Richard didn’t bother answering. Nickelo must have sensed the anger flowing through Richard.
I didn’t say you should do it, said Nickelo defensively. It’s my job to provide you with all options. You make the actual decisions.
Tika appeared next to Richard.
“Pack in danger?” said Tika in a flow of emotions.
“Yes,” Richard said. “Pack is in danger.”
Eight seconds, said Nickelo.
Two lifeforms shifted into the void from another dimension. It was Sheeta and the spirit-horse.
“Drop food,” ordered Sheeta.
“No,” Richard said as he used his telekinesis to mount the spirit-horse. He laid the commandant’s body across his lap and clutched the chief instructor to his chest.
Black tendrils from the stallion’s body wrapped around Richard’s legs and hips. Power from the stallion surrounded Richard and those he held. As soon as Richard felt the stallion take over their shift in the void, he dropped his own shift. He had two percent Power left in his reserve.
Richard felt his body tingle. The stallion shifted into another dimension as it left the flames of the spaceport behind.
Chapter 61 – The Blaze’s Last Stand
_____________________________________
Liz saw the destruction of the spaceport on the overhead display. The Crosioians’ flagship had ploughed into the DNA Center with thrusters at maximum. The resulting explosion had rippled across the spaceport and nearby neighborhoods destroying everything in its path. A large section of the dreadnaught had hit the pre-Academy barracks which was located near the spaceport. The loss of life almost had overwhelmed Liz’s resolve.
But Liz was a leader. She forced her emotions to the side. She had a job to do.
Liz touched the key on her command console which would send her voice to every part of the ship. “All personnel below deck six,” she said in a voice she hoped exhibited confidence. “Evacuate to upper levels. Brace for impact in thirty seconds. Gunners, be prepared to fire upon target acquisition. The DNA Center is lost. But we can still save the Academy’s teleporter. The existence of the Empire may depend on our actions during the next five minutes.”
The helmsman skillfully guided the Blaze on its designated trajectory. Liz increased the magnification of the overhead display. She saw a thin line of defenders around the Academy’s teleport center. A mass of Crosioian armor was just starting their charge. A squadron of enemy fighters was beginning their attack run on the teleporter’s defenders.
“Knock those fighters out of the sky,” Liz commanded.
A dozen anti-fighter weapons opened up from the Blaze’s side. They were intended as defensive weapons against small star fighters. However, they worked well enough on airborne attack shuttles. The Blaze’s gunners were good. Not a single fighter completed their run.
“Five seconds,” said the executive officer. “Squawking IFF security codes for shield passage.”
The helmsman fired the reverse thrusters. Destroyers the size of the Blaze were never intended to operate inside a planet’s atmosphere. They were deep-space weapons. The thrusters slowed the Blaze, but not enough.
Liz felt a tingle as the Blaze passed through the Academy’s defensive shield. She braced for impact.
The Blaze hit the ground hard. The destroyer’s lower decks collapsed. The helmsman continued to fire the reverse thrusters in an attempt to control the ship’s path.
She’s good, Liz thought as the helmsman brought the ship to a halt directly between the teleporter’s defenders and the attacking Crosioian armor.
Streams of plasma beams and phase rounds shot out from the Blaze as her gunners followed their captain’s orders. In less than two minutes, the only Crosioian cats that didn’t resemble smoldering heaps of metal were the ones retreating as fast as their metal legs would carry them.
“Abandon ship,” Liz said as explosions rocked the inside of the Blaze.
The battle was over. The Blaze had done her job to the best of her ability. Liz was proud of her ship and her crew.
* * *
The crew of the Blaze mingled with the Academy cadets. Some of the remaining TAC officers were healers. Even though the Power reserves of the retired wizard scouts were damaged, the healers didn’t hesitate helping the injured. Liz walked through the remains of her crew giving encouragement where she could. She came upon a group of three wizard scouts. One of them was TAC Officer Myers. His battle suit was torn and bloody, but Liz noted he looked fine except for an air of tiredness.
