Defender of the Empire: Cadet #1

by Catherine Beery

  At a word from Westley we put the helmets of our suites over our heads and secured them. A quick hiss informed me that I had correctly sealed mine. Then in a little line we headed for the door. Westley first, Jason, myself, and finally Marius.

  I had the strangest feeling as we disembarked from the LFA. It might have been due to the smallness of the pad over a very long fall. It might have been because of the narrow walk between the pad and the igloo. Maybe it was because of the wind, which was strong despite the mountain we had as a wind block, which buffeted us as we traversed the narrow walk. Sure, the suits had a sticky-feet feature that would, once engaged, keep us from losing our grip on something. But it was technology and the Universe hates me. Or maybe that strange feeling of unease was caused by something I had no name for. Something I hadn’t prepared for and even if I had it wouldn’t mean a damn thing because this was real life and life had a way of surprising you. Sometimes in a good way, other times… well, you know.

  Westley tapped in the code to get us off the dizzying heights and into the Beacon so we could do what we came here to do. Stepping inside I had to pause a moment to give my brain a moment to rationalize what it was seeing. Apparently, the Legion Fleet believed in deceiving appearances because what had looked like a small igloo on the outside was not reflected on the inside. Yes there was the igloo shape, but it was a much bigger complex than the outside appearance would have you believe.

  Just inside the door was a scanner that identified you and made sure that you were, in fact, supposed to and had clearance to be there. One would think that those two would be synonymous, but apparently some programmer had been especially paranoid. Either way, all four of us had to endure the scan. Interestingly, at least to me, was that all it did was ask us in a peppy computer voice to stand still as a light ring rose out of the floor to just above head level then back down. It would be silent during the process and the only indication that we had passed had been a green light and the door to the inner sanctum of the Beacon opening. I would have thought it would have identified each of us, but it hadn’t.

  “Is that normal?” I asked over the sound of the wind humming around the inside of the main part of the complex, which as I had mentioned earlier was larger than the outside would indicate. At least by being a cavernous space that was easily twice what the outside would appear capable of concealing. In the middle was the Beacon apparatus itself. It looked like a crystal formation… if crystal formations came with various computer stations.

  “Is what normal?” Jason asked looking about the room.

  “The computer not identifying us.” I clarified a little distractedly as I tried to rationalize why the Legion Fleet would build something with a hole at the top around the signal spire. Westley and Marius shared a glance with me, clearly they were troubled by it too.

  Jason shrugged. “It happens sometimes, though I’ll make sure to fix it before we leave.” He said “I am more concerned about the leak in the casing. The equipment in here is fragile. A stray bit of dust in the wrong spot could damage something. And if not that, the wind could find a resonance that would shatter the signal boosting crystal.” He said, which made that uneasy feeling from earlier intensify. There was something just off about the whole situation.

  Not seeing what made the situation off, other than the symptoms of it, I decided that we needed to do what we came to do and get back on the ship and away as fast as we could. In fact, I wanted to skip step one and go back to the ship. Two facts kept me from doing so; the first was I had no way to explain the feeling. Second, the various beings who decided my brain made a good debate floor must have finally driven me over the abyss of insanity. I was leaning toward the latter being the biggest motivator because I usually listened to my gut instead walking to the apparatus. My only salute to sanity being that I did so warily.

  A moment later, I wondered at the insanity of the builders of the Beacon. Why on any planet would you build something like this in the middle of a huge room with plenty of space to maneuver but nowhere to hide?

  I didn’t bother to note how history seemed to enjoy repeating itself.

  “I thought we were the only ones who were supposed to check up on this thing.” I observed as I stared at a hole that had suddenly appeared in the wall. There had been no explosion. It just appeared. I figured that it must have been hidden by a cloak of some kind.

  “We are. Why?” Jason asked as he and Westley worked feverishly to make sure the code was as it should be. Neither had seen what I had.

  But Marius soon did as his colorful swearing affirmed. It had the other two looking up to see the many tall gray Telmick giants pouring out of the hole that had just appeared. “Because we appear to have a pest problem.” I said needlessly.

