Tayrym (Galactic Defenders Book 4)

by Jessica E. Subject

  He didn’t believe that, well aware that Bryce had hooked up with Queen Lalia when he was still a Defender. And Jager and Katrina were part of the same squadron when they got together. He just had to wait, get through training, and then he’d be reunited with Guri. They’d be part of the same squadron and travel across the universe together, as they’d planned.

  “Get into position, Private,” Major O’Shaunessy shouted at him. “Erebus are about to attack.”

  Tayrym glanced around. He’d been so lost in his thoughts, he’d forgotten he was at the simulation room with the rest of the privates from his bunkhouse. He grabbed a bow with a rubber-tipped arrow. Not a weapon that could kill a real Erebus, but it worked on the ones in the simulation, and they were supposed to learn how to use plazers next.

  When he’d reached his assigned starting position, he nodded to the major. Suddenly, Erebus dropped all around them, falling from the sky. Or roof. Whatever. And no matter how many times Tayrym had been put through this simulation, he was never prepared for this moment. Startled by the large, ugly computer-generated creature in front of him, he backed up, needing time to load his arrow into his bow. Something grabbed his foot from behind. He gasped and stumbled back. Still focused on preparing his weapon, he hadn’t been able to stop his fall. His back slammed onto the ground, knocking the wind out of him. He could only watch as the Erebus he’d planned to shoot rushed him with its tentacles flailing. But just before it slammed one of its limbs down on him, the Erebus froze. Tentacles high in the air, the creature glitched.

  “Cosmos! Fornax! Gaspra! Not again!”

  Tayrym flinched at the cursing from the major. He’d always seemed so composed so he could control those running the simulators. Tayrym lifted his head to see what had happened.

  The major shook the com tab in his hands, his gills flared out and the spikes on his head standing straight up. “You’re lucky, Private. If this damn simulation hadn’t froze, you’d be Erebus dinner.”

  Tayrym gulped at the truth. He wasn’t as successful in training as he’d hoped. Perhaps he could prove his worth another way. Ducking out from under the computer graphic, he shuffled toward Major O’Shaunessy. “Maybe I can help?”

  The major’s face wrinkled. “I doubt it. This is Alliance technology.”

  “But….” Tayrym reached out for the com tab. “I fixed these all the time on Hemera. All the teachers came to me to learn how to use them. I even helped with some of the equipment in the hospital.”

  The major handed him the device, but his furrowed brows revealed his doubt. “Let’s see if you’re better at fixing this than you are at killing Erebus.”

  Flipping through screens, Tayrym didn’t take long to figure out the problem. An easy fix, really. When a simulation had finished, instead of closing it to run a new one, the major had simply started another in a new screen. There were so many simulations open in the com tab’s memory, it couldn’t sustain them all. So all of them stopped working. Tayrym closed all the simulations except the one his group had been running then handed the com tab back. “Should be okay to run now. I’ll just get into position, then you can run the simulation from where it stopped.

  “No.” Major O’Shaunessy stopped him with both of his left arms. “You stay here. We’ll run the simulation without you.”

  Tayrym’s stomach sank. He’d never make it as a Defender. He couldn’t even get through basic training. Guri was probably at the top of his group, while Tayrym was being held back because he had no skills at all. He’d likely be sent back to Hemera while Guri lived out his dream instead.

  As he watched from the sidelines, members of his group took down Erebus after Erebus. Arrows flew, and the creatures were knocked down. No one tripped, fumbled getting their bow loaded, or screeched when an Erebus suddenly appeared in front of them. They were all better off without him. When the simulation ended, his group slapped hands and hugged each other with wide smiles on their faces. But none of them glanced his direction as they passed by to have a break before running another simulation.

  Head down and shoulders slumped, Tayrym shuffled down the hallway, sure of his fate. Why had he dreamed the impossible? Why hadn’t he listened to the kids in his class when they criticized Guri for choosing him for his team because he was far from athletic? Well, the universe had spoken and was sending him home with so many crushed dreams.

  “Where are you going?”

  Tayrym paused, unsure if the major had meant him or someone else.

  “Get back here, Hemera. You may not be good at killing Erebus, but I have something else in mind for you.”

  With a sigh, Tayrym turned around and trudged back to Major O’Shaunessy. Did the Nevad plan on using him as bait for the Erebus? He could rush into the simulation and get their attention while the rest of the group killed them. It would bring a quick end to the simulation. And him if it were real. “What would you like me to do?”

  The major handed the com tab to Tayrym. “I want you to run the simulation. I’m going into the field to get a better view of how the rest of your group works, see if anyone is failing to do their part.”

  Like him? Though he’d never gone unnoticed. He’d been the one front and center, attracting all the Erebus to him as he fumbled around pretending he had what it took to be a Defender, while others actually killed the creatures.“Um, okay.” He took the com tab from the major. “Just let me know when you want it to start.”

  “Will do.” The major lightly squeezed his arm with both right hands. “And Hemera, don’t worry about not being able to kill Erebus. There are plenty of other positions for Defenders. I’m sure you’ll find your place.”