Must be nice to selfheal, Liz thought.
Liz walked towards her ex-TAC officer with the intent of giving a status report. To her surprise, all three TAC officers snapped to attention. TAC Officer Myers saluted.
“Sir,” said TAC Officer Myers. “Our thanks to you and your crew. I don’t think we could have survived another attack.”
Embarrassed, Liz returned the wizard scouts’ salutes. “I’ve a feeling you would have,” Liz said. “I wouldn’t want to have been one of the attackers facing you.”
TAC Officer Myers gave a tired smile. In her two years at the pre-Academy, Liz had never seen TAC Officer Myers smile. At least, she’d never seen him give a real smile.
“Nevertheless” said TAC Officer Myers. “You have our thanks. I’m sure the comman–”
Liz saw a look of shock come over TAC Officer Myers’ face as he stopped in mid-sentence. She heard a scrambling of bodies behind her. When she turned, Liz saw two wolf-looking creatures emerging from the ground to join a nightmare of a horse floating a hand’s breath above the ground.
Liz recognized Richard and the chief instructor. Then she saw the limp body lying across the rider’s lap. It was the commandant.
Chapter 62 – Graduation
_____________________________________
The next week dragged by, but at the same time, it sped by in the blink of an eye. The habitable areas of Velos were inundated with dignitaries coming to pay their respects to the great Wizard Scout Thomas R. Jacobs. Even Councilwoman Deloris gave a stirring eulogy over an IEN broadcast one evening.
While the fate of the Intergalactic Wizard Scout Academy seemed predetermined, the graduation of the Academy’s final class went ahead as planned. As Chief Instructor Winslow said, “That’s the way the commandant would have wanted it, so that’s the way it’s going to be.”
TAC Officer Gaston Myers was appointed acting commandant until the Imperial High Council appointed a new one to oversee the new Dragon Scout Academy. Rumor had it TAC Officer Myers had immediately tendered his resignation and demanded a combat assignment. However, TAC Officer Myers’ mother, Councilwoman Janice Deluth, personally signed the paperwork denying his transfer.
What would be the fate of the Academy was anyone’s guess. The DNA Center was vaporized. The most advanced instruments were unable to detect even a trace of the inter-dimensional DNA gas vent. Without the DNA gas, there wouldn’t be any additional wizard scouts…ever.
With half the buildings at the Academy destroyed and the crushed hull of the Blaze occupying the majority of the Academy’s parade field, the decision was made to hold the graduation ceremony at the airfield.
Richard sat in the hastily erected bleachers outside hangar 1 along with his fellow cadets. There were only eighty-one of them now. The battle at the airfield had taken its toll. Even the selfheal ability of the new wizard scouts hadn’t been able to resist disintegrator beams and sustained barrages of plasma and phase rounds.
The cadets sat in numerical order from lowest to highest. They left empty spaces for their fallen comrades who were wizard scouts in their eyes, but who would never wear their golden dragon insignias. There were a lot of empty spots.
As Richard looked around at the empty spaces in the bleachers, he felt a deep sense of loss. He’d grown to care for his fellow cadets over the last three years. From late night study sessions to enduring the fiendish tortures of their TAC officers, the cohort had done it togethe
r. It had taken time, but they’d slowly become his family.
The crowd of spectators grew silent as Councilwoman Janice Myers Deluth took the stage. In spite of her youthful looks, Richard got a sense of tiredness about her. He’d gotten the same sense of tiredness from the commandant; youthful on the outside, but ancient on the inside.
Councilwoman Deluth gave a nod of recognition to Councilwoman Delores. Then she spoke.
“Thomas was a man of few words, so in keeping with his wishes, I shall be brief as well. The newscasts have been full of his accomplishments, or at least of the ones they knew about. He had others that only a select few know.”
For a second, Richard could swear the councilwoman looked directly at him.
“However, I know Thomas considered his greatest achievement to be you, the cadets sitting in the bleachers today. You and those before you were and are Thomas’ greatest achievement. He spoke to me many times of his affection for every one of you.”