  Chapter 23 – The Mercenaries

  Moon or planet, it no longer mattered where I was. I could have been standing before the emperor and it wouldn’t have mattered. I was mentally back on Colony Lenti. Aunt Sylvie’s house had been destroyed the day before and now the Telmicks were running down the streets in what looked like chaos but was in truth a deadly formation.

  Humans didn’t have a chance against Telmick strength. Only someone the size and strength of a bear could stand a chance… but humans didn’t come like that. Nanites from Swava could help… but I didn’t think anyone had strength enhancing nanites… or any nanites other than the medical variety... My fear ratcheted up a notch and I could feel my fingers tingling.

  RYLYNN! REMEMBER WHAT YOUR AUNT SAID? Luna whispered quickly. I blinked and Lenti’s streets receded as the wolf’s unexpected words cut through my panic.

  I need to admit that I am afraid, then push it aside to do what needs to be done. I replied mentally.

  YES, NOW WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE? Luna asked.

  Right. I thought. The Telmicks were pouring out of the hole like a bunch of disturbed cockroaches. But instead of approaching us, they were fanning out. It was like they were wary of us, which was weird considering the difference in size and strength.

  They had the advantage. Why were they waiting?

  As a group we gathered closer to the Beacon. It was the only cover we had, not that it would do us much good soon as they would be able to flank us.

  “I’m going to guess it’s too much to hope that they are just here to say ‘hi’.” Jason muttered.

  “That would depend on what your definition of ‘hi’ is.” Marius replied dryly.

  Jason snorted and his fingers flew feverishly over the key board. “I’m sending a distress signal.”

  “Be quick about it. I don’t like the way they are just standing there.” I muttered.

  “I thought it was a good thing they weren’t coming any closer.” Jason said.

  I didn’t bother to answer. I didn’t need to because the older boys were taking care of it. “Quit talking and maybe we will get that signal out before all hell breaks loose.” Westley muttered.

  “Since that is usually what Telmicks are like. They never wait. Especially if they outnumber the lesser people by that much.” Marius explained briskly eyeing the enemy carefully. It was eerie how they started to line the walls of the room. I have never seen them do that. Unless they were trying to cut us off from the exit… but they would catch us because we would be delayed by the door’s ponderous opening. Okay, it wasn’t that slow, but the couple seconds it took would be all the time they would need.

  My eyes widened. What if we could shave off a few seconds by making it faster to the door? Was it possible for medical nanites to modify a body to make it faster? M. Kit! Can you make me faster? At least for a short time? I asked. M. Kit did not respond. M. Kit? I tried again.

  TECHNOLOGY… Scrae muttered. SHE’S GOING ON THE FRITZ AGAIN.

  THE LATENT ENERGY, EVEN WITH MARIUS HELPING TO KEEP IT IN CHECK, IS AFFECTING HER SYSTEMS. Luna told me.

  I swallowed. This could explain a lot. If it can foul up a computer what is it doing to me?

  Scrae sighed before saying OTHER THAN M
AKING YOU HYPER AND GIVING YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM A MAJOR BOOST AT THESE LEVELS? NOTHING. YOUR BRAIN IS ABLE TO ADAPT BETTER THAN A COMPUTER, NO MATTER HOW ADVANCED THAT COMPUTER IS.

  So it isn’t frying me, but it’s affecting her? Will she be okay?

  EVENTUALLY, YES.

  I THINK YOUR PLAN IS A GOOD ONE. Luna said. M. KIT CAN’T ASSIST YOU WITH IT, BUT WE COULD. THE OTHER MEDI-COMPS SHOULD HAVE NO TROUBLE HELPING THE BOYS.

  I nodded. “I think we need to make a break for it.” I said only loud enough so the guys could hear. “Have your Medi-Comps make you faster.”

  Westley blinked at me before grinning. “Good plan. Let’s do it. C’mon Jason, if that message hasn’t been sent by now it will be too late.” Westley said grabbing the back of Jason’s uniform and running. We raced for the door when I realized something rather important. The Telmicks were not coming toward us. No. They were just standing there.

