Cadet: Star Defenders Book Two: Space Opera Adventure

by Pamela Stewart

  “Amelie,” I repeated it louder and stopped a few feet from her bed. This time her head whipped in my direction. She leaped up.

  Her face looked swollen but otherwise undamaged. No other bandages or compresses or casts, but I could have gotten here before those had been applied.

  “Are you okay? What happened?” Keeping my voice gentle and low so as not to upset her more, I approached slowly.

  I wanted to run to her and wrap her in my arms. But she had to let me know what she needed.

  She stood next to her cot wavering. I'd rarely seen Amelie at a loss for words, but she opened her mouth, and nothing came out.

  “If anyone hurt you...I will kill them.” I meant it. I didn't care if the officer could hear me or not. In the Hub, the rules were simple. Since very little official law existed, we doled out our own as needed. And no one hurt someone I cared about and got away with it.

  Her smooth face crumpled, and she ran at me and threw herself into my arms. I pulled her in and pressed her close. Waves of joy ran through me. She was alive and with me.

  She gripped onto me as if I were an anchoring beam keeping her from crashing against a planet. I held her as I’d always wanted someone to hold me all those nights when the deep darkness came, and the adults all left, and I’d been abandoned to my own devices.

  Her body shook, but she didn’t cry, and in seconds the quivering stopped, and her breathing evened out.

  At last, she pulled back and looked up at me with her sapphire eyes as big as a gato’s at night.

  “Can we go somewhere and talk?” she asked. Low, but not weak.

  I inclined my head at the officer and the medic.

  “Am I released from observation, Lieutenant?”

  The officer stepped forward to peer into my eyes. I’d not seen eyes like those since Commander Wu’s.

  Amelie retreated from me, crossing her arms hard under her breasts and tilting her head at the officer.

  “Am I free to go?”

  The officer moved closer. “You will be required to validate your statement and potentially testify.”

  “Can’t wait. I have detailed records,” she said, not broken but full of angry fire.

  Good. So good.

  She saluted, and I copied her as soon as I remembered this wasn’t the laid-back Lazarus but a real freaking military Academy.

  I let Amelie lead. She looped her arm in mine and turned me to the portal, dragging me along. To where? I didn’t care, as long as I was with her.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Vega

  The stars spread across the screen like glitter dust on black velvet. Sol glimmered on the edge of the station, making the crest of the Agri-station glow red. Jess had taken me to the top of the Mil-station.

  We hadn’t spoken much—a lot of smiling and awkwardness. I felt like we were waiting for something, some sign that it was now time to really talk and that we were the same people that had fought the fish-headed Hostiles.

  After the best meal I’d had since leaving home, we left the restaurant and took the lift up another level.

  It had been hard not to stare. After everything on the Lazarus and the lack of contact, he’d almost become a fantasy in my head, not a flesh and blood person.

  I'd never seen him in his dress whites before, and he looked bigger, stronger. He’d been a squad leader when I’d known him, wearing the same ground force uniform as me.

  The form-fitting clothing highlighted his broad shoulders and narrow waist. It seemed like the outfit had been made for him.

  The doors opened, and we stepped out into a lush fantasy world.

  A forest of trees sprawled around us, but one in the middle towered above the rest as the centerpiece. The upper branches stretched so high that I couldn’t see the tops. Long tendrils of flowering vines hung in curtains of magenta, cyan, and cornflower blues. Birds twittered a bright tune.

  My mouth hung open. Jess gave a small laugh and nudged me with his elbow.

  “I hear they grew it with one of the last seeds from OE.” We both looked up, silently appreciating the giant. “With you being from planetside, I didn’t think the arboretum would have any effect on you. You handled everything so well on our mission.”

  “I had an idea what to expect there. This...I've never seen anything like this. Not even on my planet.”

  Silence fell. Not awkward, but it stretched. I wanted to do something. Say something, but I'd only gone on one date in my entire life. I was confused about how to progress or if I should progress.