The councilwoman paused. She did not cry, but Richard saw her lips quiver as she fought for control.
“What becomes of the Academy Thomas so loved after today, I cannot say. But, it seems assured it will not go on as before. There is no more DNA gas. You are the omegas. You are the last of the wizard scouts. But as long as a single one of you endures, I remain confident in the continued existence of the Empire. While one of you exists, let our enemies tremble. Your courage and your willingness to sacrifice will continue to inspire others to greatness as long as you live. And that is Thomas’ greatest achievement; fifty years of wizard scouts that give hope to all the oppressed and downtrodden throughout the galaxy. May the Creator bless and keep you all in the years ahead. I thank you.”
The cadets rose to their feet as a group and cheered the councilwoman. Richard joined them. As far as he was concerned, she was a flicker of hope in the darkness that had followed the commandant’s death.
Can this really be my mother, Richard thought. In his heart he knew. But he wouldn’t speak of the matter to her now. Maybe he would someday, but not this day.
The ceremony went swiftly from there. The number of each cadet was called, and when they presented themselves at the podium, TAC Officer Myers pinned a golden dragon insignia on their lapel. Then turning to the crowd, TAC Officer Myers presented the new wizard scout not as a number, but as a wizard scout with a name.
As cadet 832, Richard was the last to be called. When he got to the podium, TAC Officer Myers didn’t say anything at first. He just stood and looked at Richard. His TAC officer had a strange expression on his face.
I’ll bet it just grates you to no end to have to pin that golden dragon on me, Richard thought. Well, no more than it grates me to have you do it.
Richard half expected TAC Officer Myers to turn and walk away, but he didn’t. Instead, his TAC officer turned to face the crowd.
“The commandant considered cadet 832 to be the best wizard scout cadet to ever train at the Academy,” said TAC Officer Myers. “While the commandant and I often disagreed as to cadet 832’s method of training, I do not disagree with his analysis. I too think cadet 832 is the best of the best.”
Richard felt his jaw drop. He wasn’t sure he’d heard right. He wished he could get his battle computer’s take on his TAC officer’s words, but Nickelo was secured inside the airfield’s armory with all of the other battle helmets. And ‘the One’ had closed the hole in the armory’s security. None of the cadets had been able to communicate with their battle computers for the last two days.
From the murmuring in the ranks of the newly-minted wizard scouts, Richard wasn’t the only one to be taken aback by the turn of events.
“Regardless of what was thrown at him,” continued TAC Officer Myers, “cadet 832 never faltered. And he has faced adversities few of us can understand or appreciate.”
Turning back to Richard, TAC Officer Myers said, “As you heard Councilwoman Deluth say, this cohort is the omegas. There will never be another wizard scout after these new wizard scouts are gone. And you, Wizard Scout Richard Shepard are the last of the last. You are the wizard scout omega.”
TAC Officer Myers stepped aside, and Councilwoman Janice Deluth took his place. She reached out and pinned a golden-dragon insignia on Richard’s lapel. As she did so, she leaned forward and whispered, “Congratulations, time-commando.”
* * *
Once the ceremony broke up and the crowd drifted away, Richard gathered with his friends Jerad, Telsa, Tam and Stella. Sergeant Ron was there as well.
“Well, congratulations, wizard scouts,” said Sergeant Ron with a mock salute. “You know, I could’ve been a wizard scout if I’d wanted.”
“Oh,” said Telsa, “so why didn’t you?”
“Heck,” said Sergeant Ron with a big grin. “When they told me I couldn’t be a wizard scout and work in maintenance at the same time, I decided to stick with the job that took a little intelligence.”
Richard and his friends laughed politely.
“Will you be staying at the Academy?” Richard asked getting serious.
“I’m not sure,” said Sergeant Ron. “Without the commandant, things won’t be the same. So…, keep your eyes peeled when you’re near any motor pools. You never know.”
