Wizard Cadet (Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles Book 2)

by Rodney Hartman

When the shuttle was only twenty meters away one of its rear side thrusters spouted a jet of flame. The shuttle did a one-eighty so its rear ramp was facing towards Richard. Even before the shuttle came to a complete stop, the rear ramp began to drop. Richard picked up Dren and Brachia and hit the ramp in two leaps before it even touched the ground. He hastily placed the children in acceleration seats.

  “Buckle up,” Richard said.

  He glanced at the front of the shuttle. He saw a single pilot at the controls. The back of the pilot’s helmet read ‘Ensign Bistos’. No one was in the copilot’s seat. Before Richard could yell that they were in, the rear ramp raised and the shuttle jumped into the air. The centrifugal force threw Richard into the aft hull. He had a momentary thought that he would have cracked his skull if he had not been wearing his battle suit. The shuttle began shifting violently left and right in a desperate attempt to avoid the green of energy streaking past both sides of the cockpit window.

  Using the strength of the battle suit’s assistors, Richard struggled to the front of the shuttle and sat down in the copilot’s seat. Once strapped in, Richard said, “What can I do to help?”

  “Angle the shields,” Liz said between clenched teeth as her hands fairly flew across the control panel hitting buttons and moving levers. “My crew’s not with me. I can’t do it all by myself.”

  Nick, Richard said as he activated the battle suit’s override. I don’t know anything about operating shuttles. Take charge of the shields. And switch my visor to a clear filter.

  Complying, answered Nickelo.

  The battle suit’s arms and hands began moving across several complicated sets of controls on the panel in front of Richard. A hologram appeared over part of the panel depicting the recon shuttle. Bright-green grids appeared around the shuttle. Several of the grids shifted their angle as beams of energy struck them. The beams ricocheted off. The shuttle shook violently, but she held together.

  “We’ve lost shields five and six,” Richard said. “What’s the plan, Liz?”

  “The plan, Rick?” said Liz. “Other than trying to stay alive for another thirty seconds, I don’t have a plan. I’ve got a set of coordinates two hundred thousand meters out from the planet as a rendezvous point. There’s nothing there, but I’m heading that way anyhow because I’ve got nowhere else to go. And, I’ve got five destroyers and a score of fighters on my tail. I personally think we’re all going to die. How’s that for a plan?”

  “You forgot to say there are another seven destroyers and sixty fighters at our twelve o’clock,” said Nickelo over the battle suit’s external speakers. “They will be within range in another ten seconds.”

  “I stand corrected,” said Liz as she decelerated and hit the right side thrusters. A bright light filled the cockpit from the right-side windows.

  “They’re crazy to use nukes when they’re this close to us,” said Liz. “What are they thinking?”

  “I’d say they are desperate to keep this shuttle from escaping,” Nickelo said.

  “Something’s coming,” Richard said.

  His Power reserve had regenerated to one half of one percent. It was enough to energize a passive scan. While the range of his passive scan was only a couple of thousand meters in places that teamed with life such as on a planet’s surface, in the emptiness of space, he could sense life forms and other types of energy tens and even hundreds of thousands of meters away. Right now, Richard could sense the hundreds of life forms in the destroyers and fighters behind and before him. He also sensed something else. And whatever it was, it was almost on them.

  “There’s something ahead,” Richard yelled. “And it’s big!”

  The empty space before the shuttle shimmered. A moment later a massive hunk of metal filled the shuttle’s cockpit windows.

  “It’s the Destiny,” Liz said as she hit the shuttle’s decelerators. “What the hell are they doing here?”

  Richard didn’t care why the Destiny was here. He thought the massive dreadnought was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen. Without warning, the entire ship lit up as hundreds of its anti-ship batteries opened all at once. Green, red, and blue beams of energy streaked in all directions. Many passed perilously close to the shuttle. Dozens of torpedoes shot out from the side of the ship streaking past the shuttle. Bright lights flashed through the cockpit windows and the shuttle was tossed from side to side as if in the grip of a violent thunderstorm. Richard sensed life forms blinking out behind him as they ceased to exist.

  “Rick,” said Brachia. “I’m scared. What’s happening? Who are they?”

  “Everything’s fine,” Richard said with a smile. “We’re saved. They’re pirates.”