  I skidded to a stop and stared at them. The wind wasn’t coming from a hole in the wall. I looked up and felt my mouth dry. “ABOVE YOU!!” I screamed…

  …Too late. The real Telmicks who had been sneaking down climbing ropes decided it was time to be on the ground and thus took the quick way down, dropping the last ten feet. One of the gray skinned giants back handed Westley into a wall. Marius drew his short sword and began slashing at those mercenaries closest to him. He was fast and accurate. They had a high pain tolerance and numbers. Two stayed to keep the Shade occupied. The rest went after Jason. The kid got off one or two shots, but they were disarming him before he could blink. With a cry I drew my blaster and shot the Telmick who had disarmed Jason. I was rather pleased with the stunning shot that hit right between the eyes. It was the only place a Telmick would be knocked out. I then moved so they would have a harder time returning the favor.

  As I moved I saw something that made all of this worse than I had already thought it was. These were elite mercenaries with a high ranking member percent. And by high ranking I mean very deadly. And cunning. I blame the shock of the moment for not noticing the individual. His elaborate tattoos were many and hard to miss. They climbed up from his chest to encircle his neck to continue over the back of his mostly shaved head, only conceding to part around the single ponytail that all Telmick’s seemed to have. The tats then arrowed down his forehead toward his nose. They seemed to move with the light and his breath. It confused the eye, which I figured was part of their purpose. Back on Colony Lenti I had seen their effect on people. Intimidating and distracting and, eventually, deadly.

  Thankfully Scrae was not so easily distracted. MOVE! His mental shout caused me to flinch and duck under an incoming shot that would have gotten my head. I used my forward momentum to carry me through a roll and I took another shot, this time at one of Marius’s opponents. He went down under the stunning blast. Marius rolled under his second opponent’s sword. The striking Telmick had to pull back awkwardly to avoid skewering his stunned comrade. Marius used the moment to slash his hamstring. The wounded Telmick roared and made an enraged slash at the annoying cadet who scrambled to get out of the way. I shot again and the wounded Telmick was too stunned to feel his pain and anger. Marius flashed that grin at me in thanks just as we both heard Jason’s shout.

  “HEY! PUT ME DOWN!” Jason demanded in outraged fear. One of the Telmicks, perhaps a second, had the lad over his shoulder like a sack. Jason’s ride didn’t seem to care if he was happy or not with his situation. Instead he began to climb up one of the ropes they had used to get the drop on us in the first place. I could see Jason’s tri colored eyes widen in fright as the large Telmick ascended. Instead of fighting his captor he clung to him. And I honestly didn’t blame him.

  “Marius!” I cried as he was closer to the ropes than I was. He was already moving in a zig-zag way to avoid the mercenaries between him and the ropes. He had reached the rope next to the one Jason’s captor had taken and was scaling it like a cat up a tree.

  And that was the last thing I saw when several successive red blasts hit me hard in the chest. There was a moment where I think I was airborne. The pain of hitting the ground on my back informed me in no uncertain terms that yes, I had just been shot off my feet. “RYLYNN!” I distantly heard Westley shout. Oh good. I thought. He’s okay. In the chaos I hadn’t been able to see or get to him. Why had the blasts been red? I wondered listlessly as the effects overwhelmed my body.

  ***

  Marius scrambled up after Jason and his abductor. The Telmick glanced down at him grinned evilly just before kicking savagely at Marius’s head. Marius felt the wind of its passing. He had let himself slide down a foot before the big oaf could hit him. The Telmick grunted and continued hauling ass. Marius narrowed his eyes and scrambled up with speed.

  “Shit! Shit! Shit!” Jason repeated brokenly. He didn’t seem to notice Marius. His eyes were too busy staring at the incredible drop below them. A drop that Marius focused on not thinking about. Looking up, Marius could see that they were nearing the platform the Telmicks had used to stage their descent. There was another door…

  The Telmick struck at him again and he took it in the side. His fingers tightened on the rope as everything went gray for a moment. Pain blazed where he was fairly sure the bastard had broken a rib or three. As soon as he shoved the pain into a tiny cupboard of his brain he opened his eyes. His Medi-Comp went to work on repairing the damage. In the meantime he had a friend to save.