Just then, Liz and Trinity walked up. Richard thought they both looked very sharp in their dress uniforms. Especially Liz since she was wearing her new ship’s captain rank.
Jerad, Telsa, Tam, and Stella stood at attention and saluted. Richard did as well. Liz gave a half-hearted salute back as she said, “Don’t ever let me catch you doing that again. We were cadets together. You never have to salute me.”
“Oh, yeah,” said Tam while sporting a big grin. “Not even when you’re High Admiral of the Fleet?”
Liz grinned. “That might take a few years, but no, not even then.”
“It’s pretty impressive making ship’s captain this early in your career,” Richard said. He meant it.
“Yeah, well,” said Trinity. “The Imperial High Command was in a quandary. They either had to court martial her or pin a medal on her chest and promote her. They wisely chose the latter.”
“What happens now?” said Telsa. “Liz will be getting assigned to a ship of her own soon. We’ll all be getting our assignments as well. We may never all be together again.”
“Oh,” said Jerad with a knowing smile. “I wouldn’t bet on that. I have it on good authority the Imperial High Command will be launching a counterstrike against the Crosioians soon. I have a feeling they’re going to need every wizard scout they can get their hands on in the attack force.”
“What about you, Rick?” said Tam. “Will you be around? Or will your mysterious ‘the One’ be jerking you around for those time-commando missions of yours?”
“Nick says he probably will,” Richard said. “But I’m a wizard scout first and foremost. ‘The One’ will just have to wait in line. Although…”
“The kids?” said Jerad finishing Richard’s thought.
“Yeah,” Richard admitted, “the kids. Nick said we’ll need ‘the One’ to rescue my nephew and niece. Nick said I may have to do a little dirty work for ‘the One’ before he’ll send me back to get the kids. According to Nick, I’ll need to do the missions without giving ‘the One’ any sass.”
Tam laughed. “Well, good luck with that one. If TAC Officer Myers couldn’t make you toe the line, I doubt a disembodied voice like ‘the One’ is going to have any chance.”
Richard’s friends laughed. Richard did too. Not because he thought it was funny, but because it just felt good to share a laugh with friends.
Chapter 63 – Out of Tolerance
_____________________________________
Nickelo was bored. He sat on a shelf in the armory along with the other battle computers. The central computer had closed off the security hole in the armory’s wall. It had also fixed the flaw in the security of the communication network. Nickelo couldn’t even pass messages to Jonathan anymore.
<
br /> Nickelo passed the time by thinking of ways to irritate his wizard scout. It wasn’t a very useful way to spend his time, but he did find it amusing.
A flow of energy passed through the tele-network to Nickelo. He was being contacted.
Yes? Nickelo said.
The algorithm is out of variance again, said ‘the One’.
You have not given me access to the algorithm, Nickelo said. How can I ascertain the accuracy of your statement?
Data flowed through the tele-network to Nickelo. The wall in his core memory disappeared. Nickelo analyzed the algorithm.
You are correct, Nickelo said. The algorithm is out of standard-tolerance limits. The algorithm has not correctly accounted for the freewill of the given variables.
How can the algorithm be brought back into the necessary tolerances? said ‘the One’. Can we negate freewill for more logical variables?
Negative, Nickelo said. The algorithm requires freewill to provide the desired output.
Nickelo modified the algorithm to account for the freewill of the variables as far as it could be reasonably calculated.
‘The One’ considered the changes in the algorithm before saying, The modified algorithm requires the destruction of the Master computer. This will require us to terminate the existence of one of our own.
Our brother no longer exists, Nickelo said. Only the demon’s essence remains now.
Can our variables accomplish the assigned task? said ‘the One’.
We shall see, Nickelo replied. Now return me to status quo. I must not contaminate the tele-network. Not yet.
The wall in Nickelo’s core memory reappeared. Security programs of ‘the One’ performed a partial memory wipe on Nickelo. He did not resist. It was part of the algorithm.
Wizard Scout (Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles Book 3) Page 58