  Chapter 33 – The Reunion

  ____________________________________

  Within ten minutes, the shuttle was in the Destiny’s docking bay. Once the shuttle was secured, Liz lowered the rear ramp. Without waiting for the word, Dren and Brachia unbuckled and ran down the ramp. Richard glanced over his shoulder and looked out the rear opening. He watched as a man-sized cockroach rushed towards the children. When the distance closed, the insect bent down on its knees and spread two of its arms in welcome. The children threw themselves into the insect’s grasp.

  Richard turned back towards the front and looked at Liz. She was watching him.

  “Thanks, Liz,” Richard said. “I owe you.”

  “Hey,” Liz said, “we were fellow cadets. And cadets take care of each other, right?”

  “Nevertheless,” Richard said, “I owe you.”

  “I’ll remind you of that next time we’re in a bar, and I’m short on funds,” laughed Liz. Her blue-steel eyes sparkled mischievously. “You still haven’t bought me that drink you promised me when I left the Academy.”

  “Consider it done,” Richard laughed in return. “Where are you heading next? Are you going back to Velos? If so, maybe I can swing a weekend pass, and we can get together. I’m told the mountains on the coast are beautiful this time of year.”

  “Sounds nice, Rick,” said Liz, “but I’ll have to take a raincheck. I have orders to report to the destroyer Blaze as soon as this mission is over. No more flying shuttles for me. I’ll be the third officer. It’s a great assignment. If I keep my nose clean, and the war continues, I can be captain of my own ship in another two years.”

  “Well, you deserve it,” Richard said more than a little disappointed they would be parting company so soon. “If the navy has any smarts, you’ll make fleet admiral if this war lasts long enough.”

  Liz laughed again. “Flattery will get you everywhere, Rick. Now, I suspect you’d better report to Commander Stevens before she has to send for you. I’ve got to give this tub of bolts a post-flight inspection. I suspect the maintenance officer is going to lay an egg when she sees what I’ve done to her precious recon shuttle.”

  “Yes,” Richard said regretfully, “duty calls. But, it’s a two week trip to the Kersroon system. Maybe we’ll get a chance to spend some free time together shipboard before you get ferried off.”

  “You can bet on it, Rick,” said Liz. “Now get moving cadet before I have to put you on report and give you demerits.”

  * * *

  After Richard departed the shuttle, he noticed Commander Stevens on the far side of the loading dock debriefing her troops. He began walking in that direction. As he walked, he thought about something.

  Nick, Richard said. Did I see Sheeta and Sheba? Or was I dreaming? How could that be possible? I thought our mission took us eighty-nine thousand years in the past.

  It did, said Nickel. And, yes, it was your two dolgars. I don’t know if my replacement battle computer told you, but dolgars don’t age. They can be killed, but they don’t die from old age. I’m not sure what brought them to you. I’ll have to spend some processor time thinking about it. I guess if their connection with you was strong enough, they may have sensed you were in trouble. I really don’t know. I’d say count your blessings and move on.

  By
that time, Richard had drawn close to Commander Stevens. She turned around and said, “You’re late, wizard scout.”

  “I was inadvertently held up,” Richard said. “What were our losses?”

  “We lost five good soldiers,” Commander Stevens said. “Did you get that Crosioian scout?”

  “Yes,” Richard said. “She won’t be killing any more of our soldiers.”

  “Good,” the commander said simply, but Richard thought he saw a flicker of emotion in her eyes. “You’re bleeding. Do you need a medic?”

  Richard unsealed his helmet and placed it on his hip. He removed his gloves and stuck them in his belt near his phase rod.

  “No,” Richard said. “I’ve been healed already. But thanks.”

  Reaching over his shoulder, Richard lifted the flap on his dimensional pack and pulled out a slightly battered M12. “Who did I borrow this from?” Richard said to the group of soldiers.

  “Me, wizard scout,” said a feminine voice from the rear of the group.

  The soldier elbowed her way to the front. Richard handed her the M12.

  “It’s a little worse for the wear,” Richard said apologetically. “But you were right. It’s a good weapon. It saved my life more than once.”

  The soldier nodded her head and switched the M63 she carried for the M12.

  “I’m glad,” she said. “I’ll give it a good cleaning, and she’ll be good as new.”

  Turning around, the soldier took her place back in ranks.

  “Rick,” said two familiar voices behind Richard.

  He turned to face Dren and Brachia. The cockroach, Keka, was with them.

  “Rick,” said Dren. “This is our Keka. Keka, this is Rick. He’s a wizard scout, and he’s our friend. He saved our lives and brought us home.”