  He looked up at the major. Never had he heard of Defenders doing anything other than killing Erebus. Well, except for the Warwa doctors, but they knew how to take down an Erebus, too. The ones he’d met when Queen Lalia was crowned told him many stories of Erebus encounters. But the idea gave him hope. Maybe he did have a future as a Defender. But would it be with Guri?

  “How about you create your own simulation?” Major O’Shaunessy patted his back. “Make it hard. Let’s see what you and these other privates are made of.”

  Tayrym gulped then nodded. “Okay. I’ll see what I can do.”

  As the major walked away, Tayrym got to work, using the application to add more Erebus to the simulation, include strange obstacles in the program he’d never heard of, and incorporate a new threat. Fire. Major O’Shaunessy wanted the simulation to be hard. And he wasn’t going to disappoint him with this task.

  Chapter Five

  Guri stumbled out of the simulation field then leaned back against the nearest wall, struggling to catch his breath. He had just run the hardest simulation yet. The members of his group patted his back on their way past.

  “Good job, Hemera.”

  “You did great!”

  “I hope when our squadrons are assigned that we’re together.”

  Major O’Shaunessy stepped toward him. “Seems like our new Hemera recruits are doing well today.”

  Guri leaned closer, curious about what the major had to say. “Tay did well?” Though he knew how much his boyfriend wanted to be a Defender, he worried about how well he was doing in training. The obstacle courses and simulations were tough even for him.

  “Yes!” The major’s face lit up in surprised happiness. “He proved exactly where his strengths lie during training today. And we can always use Defenders with his skill sets.”

  “Oh good.” He let go of some of the worries he’d been holding onto regarding Tayrym. Though he wished they had more time together, if they both proved themselves during training, they had a good chance of ending up on the same squadron.

  “And since you’re all talking about squadron assignments already, you’ll be happy to know I’ll be announcing some squadron assignments in two day cycles.” The major nodded at him.

  Guri saluted as the elder took leave. A slow roar filled the hallway, everyone excited about the upcoming a
ssignments. Everyone except him. As much as he hoped for the best news, he expected the worst. He had to find Tayrym.

  Rushing through the halls, Guri searched left and right, hoping to find his boyfriend in the mess hall or lounge. But he had no luck. Finally reaching Tay’s bunkhouse, he peeked inside. Dim lights shone on a few privates sleeping here and there, including Tayrym. Right in front of him. As tempted as he was to wake the pouting young man, he decided against it. If he was anywhere near as exhausted as Guri, he needed his sleep.

  Yet, when he stood at the entrance to his own bunkhouse, he no longer felt tired. And with the excitement from the squadron news still floating through his group, he doubted he could find enough peace to get any rest. Instead, he went to an empty com room to call Sol. His former housemate would be upset he hadn’t called since he’d started training.

  The com took forever to reach the satellite in Hemera’s orbit and then to connect with Sol’s personal com tab. But once the screen showed it had connected, his former housemate answered right away.

  “Oh!” Sol moved closer to the screen, his face scrunched. “I’m sorry. Do I know you?”

  Guri rolled his eyes. He’d expected a reaction, but more of a tongue-lashing rather than his friend pretending he didn’t know him. “Sol, I’m tired. Please don’t be like this.”

  “Hmmm, you sound like the kid who used to live here, but I thought he’d died while training to be a Defender since he hasn’t contacted me for a long time.”

  “Fornax!” Guri rubbed the back of his neck. “I can go if you want.”

  “Hey, watch your language.” Sol slapped the air in front of him. “I didn’t raise you to talk like that.”

  “So, now you know who I am?” Why couldn’t they ever just have a normal conversation?

  “Of course.” Sol smiled. “I’m just trying to have some fun with you, but you don’t seem to be in the mood. Is training that bad?”

  Guri shrugged. “Define bad. I mean, it’s hard. And we train for long hours. But I expected that.”

  “So, what is it, then? Is Tayrym showing you up? Did you two have a fight?”

  Before answering, Guri frowned. “I would actually have to see him in order for us to get into a fight.”

  “Oh….” Sol stretched his hands out in front of him, cracking his knuckles in the process. “You haven’t seen him at all?”

  “No. Just in passing.” The reminder increased the weight of sadness already plaguing him. “I went to see him just before I came to talk to you, but he’d already fallen asleep.”

  “So, I guess you’re not training or living together.”

  Guri shook his head, the lump in his throat starting to choke him. But then a figure walked behind Sol, changing Guri’s focus. “Who’s that? Is that your new housemate? You still haven’t introduced him to me yet.”

  Glancing around, Sol furrowed his brows. “Myar, where’d you go?”

  “Myar?” Guri pulled himself closer to the com screen hoping to see Sol’s new housemate himself. “You mean Tay’s brother?”

  “Yes.” He reached off screen then pulled a rugged yet handsome man into the frame. “This is Tayrym’s brother, Myar. Myar, this is your brother’s boyfriend, Guri.”

