“Don’t call security,” Hendra suddenly screamed, staring at an officer off to her left. “I know what you’re about to do, boy. I can read your mind,” she said viciously. “Now, I’m going to walk out of here. Prepare me a cruiser.”
“... No,” the admiral said. “You’re not getting out of here.”
I winced. The move so bitter I felt like throwing up.
I knew Coalition policy. ... But this was my sister.
“I’d rethink that, Admiral. Once I’m done with the admiral’s daughter, I’m going to move onto everyone in this corridor. I have enough power to fry your minds without touching you.”
A chill silence spread through the corridor.
The silence was so complete it was easy to hear footfall echoing from further down the corridor.
A group of four people rounded the corner.
It was Em with her security team.
She was detained, her wrists locked together with sophisticated magnetic restrains.
At first the three guards with her paused. They soon caught up to the situation. All you needed to look at was the stiffness in Admiral Forest’s expression as she stared warily at Hendra.
The security team already had their guns drawn, and they lifted them at Hendra.
“Don’t you even dare think of firing,” Hendra spat. “I will destroy her mind and take out everyone near me if you so much as put a finger near those triggers. Now drop your weapons and kick them away.”
With one look at the admiral, they complied.
There were three clangs as their weapons hit the floor.
“Now,” Hendra tugged Elle around violently, as she moved to stare at Em, “Why don’t you join us? I’ve been looking for the chance to get in your head.” She pressed her hand harder against Elle’s head in a clear threat.
Em walked forward.
Her expression was ... controlled.
No, it was more than that. As her slow footfall echoed through the corridor – everyone’s eyes on her – she gave off the feeling that she could handle this. Everything from her stance to her expression seemed to suggest she wasn’t the one in trouble – Hendra was.
“You shouldn’t have started meddling. I would have left you alone if you hadn’t gone and found my team. Actually, who am I kidding,” Hendra let out a bitter, echoing laugh, “I wanted to rip into your mind the second I saw you. Full of secrets. I can feel them. You know what else I can feel?”
Em reached us. She stopped by Admiral Forest’s side. “What?” Em asked.
“Those tracks.” Hendra brought a hand up and ran a stiff finger down her face. “Deep, deep telepathic tracks left in your mind. A lifetime of control. It makes it easy to read your mind.”
“If it’s so easy, why haven’t you ripped into me yet?” Em asked, stance alert but expression blank and unreadable.
Hendra’s lips kinked to the side. “I haven’t focused before. I haven’t had the chance. When I’m finished here, I will.”
“Why wait? Do it now. Let Elle go – I’ll be your hostage. Then you can tear my mind to shreds,” Em offered.
“No. No one moves. Things stay as they are now.”
“How do you plan on getting out of here?” Em asked, making brief eye contact with Elle and shooting her a brave, comforting look. The only time she’d lost the hard, blank stare.
“I am much more powerful—” Hendra’s voice rang out with bravado.
“You’re a dead woman walking. The Hole Sect don’t like failure. They’ll strip you down, get rid of your personality, and use what’s left of your body.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Hendra hissed.
“Are you sure?”
Hendra stiffened, her nostrils flaring as she stared viciously at Em. “Why are we talking about me? You’re going to accompany me out of here. You can be my second hostage.”
Em looked from Hendra’s feet to her face. “I’m not a very good hostage,” she warned in the most threatening tone I’d ever heard.
“For the sake of this pathetic excuse for a cadet, you’re going to learn,” Hendra threatened as she tightened her grip around Elle’s throat and made her choke.
Em didn’t reply.
“Now, you’re going to do everything I say. I’m going to be your new master,” it was clear Hendra took sick pleasure in saying that word.
Em stiffened.
“Master,” Hendra taunted Em with that word, her palm still flat against Elle’s head. “I know a few masters from the Empire – and I know you’re from the Empire. I’ve seen it in the few glimpses I’ve caught of your memories. I wonder who it is? Which sect do you belong to, Cadet Em? Did you run away, child? Did you escape? As soon I’m done here, I’ll find out where you belong, and I’ll make sure they come and take you back.” Her lips curled into a cruel smile. “And that is why I haven’t outlived my usefulness. I have a feeling someone back home is looking for you. When I deliver you, I’ll be rewarded.”
Em’s energy changed. It darkened. No ... that wasn’t right. It intensified. It looked and felt as if she was a star – ready to explode – but barely controlling itself.
“The sects aren’t kind to those who escape. I shudder to think what they’ll do with you,” Hendra continued with a sing-song laugh.
Elle started to shift. Up until this point, she’d been stock still, her eyes rammed open by fright. Now she fought against Hendra.
“Stop struggling,” Hendra snapped.
“Em, get out of here. Don’t go with her. Just let me die. Don’t let her get away. She knows all the Academy’s secrets. And she’s lying – she can’t attack anyone else. She’s not that strong.”
Hendra hissed, tightening her grip so hard around my sister’s throat, she started to choke her.