  The cockroach made a series of squeaks. Nickelo interpreted for Richard.

  “Thank you for saving my children, wizard scout. They are my brood, and I don’t know what I would have done if they had come to harm. If there is anything I can ever do for you, please ask.”

  The cockroach hesitantly reached out with one of his appendages as if to shake hands. He seemed to think better of it and started to withdraw it. Before he could, Richard reached out and took Keka’s claw and shook it.

  “Think nothing of it,” Richard said in his most gracious voice. “The children are very fond of you too.”

  Richard noticed one of Keka’s upper appendages was in a sling. He reached out with his mind and examined the appendage.

  “You’ve broken your arm,” Richard said. “Shouldn’t you be in the infirmary?”

  “I’m afraid repairing Veturnian anatomy is not an area of expertise on the Destiny,” said Keka. “They’ve done their best, but I’ll have to wait until I find a Veturnian doctor to get it treated correctly.”

  “You can heal Keka, can’t you, Rick?” said Brachia. “You’re a wizard scout. You can heal anyone.”

  Richard smiled at Brachia.

  “That won’t be necessary…” began Keka.

  “He can’t…” started Dren.

  “You’re absolutely right, Brachia,” Richard said cutting off the others. “I am a wizard scout.”

  Richard was still gripping Keka’s claw. He reached out with his mind and wrapped the insect’s broken appendage with Power. He compared the broken appendage with the unbroken ones. He drew the difference into his own arm. His left arm cracked and bent at an angle. Richard ignored the pain as best he could. Richard sensed the exoskeleton on Keka’s appendage mend. Once it was straight, Richard released Keka’s claw. Power from his healing reserve began repairing the damage to his own arm. Within seconds, the bone was whole once again. It still hurt, but the pain was subsiding.

  “Rick,” said Dren with tears in her eyes. “I…, ah…, thank you.”

  “You aren’t going to leave us, are you, Rick?” said Brachia. “We need you.”

  Richard knelt down so his head was at the same height as the boy’s.

  “I have to return to the Academy,” Richard said. “You want me to learn to be a full wizard scout, don’t you?”

  “Yes,” said Brachia. “But, Omar will miss you. We can’t go home. I don’t know where we’ll be. Will we ever see you again?”

  “Yes,” Richard said. “There’s not enough distance in the galaxy to keep us apart. We’ll see each other again. I promise.”

  “Is that wizard scout honor?” said Brachia.

  “We’re fellow pirates, remember?” Richard said. “I’ll always be there for you if you need me. And, yes, that’s wizard scout honor.”

  Brachia and Dren smiled. So did Richard.

  Epilogue

  ____________________________________

  The algorithm is functioning within specifications, said a part of ‘the One’.

  For now, said another part. But the Crosioian’s Master computer will cause unacceptable variances in the future. It is already causing slight variances in the algorithm.

  Only the one variable now remains, said the first part of ‘the One’. We cannot allow the Crosioian’s Master computer to endanger the successful execution of the algorithm. If the Master computer cannot be brought back into the network, the situation will have to be dealt with using all and every means at our disposal. Are we agreed?

  Several nanoseconds passed. Finally, a series of affirmatives came together over the tele-network.

  ‘The One’ was united once again.

  [End Transmission]

  Copyright © 2015 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 Angie Abler

  Acknowledgments

  I would like to thank my wife and main supporter, Karen, for her help in bringing this second book from a mere thought to an actual published book. From coordinating the book cover to dealing with all the various detractions that try to pull at authors, she has allowed me to do what I enjoy doing; write. I would also like to thank my beta reader, Jonathan Robbins, for providing valuable feedback. It’s an unpaid and often thankless task, but it’s one that is very important to the finished product. Finally, I would like to thank the readers who gave such positive feedback after my first book, Wizard Defiant, and even those who gave not-so-positive feedback, because your comments have helped me become a better writer. I thank you all.

  About the Author

  Rodney Hartman is a retired U.S. Army veteran with over twenty years of experience in military operations ranging from an infantry private in the paratroops to a Chief Warrant Officer flying helicopters during the Persian Gulf War. Mr. Hartman currently works as a computer programmer specializing in secure web applications. He enjoys writing in his spare time, and he has written numerous articles as a ghost writer for various websites. Mr. Hartman lives in North Carolina with his wife and family along with their cat, McKenzie.