseness in Jerad’s face went away. “I’m glad they all got out alive. Still, I’m sure the general feels I should have waited until he arrived before taking action. I placed him in a bad position. The results could’ve been disastrous.”
“But they weren’t,” Trinity said. “You saved a lot of lives today.”
“I agree,” said the monsignor. “I’ll put in a good word for you with the Imperial High Command.”
Jerad gave a weak smile. “I appreciate that. Now, if you all don’t mind, I think I’ll go to my quarters until we land on Cavos.” Without waiting for anyone to reply, he turned and headed toward his assigned quarters downstairs.
Everybody at the table looked up at Trinity. She wasn’t sure why.
“Well?” said Sergeant Ron. “Aren’t you going to follow him?”
Glancing at the stairway, Trinity nodded her head. “By the Creator, I think I will.”
Setting off at a fast pace, Trinity caught up with Jerad just as he was pulling the curtain to his quarters open. She grabbed him by the shoulder and shoved him inside the room.
“What was that all about?” Trinity asked trying her best to keep the temper out of her voice but failing miserably.
“I thought I explained.”
“I don’t mean about that drummed up court martial stuff,” Trinity said. “I mean about us. It’s like you’re avoiding me. I want to know what’s up, and I want to know now, Major. I deserve that much.”
“Yes, you do,” said Jerad. He started to sit down on the bottom bunk but seemed to think better of it and stood back up. “What happened between us in the escape pod was a mistake, Trinity. I’m sure you know that.”
Trinity shook her head. “If that’s what you think, then you know nothing. What happened in that pod were the greatest moments of my life. Now we’ve got the rest of our lives to be together.”
“I wouldn’t do that to you, Trinity.”
Trinity glared at the man before getting control of her temper. “What wouldn’t you do to me, Jerad?”
“I wouldn’t saddle you with an old man.”
Trinity laughed. “What? You think you’re old? You told me you were thirty-eight. I’m thirty-six. Big deal.”
Shaking his head, Jerad took a deep breath. “I told you I’ve been reading a lot on wizard scouts lately. According to your records, you were twenty-six when you got your DNA baseline taken. You’ll always be twenty-six physically. I on the other hand will get older every year. I won’t have you pushing me around in a hover-chair someday. You deserve better than that.”
Trinity decided to go on the offensive. She pulled out her big guns. “Do you love me?”
Jerad looked down at the floor. “No.”
Trinity grabbed his face with both hands and forced him to look at her. She looked deep into his eyes. “Are you telling me you don’t love me, Major. You promised you’d always love me in the pod, remember. Are you saying that was a lie? Or don’t you remember?”
Jerad’s eyes softened. “I remember. It’s because I love you that we can’t be together. You deserve more than me in your life. You deserve—”
“Uh-hum,” came the sound of someone clearing their throat.
Both Trinity and Jerad spun around to find Sergeant Ron standing in the doorway.
“Didn’t mean to pry,” said the Defiant’s captain, “but I had a feeling something like this was up.”
“Sergeant Ron,” said Jerad, “this is none of—”
“Everything that goes on in this ship is my business,” said Sergeant Ron. “Of all people, you should know that, Major. Besides, I like the two of you. Anyone in their right mind can see you two should be together. If it was up to me, I’d march both of you straight upstairs and marry you right this minute. Of course, my wife says I’m a little too impulsive at times, so I suppose I should probably wait for you guys to catch up emotionally first.”
“Sergeant Ron,” said Jerad, “there’s nothing you can—”
“You’re right there, Jerad,” said Sergeant Ron. He grinned. “At least you’re partially right. You’re the one that’s going to have to do something, and it’s not going to be easy.”
From the look on Jerad’s face, Trinity figured he was as confused as her. “What won’t be easy?” she asked.
“Wizard scout training,” replied Sergeant Ron. His grin grew even wider. “Jerad here thinks that because he ages and you don’t that there’s a problem. I don’t think that way, but that’s just my opinion. Regardless, the answer’s as easy as navigating through the twin suns of Belus.”
“Uh, that’s not all that easy,” said Jerad.
“No, I imagine you’re right,” laughed Sergeant Ron. “I guess that’s why you’re a major and I’m just a lowly sergeant. Nevertheless, I know what will solve this whole nonexistent problem.”
When the Defiant’s captain remained silent, Jerad and Trinity both spoke at the same time. “What?”
Sergeant Ron pointed at Jerad. “The major here needs to apply for wizard scout training.”
“What?” said Jerad. “Are you crazy?”
“There are those who say I am,” said Sergeant Ron seeming to take no offense. “What’s your point?”
“For starters, I’m thirty-eight years old,” said Jerad. He turned toward Trinity. “Tell him. A thirty-eight year old man can’t make it through wizard scout training.”
Trinity thought about it for a few seconds before smiling. “Not with that attitude they couldn’t, Major. However, with the proper motivation, it could be done.”
“What motivation would that be?” asked Jerad sounding more than a little dubious.
Trinity grabbed his face with both hands and gave him a long, hard kiss. She felt him respond. Pulling back, she panted for breath. “That motivation, Major.”