“You ... she ... telepath – she can be overcome with ... strong memories,” Elle managed between wheezes.
I watched as Em’s head ticked to the side, some realization fixing her gaze and tightening her jaw.
“Don’t bother,” Hendra snapped her gaze back to Em. “I’m no ordinary telepathic. The emotional power of your pathetic memories won’t affect me.”
Em stared at Hendra for one more second, her head still tilted to the side as she clearly calculated something.
She came to her decision.
If her energy had changed before – if it had intensified a few minutes ago – now it exploded.
She was just standing there, but in that second everything about her changed.
It was like she dropped a wall. The wall I’d always suspected held back the real Em.
I wasn’t telepathic, but I swear I felt a rush of something as she half closed her eyes.
Hendra gasped, her jaw becoming stiff and moving jerkily around her breath. She started to shake, too.
Briefly her gaze darted up to make eye contact with Em. A word shuddered on Hendra’s lips, stuttering out of her mouth in a whine, “Deus.”
Em moved. In a blink, she rammed her shoulder into Hendra, broke her grip on Elle, then pivoted.
Em brought her fist back and punched Hendra in the face.
It was a powerful, decisive move, and it saw Hendra fall to the ground, her robes splaying around her unconscious body.
For a single second, Em stood over Hendra’s form and stared.
Though the moment was brief, I swear it dragged on.
“Get a security team here now,” Admiral Forest snapped. “Stun Hendra again. I don’t want her coming around until we have her in a containment field that will block her abilities.”
Em took a step back, closed her eyes for a brief moment, then turned to face me.
Elle threw herself at Em and hugged her, before darting her head up and grinning. “Thank you, thank you, thank you for saving me.”
Em blinked in surprise. “Ah ... you’re welcome.”
“Get this place cleaned up now,” the Admiral continued snapping orders. “Cadet Singh, report to the med bay. You,” she s
tabbed a finger at a nearby officer, “Accompany her.”
The officer snapped a salute.
“Hold on,” Elle complained, “I want to see if Em is okay. She saved my life.”
“We know that, Cadet – we were all here. Now, get to the med bay; you can say thank you later.”
I watched Em turn and stare at the admiral.
The admiral raised her head and returned the stare. “Come with me, Cadet. Lieutenant, you too.”
I had a brief moment where I managed to make eye contact with Em. I softened my expression, as much as I could.
I wanted her to know how sorry I was.
Chapter 17
Axira
I didn’t know what to expect. What would the Academy do with me? A lot had slipped about my past during the altercation with Hendra. They’d know I’d come from the Kore Empire, know I’d been forced to serve one of the Sect Masters.
So what now?
I didn’t have to wait long for my answer. I was taken straight to a briefing room. Both Admirals Forest and Singh were there, as was Jason.
They sat me down in a chair.
Admiral Singh was seated behind a desk, her expression looking a measure of calm. I knew it was forced though – her daughter had almost died.
“A lot just happened, Cadet,” Singh said as she nodded gravely my way.
I stiffened.
I was ready to flee if I had to. But I didn’t want to.
Despite the fact a few hours ago I’d been the pariah of the Academy, I now felt more connected to it than ever.
To Elle, to Jason, to the lot of them.
Because I’d protected them.
I almost broke eye contact with the Admiral to stare at my hands.
“The first thing I want to know is how much you knew about the security leak.” Admiral Singh looked directly at me.
I could pretend I knew nothing, that Hendra had accused me of being the spy because I was an easy target. That would of course raise the question of why I’d agreed to have a “session” with her.
I lifted my chin. “When I fought that intelligence team, I realized they were stealing Academy secrets – there would be no other reason for them to be here. I also realized based on ... previous experience that they must be receiving their information telepathically. The cybernetic assassin was from a telepathic race. It was also outfitted with certain information circuits that would strengthen its abilities and allow it to receive telepathic input from relatively far distances. Far enough that Hendra would be able to communicate with it from safe within Academy grounds. I surmised Hendra must be the leak, as she’s the strongest telepath at the Academy. I went to her office this evening to look for evidence.”
“Why didn’t you bring these suspicions to us, Cadet?” Admiral Singh leaned forward in her chair.
“I ... have a past,” I answered. “I used to be ... I have a past. The kind of past where I know how to identify a Kore intelligence team. The kind of past where I know how to flush out a telepath. The kind of past I thought would get me kicked out of the Academy if it ever came to light.”
Admiral Singh shared a look with Admiral Forest.
“We surmised you had a past, as you call it. No one joins the Academy with your skills without ... previous experience. You should have still come to us.”
“Aren’t you going to ask me what I used to do?” I challenged. I wanted to know right now what they planned on doing with me.
“This is a conversation for later, Cadet,” Forest answered. “You will be asked to divulge the details of your previous life. For now, you should return to class.”