  I had so much on my mind staying afloat at the Academy, dealing with new roommates, and surviving my sadist instructor.

  Of course, there was always the underlying thoughts about my brother. Ever since the pirate attack on Clementine, he’d been on a constant loop in my head.

  What was he thinking? Where the hell had he gone?

  I hadn’t even talked to Amelie about him. It was just too dangerous. I didn’t want her to have to lie for me...anymore than she already had.

  And why did I even care about him? He hadn’t even let us know he was alive for a year.

  But he was my brother. And he might be in trouble.

  “A credit for your thoughts.” Just like that, he took my hand and wove his fingers into mine.

  The slow walk in the twilight surrounded by nature felt like a balm.

  This was the first time we’d interacted in months. There was so much to say. I hardly knew where to begin.

  He looked down at me. “What's been going on with you? I hear you’re taking over starships now?”

  “How did you know about the Lazarus?”

  Pointing to his chest at the stars, he grinned. “I have connections. When Volante came over the com, I paid attention. What really happened? There are a lot of rumors—”

  “Aren’t there always?” I shrugged, sighed, and resigned myself to tell the tale. I launched into my time on the ship, meeting Amelie, Dax, Commander Wu, and of course, Captain Price. I didn’t want to get too deep into the muddy pool of every detail of the situation, but I summed up how we took over the ship after finding out what the Captain was doing.

  We continued walking and finally settled on a bench overlooking the starscape. It was breathtaking.

  He hadn’t let go of my hand. I didn't want it back.

  For once, I wasn’t being attacked, punched, or pelted with questions. I let the tale spill out.

  Jess had only made a few comments but mostly remained silent. When I finally finished, he pulled his hand away and draped it on the back of the bench, creating a protective cocoon. He looked down at me, shaking his head.

  “A captain with twenty years under his belt going atmo crazy?” He shook his head. “And you say part of his crew followed him?”

  “Yes. He had some very loyal followers.”

  He swiveled to look at me more directly. “If it were anyone else, I’d say it was impossible. But I know you.” The look he gave me warmed my blood and made my insides melty. “Damn, Vega. No wonder I didn’t hear from you.”

  And there it was. The words dropped like a stone in deep water between us. Guilt scraped like a serrated knife against my heart.

  I hadn’t contacted him. Hadn’t really tried.

  We had left everything up in the air, and only one date in, I hadn’t been sure where we stood, plus there had been the Ethan distraction.

  “I meant to, but it was...”

  He raised a hand. “It’s wartime, and neither of us was sure what would happen. What could happen next? I’ve thought a lot about you.”

  He leaned closer, and the melty feeling returned. Being around Jess was easy. He’d never made me feel different for being planetborn. In fact, he seemed in awe of my weird skillset.

  The lift door opened, and a group of officers in their white uniforms and a janitor with a clean-up cart floated in. I sighed. It had been nice to have the place to ourselves.

  “You want to go somewhere more private?” Jess asked,
reading my expression. He really could tell what I was thinking.

  “Look, Jess. I was caught up with the commander, captain, and training, and I didn't know when or if I would see you again. Galactic coms take so long. But that’s an excuse. I'm sorry, and I’m happy to see you again.”

  I tried to be as honest as I could without mentioning Ethan. I hadn’t communicated with him. It had been my choice because I’d been overwhelmed by the happenings on the Lazarus. Thoughts of Jess had taken a backseat, but now that I sat with him, all the warm feelings returned.

  The silence between us grew again. His eyes took on a wary expression. He leaned away, biting his bottom lip for a second. “Do you want to continue seeing each other?” His tone sounded like he was fearful of my answer.

  I opened my mouth to speak when clattering burst from behind a huge palm bush. We rotated to see a man wearing a gray jumpsuit straightening a basket. We waited for him to continue and leave us to our privacy. He bobbed his head and clattered on.