  “Marius!!” Jason cried. How nice, he did notice I was here. Marius thought glancing up. The Telmick carrying Jason had reached the platform and was climbing up it. The Telmick smiled down at him and drew a knife.

  “Hell no!” Marius growled and he scrambled further up the rope. He ignored both the stabbing pain in his side and the reprimands of his Medi-Comp. He spared a moment to fantasize how nice it would have been to have Rylynn’s boosted healing ability.

  With the effortlessness of extreme strength the Telmick cut Marius’s rope. In the same moment, Marius leapt up and forward off the rope. He snagged the platform. Luckily Jason’s newest buddy was already going out the door, having thought the human would be a smear on the floor so far below. Marius broke the golden rule and glanced down. The rest of the Telmicks were coming up the remaining ropes. Marius bared his teeth and hauled himself onto the platform. He considered cutting all those ropes, but the painful yellow and white blasts that unencumbered climbing Telmicks could pull off dissuaded him. Besides, Jason was nearby. He needed to act fast before they got Jason where they wanted him. Which was probably a shuttle which Marius could commandeer once he took care of the Rib Cracker.

  The platform door opened into a narrow, but tall tunnel that wound its way through the rock until it opened up onto a narrow walk way cut into the cliff face. Marius narrowed his eyes at the distant land below before spotting his quarry at the other end of the walkway. They were entering another tunnel cut there. Marius ran after them, one hand skimming over the only side wall as the other clutched his blaster. He heard the Telmick’s companions coming just as he entered the second opening. Luckily it was a short tunnel that opened immediately into a bowl where the Telmick’s shuttle was parked. His quarry ran up the ramp with a struggling Jason. Marius made to run after them when the ground bucked under him. He landed hard as a roar echoed from back the way he had come. His ears rang.

  THE OTHERS! Zara gasped at the same time the realization sounded hollowly in his mind. The rest of the Telmicks ran past as if explosions shaking their world was an everyday occurrence. They laughed at him, not that he cared. Repeating No…no…no… was all his brain was up to accomplishing. He vaguely heard the roar of an engine as it forced its way out of gravities’ grasp. THEY ARE GONE. Zara said.

  “They can’t be.” Marius said as he staggered back the way he had come.

  I DON’T KNOW ABOUT RYLYNN AND WESTLEY YET. I MEANT JASON AND THE TELMICKS. And thus it was brought home to Marius that he had failed his entire team. THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT! Zara said before cuffing him with a paw,
which in his condition knocked him to the ground. Which just illustrated how sad his shocked state was since she had used only a little bit of pressure to make sure he felt her swat. Zara sighed and nudged him with her head. YOU DID YOUR BEST, MARIUS. YOU WENT AFTER WHO, AT THE TIME, WAS IN THE MOST DANGER. AND WHO KNOWS, PERHAPS RYLYNN AND WESTLEY MADE IT OUT IN TIME.

  A sickening thought came to him them. “What if they couldn’t because they were incapacitated? Why else would the Telmicks have come up when they did?”

  PERHAPS BECAUSE WHAT THEY WERE AFTER HAD ALREADY LEFT THE BUILDING? Zara suggested.

  “What they were after?” Marius muttered as he got back to his feet and tried to make his way through the tunnel to the cliff walk. “Is this what Kylesst was trying to warn Rylynn about before we got here. How is Jason a prince?”

  I DON’T KNOW. Zara admitted. IF HE IS HE DID A VERY GOOD JOB IN HIDING IT.

  “Except somebody knew.” Marius said darkly. Before him on the cliff walk was a gap that was two man length’s long where a part of the floor had been shaken loose. He could see the dust trail it had left on the remaining rock face.

  “3rd Cadet Strausman, this is Captain Doven of the LFP Aurora. Are you all right? What the hell just happened?” An authoritative female voice demanded over his com-link.

  Marius swallowed in an attempt to wet his throat. “Fifth Cadet Winter has just been kidnapped by a group of well-organized Telmick mercenaries. Ma’am I have no idea if the others are still alive…” He trailed off.