I blinked in surprise, incapable of controlling my genuine shock. Really? They were going to let me go back to class? “I ... I thought—”
“Without your assistance, we would not have found out about this security leak. You should have come to us sooner, granted – and we will note that in your file,” Admiral Singh continued, “Right along with your commendation for bringing down a Kore intelligence team on your own, incapacitating Hendra, and saving my daughter.” The admiral’s lips twitched.
“These are strange times,” Forest added, “Now more than ever we need to keep the Academy and the Coalition safe. We need people who can do that.”
Forest’s implication hung in the air.
I straightened my back and stared at them both.
“You have a lot to learn, Cadet,” Forest continued, “And we’re going to make sure you learn it.”
I was confused. Shocked. Maybe the interrogation would come later. Maybe they’d change their minds and stick me in prison. Or maybe, just maybe, they’d accept me back into the Academy.
I couldn’t stop my gaze from darting around. It settled on Jason. He was standing by the door, his arms crossed. Before I could worry that he was still angry at me, he let them drop as he shot me a warm smile. “Don’t worry; there’s plenty of us here to help teach you. And I reckon you could help teach us a thing or two as well.”
Us, or him?
I snapped my gaze back to the admirals. “Is this ... it?”
“We do want to know what you used to be,” Singh admitted, “But don’t think you’re the only person to come to this Academy with a dark history. And don’t think you’re the first person to use that history and experience to save lives. From the sound of Hendra’s taunting, you used to be indentured to a Kore Empire Sect. We know the Empire has powerful methods to control their indentured. You aren’t the first indentured who works for the Academy, either. Ma’tovan is one example.”
“There’s a place for you here at the Academy,” Forest added. “If you want it.”
A silence spread through the room. All eyes were on me.
Did I want to stay?
....
Yes. I did.
I saluted. I let that be my answer.
Singh and Forest exchanged relieved looks, and Jason looked as if he could barely contain his enthusiasm.
“Dismissed, Cadet. You will be given private quarters while this mess is sorted out. I imagine the last thing you want to do right now is answer the thousands of questions the other cadets are going to throw at you. Lieutenant Singh here will take you to your room.” Admiral Forest nodded at Jason.
Jason straightened up.
I stood. “What happens next?”
Admiral Singh consulted the computer embedded into her desk. “Your next class it tomorrow – Introduction to Engineering, I believe.”
I smiled at her answer and left with Jason.
By the time we made it out into the corridor, he couldn’t contain himself anymore.
“I am so sorry,” he blurted as the doors closed behind us. “I can’t believe I fell for Hendra’s lie.”
“... It’s okay.”
“No, it isn’t. If Elle hadn’t come found me to convince me to look into things, I would have left you to rot. I ... I just can’t emphasize how sorry I am. I’ll understand if you don’t want to have anything else to do with me.”
I considered him.
I could walk away, tell him to leave me alone, pretend his lack of faith had been more injurious than it had been. Those weren’t the first words to come to my lips. “How is Elle? You have a ... curious sister.”
“Ha, curious is one word for it.”
“You know, you aren’t at all alike,” I pointed out.
Jason’s expression stiffened. “I’m sorry for not believing you,” he repeated, clearly thinking my observation had been an attack. “Elle may not be the best recruit, but we could all learn something from her about loyalty.”
“That’s not what I meant. I mean your sister is ... at first I thought she was weak. I thought she’d be cut, and I believed it would be for the best. Now I realize I was wrong. She sees things others don’t see.”
“Yes, she does,” he agreed more somberly. “She has a habit of telling me off when I can’t see what’s right in front of me. If she hadn’t convinced me that Hendra was trying to use y
ou as a scapegoat for her own spying, I don’t know what would have happened.” He sighed expressively. “Hendra might still be out there. It was only when Elle confronted Hendra that Hendra snapped.”
I paused. “How did Elle know Hendra was using me as a scapegoat?”
Jason looked surprised. “Elle says you told her. She says Hendra told you all about her plan before she left her office. ... Right?”
I thought quickly.
I forced a nod. “Sorry, yes. Today has been ... unusually busy. I briefly forgot. To be honest, most of the past few hours is a blur.”
He smiled at me, understanding and commiseration smoothing his brow. “I’ll bet. Now let’s get you to your quarters. You want to rest up before you resume classes tomorrow.”
I returned his smile and followed.
There were a lot of questions running through my mind.
How had Elle known those things?
What story should I concoct for Admiral Forest when she questioned me on my past? ... Or should I tell the truth?
Was it safe to stay at the Academy?
All those questions and more swirled through my mind as I walked with Jason.
“I can bet you’re probably ruminating over what happened,” he observed as we reached my door. “My advice is to just wait and see what happens tomorrow. Oh,” he paused as he opened the door for me, “And know you can count on your friends.”
I stopped.
Friends?
....
Yes, maybe he was right.
“Good night, Lieutenant.”
“See you tomorrow, Em.”
The end of Episode One. Episode Two is currently available.
Axira Episode One: A Galactic Coalition Academy Series Page 15