  “I really like you. You're one of the few people that I completely trust. But we’re stationed on different ships during the middle of a war. I'm still in the Academy training. It would be tough to find time to spend together.”

  His body retreated a bit more from mine.

  “That's one of the things I wanted to discuss. I've been to the outer worlds out in Uee country. They’re being attacked. The Atlantis returned because we need more fighters,” he said. “And more pilots.”

  I'd heard talk, but no one had confirmed anything. I’d done a quick news search last night in my bunk before lights out. Nothing.

  “What about U170? Do you know anything?” I leaned in inches from his face, breathing hard.

  “We’ve stopped getting reports from the inhabitants of the U-territory.”

  His words were like a thunderstorm in my head. I closed my eyes and clenched my jaw, willing it not to be true. I hadn't heard from them in months. Not since I boarded the Lazarus.

  I thought it was just because of the distance or because the messages hadn’t caught up with me since I transferred to the Academy. The possibility something could be wrong with them hadn’t truly occurred to me.

  A raw image invaded my mind of both my parents standing on the front porch, illuminated by the setting, red-tinted light of Sol. Home.

  It could all be gone. They could be gone.

  It wasn’t true. Couldn't be true. I would know. My parents would've sent a message.

  I would have felt something.

  The arboretum fell away, and the sounds of people talking dimmed. Hot blood washed my face, making my ears throb. I had to do something.

  I bolted to my feet with my hands clenched. Jess rose and grabbed my shoulders.

  “I'm sorry. I didn't know how to tell you. There's no definitive news concerning your parents or U170. But we can't know for certain until we get back into the system.”

  It took a second to process what he had said because my mind was spiraling. I let it absorb like butter in hot sev bread.

  A knot grew in my stomach and wound tighter with every breath.

  “When are we leaving?” I asked.

  Jess showed me his palms. “I’ll give you my recommendation in a heartbeat. But I don’t make the final decision.”

  I shoved both my hands into my hair, pulling out the curls and letting them fall around my face.

  Standing here when my parents could be dying was not acceptable. I had to help them. My brother certainly wasn't. He was out gallivanting around the universe with pirates. So again, everything fell on me.

  “Vega, I didn't tell you this to upset you. I just thought you should know. I'd love it if the Captain chose you as one of the pilots. We’d be stationed on the same ship, and I’d love that. I'll keep you informed when I know more.”

  He kept looking at me and expecting me to say something. But my mind was mush. I curled and uncurled my hands, wanting to punch something.

  He pulled me against him.

  It wasn't intimate or romantic but a comforting gesture. He wrapped his arms around the lower part of my back, pulling me under his chin.

  My heart ached like someone had stabbed it multiple times and twisted that knife just for good measure.

  I'd been worried about my parents for a long time. But we’d fought pirates, drought, and the Croak. We’d survived generations planetside after the Axis had abandoned us at the edge of the galaxy. We had survived. The Volantes always survived.

  U170 came through. And we always would.

  “Thank you,” I said it because he didn’t owe it to me to come and find me after I'd blown him off. He was a good guy.

  He pushed me back and stared at me intently. “Of course, Vega. I care about you.”

  Jess was one of the sweetest people I'd ever met and a great soldier. I cared about him too, but every thought at this moment strayed back to my parents.

  “How are they picking these pilots?”

  He snorted. “To the point as always. The Captain will be inquiring at the Academy. The top students will be asked to join our squadrons within the week. How do you feel?”

  “How do I feel? Pissed.” I shook, every nerve on high alert. I took a deep breath. “I'm going to get a spot on your fighter team, and I'm going to destroy the entire alien fleet.”

  I exhaled as my thoughts spiraled. “I'm going for a walk. I need to think about everything. Be alone for a bit. Can we talk again soon? Maybe meet for dinner or something?” I wanted him to know for sure that I didn’t blame him.