Jerad’s eyes grew wide. He shook his head. “Don’t think the thought hadn’t crossed my mind. But like I said, I’ve been reading up on wizard scouts. No one over thirty-five has ever made it through the Academy. I’d be forty-four before I graduated.”
“True,” said Sergeant Ron. “Until now, no human over thirty-five has earned their golden-dragon insignia. More than a few have tried and failed, but then they didn’t have me for a friend, did they?”
Trinity let go of Jerad and looked back at Sergeant Ron. “There’s no way to cheat the course if that’s what you’re implying. You know that for a fact. It’s the toughest training in the Empire. It has to be.”
“Very true,” admitted Sergeant Ron. “And I didn’t say anything about cheating. However, it does pay to have friends, and I’ve got friends. Charlie and I happen to be mechanics at the Academy when we’re not gallivanting around the galaxy in the Defiant. I think it’s time we spent more time on Velos doing our job at the Academy. I could keep old man Jerad here informed and help him out whenever I could.”
“I won’t cheat,” said Jerad.
“You can’t cheat the course,” said Sergeant Ron. “I thought we already settled that. Besides, it’s not cheating to have friends.
I’ll just be your eyes and ears about what’s happening at the Academy. It could give you a slight edge.”
“I’d never get accepted even if I applied,” said Jerad. “I’m thirty-eight years old. I probably couldn’t even pass the physical. I’m not in good enough shape.”
“Oh,” said Trinity feeling her face starting to grow warm, “you seemed in pretty good shape a couple of hours ago.”
Jerad’s face took on a pinkish color. When his face returned to normal, he looked at Sergeant Ron. “I’ll have to think about it. I’ve got a court martial pending, remember? Even if I submitted the application forms now, they’d never make it past division.”
Sergeant Ron laughed. “You know, Major, I meant to tell you about that, but you left the dining hall so fast I didn’t get a chance. There isn’t going to be a court martial. It seems someone who knows people convinced a member of the Imperial High Council to look into the matter. As it so happens, the members of the council were impressed with your actions. Not only aren’t you getting court martial, but I have it on good authority you’re being promoted to lieutenant colonel as soon as we get back to Cavos.”
Trinity looked at Sergeant Ron trying to find any trace of humor. The Defiant’s captain looked dead serious. “It’s only been an hour since you rescued us. Are you trying to tell us you accomplished all this in an hour?”
“Hey,” said the Defiant’s captain. “I don’t let no moon dust settle on my landing skids. And that’s not all.” He turned his attention to Jerad. “I took the liberty of submitting the Intergalactic Wizard Scout Academy application for you. Of course I had to fake your signature, but that’s neither here nor there. What’s a signature between friends? The end result is that your application is on the commandant’s desk as we speak with some high level recommendations attached I might add. Like I said, it pays to know people. I even sent in an application for Telsa while I was at it.”
Jerad looked at Trinity before looking back at Sergeant Ron. “I… I don’t know what to say.”
“Then don’t say anything,” said Sergeant Ron. “Now, I’ve got to go upstairs and tell Telsa that she’s going back to school. Does either of you two want to go with me and help break the news to her?”
Trinity looked at Jerad and then back at Sergeant Ron. “Not us, Captain. From the look on Jerad’s face, I believe he’s going to need a lot more motivation.”
Copyright
© 2017 by Rodney Wayne Hartman
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover Design by Laercio Messias
___________________________
Other Books by Rodney W. Hartman
Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles
Wizard Defiant Book One
Wizard Cadet Book Two
Wizard Scout Book Three
Wizard Omega Book Four
Wizard Rebellion Book Five
Wizard Betrayed Book Six (TBP)
Acknowledgments
____________________
I would like to thank my wife, Karen, for assisting in the coordination of the book cover and for putting up with my long hours of silence while I worked on this book. Writing a book really is a team effort. Thank you, Karen.
About the Author
____________________
Rodney Hartman is a retired US Army veteran with over twenty years of experience in military operations ranging from Infantry Private in the paratroops to Chief Warrant Officer flying helicopters during the Persian Gulf War. Mr. Hartman worked for many years as a computer programmer before retiring and pursuing a career as a fulltime writer. Mr. Hartman lives in North Carolina with his wife and family along with their cat, McKenzie.
If you would like to find out more about the author and/or upcoming books, please visit: http://www.rodneyhartman.com/
You may contact the author at: [email protected]
Depending on volume, the author will try to respond to all emails.
Table of Contents
DEDICATION
Other Books by Rodney W. Hartman
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 – Recon
Chapter 2 – Saying Goodbye
Chapter 3 – Change of Mission
Chapter 4 – The Defiant
Chapter 6 – The Major
Chapter 7 – Missing Data
Chapter 8 – The Priests
Chapter 9 – The Temple
Chapter 10 – Dissenters
Chapter 11 – More Mystery
Chapter 12 – Retrofit
Chapter 13 – Favors Owed
Chapter 14 – CSI Headquarters
Chapter 15 – The Insertion
Chapter 16 – The Hallowed Gem
Chapter 17 – Last Kiss
Copyright
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Trinity Unleashed (Wizard Scout Trinity Delgado Book 1) Page 21