  I still wanted to see where our relationship would go. I hoped I'd said the right things because I was too distracted now to focus on niceties.

  “I’ll com you.”

  “Good.”

  I barreled forward and stumbled upon a dark corner away from prying eyes. Monster fronds, as large as my entire body, surrounded me. The fresh air created a mist that floated over the path. I sat down beneath a tree, my back against its knobby bark. My lungs constricted. The enormity of everything descended on me like a nebula cloud.

  I might never see my parents again.

  I rarely cried. Not anymore. Not since Kal had left, but I felt something gathering in the back of my throat. Swallowing hard, I pulled my knees up to my chest and rested my forehead.

  A rustling like an animal looking for its next meal filtered through the trees, and I turned. The janitor from earlier slipped and fell onto the terrace in front of me.

  He crashed hard on his shoulder and rolled into a bush.

  I leaped up and ran. He might be hurt. Tentatively, I reached into the bush.

  The face of my flight instructor, former friend, and the near-constant thorn in my side popped up.

  Ethan.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Ethan

  I had to be the worst spy ever turned out by the Academy.

  I'd tracked Vega to the officer's lounge and sat at one of the far tables trying to hear what they were saying. The lieutenant she was with conducted himself like a pro, standing erect and moving with precision.

  He kept touching Vega...and she didn't seem to mind.

  I didn't worry too much about him seeing me. It was Vega who scanned the faces of the restaurant every few minutes as if she were looking for someone. I kept my face averted. A couple to my left gave me suspicious looks, probably wondering why I turned or ducked every five minutes.

  Most of my covert ops training wasn't in espionage. Even though my first job was to pretend to be a conscript sent to the Lazarus, I could maneuver a ship with the best of the pilots in the Axis.

  I should just go back to my cabin and regroup for tomorrow, get some proper listening equipment, and figure out a way to wiggle back into Vega’s good graces.

  Then I heard him ask her if she wanted to go to the arboretum—the biggest makeout location on the Axis military base.

  I’d often taken my dates there when I thought there was an opportunity for...fun. I hadn’t thought about it muc
h lately. Not since I’d met Vega. And now he was taking her there.

  If she got wrapped up with this Jess, Lieutenant, whatever his last name was, my chances of getting information or...anything dropped.

  I waited for five minutes, then followed. Vega was observant. I had to use a disguise if I wanted to get close enough to hear anything important that might help Gleason and the Mil-station.

  A lanky janitor ambled by, and I waved him down.

  “Give me your overalls...and your cart.”

  His already large eyes grew and bugged out slightly.

  “But, sir. I have duties.”

  I didn’t have time to clear any of this with Gleason, so I had to use my own devices.

  “I’ll finish your duties for the evening. Just give everything to me. I’ll leave it all here when I’m done.”

  His jaw dropped, but he started stripping right in the hall.

  “Not here! Don’t you have a closet or something?”

  He nodded and guided me to an inlet where he stripped off his overalls. He had civs on under, so I didn’t have to give him my uniform. It was funny seeing the opportunity mindset. I’d been in his shoes only five years ago. Grabbing every chance I could to get ahead, parking spacejets and scooters...stealing spacejets and scooters.

  His gray bodysuit was way too long and not auto-adjust. It could have fit two of me. He pointed to the holo map on his cart with a series of red and green highlights. “You clean the red until the cart gives you green.”

  “I can figure it out.” I bolted from the area and made for the lift. Thankfully, I hadn’t seen anyone I knew.

  “Shouldn’t you be on the service lift?” one older officer asked.

  “Sorry, out of order,” I lowered my voice, adding a bit of gravel to it, and kept my face averted.

  The man snorted and went back to ignoring me.

  At last, I moved onto the floor. The weird soil smell struck me, and it took a second to get my bearings. I pushed my cart slowly around the main path, searching the expanse, and I found her sitting on a bench, hands already wrapped by the Lieutenant’s.