  Tay and his brother shared the same eyes, nose, and lips. But Myar had facial hair down his jawline, above his upper lip, and around his chin. A feature Tay would never agree to, though he didn’t doubt it would look just as good on his boyfriend as it did on Tay’s brother. Guri nodded. “Nice to meet you. But, um, does Tay know you’re alive? Have you talked to him yet?”

  “No.” Myar frowned and glanced down. “I don’t know how to get hold of him over there.”

  Guri felt his own frown form. “I wish I did, too. It seems like forever since we talked.” Then a moment from the past came to mind. “Hey, wait. The day we departed for training. You were there. Off in the distance. Why didn’t you come to see Tayrym off? He could have really used your support that day.”

  Myar clasped the back of Sol’s chair, his shoulders slumped, and gaze anywhere but facing the screen. “I wanted to. I really did. But, it had been so long since I’d seen him. I’ve been through so much. I’m sure he has, too. I just…. I don’t know. I didn’t know what to say. And Sol told me how excited he was to become a Defender. I didn’t want to interfere with that.”

  “Okay, I sort of get that, but….” Guri tried to sort it all out in his head. “Wait. How long have you been alive? I mean…. We all thought you were dead. But, you’re not. Yet, Sol knew. Sol, how long have you known he wasn’t dead?”

  Sol moved closer to the screen, blocking Guri’s view of Myar. “I’ve known for a while, Raw. I’d suspected there were survivors living beyond the dome for over a Galactic year. Those nights I’d go out to be on my own? Well, I went outside the dome. I felt like I could be closer to Myar there. No matter what had happened to him. One night, I came across a firepit. The ashes weren’t fresh, but not from before the dome had been built.”

  Taking a deep breath, Sol brushed his hand over his face. “It was the proof I needed to keep searching. And eventually I found him. He said there’d been others, but they either parted ways, or became sick and died. It took me forever to convince him to come back. He was thrown out of the kingdom at seventeen Galactic years because he was dating me. And yet nothing happened to me. It turned him into a different person. He didn’t even trust me when I found him. Please don’t be hard on him. We all need to be patient as it’s a big change for everyone.”

  “I get that.” He did. Could only imagine what he’d feel if the same had happened to him when they’d found out he and Tay were dating. “But, what do I say to Tay. I mean, I barely see him as it is. I don’t want to keep this from him, but how do I tell him the brother he thought was dead is alive and well?”

  “You tell him to phone home.” Myar appeared on screen again.

  “Yes.” Sol’s eyes went wide. “Because he hasn’t been in contact with any of us, either. Including Princess Gwenodyn.”

  “Really?” He’d expected Tay to have phoned home, especially to talk to his best friend.

  “Yes, and she has her own news to share.” Sol pulled Myar around the chair and onto his lap. “And make sure you find time for your man. I know how you are. I’m sure there’s some time during the day you can get together.”

  “Okay, okay.” Guri pushed away from the screen. “I should get some sleep so I can catch him in the morning.”

  “It was nice to meet you, Guri.” Myar gave a brief wave. “Take care of my little brother.”

  Guri nodded. “You, too. And I will. Goodnight to you both.”

  He flicked off the com, left the room, and headed for his bunkhouse. On his way, he set the alarm on his wrist com to ensure he was up early enough to catch Tayrym before another day of training. He needed to spend some time with his boyfriend more than he needed sleep.

  The moment his wrist com beeped the next morning, Guri jumped out of his cot. He hadn’t really slept, at least not for a long period of time. He kept waking up, checking to ensure he hadn’t slept in, then tried to get some more sleep until his alarm went off. Anxious to meet up with Tayrym, he dressed quickly then took off toward the lounge.

  At the other end of the room, he spotted his boyfriend talking with Major O’Shaunessy. Guri wanted to yell out to him, get his attention. But not when he was talking to a commanding officer. He’d get both of them in trouble if Tayrym reacted.

  And then he was gone, escorted somewhere by the major. Guri had missed his opportunity, poorly timed his wake-up call. He should have just slept in the lounge and hoped Tayrym had found him there. He had no idea when he’d get another opportunity to talk to him. Maybe he should have convinced him to stay on Hemera rather than enlisting to become a Defender, too. At least then, they’d be together.

  ***

  Tayrym left the console training room utterly exhausted. Not from working hard. Learning how to use Defender technology came
easy to him. Instead of starting him from the beginning with a basic understanding of the systems they used, his trainer had set him in front of a console and told him to figure things out on his own. After some time, she’d come back with some assignments to see how much he’d learned. He’d done everything she’d asked.

  That wasn’t the problem. It was what the assignments entailed, the information he’d learned by doing them. Information about Guri.

  He peered up and down the hallway, ensuring he was alone. Sure, he was never going to be part of a squadron, but he was still a Defender. He had an image to uphold. But he was alone. No one around to see him crack. With his forehead against the wall, he pressed his palm against the hard surface and banged his other fist on the wall. Tears streamed down his cheeks. Why had he been so adamant about becoming a Defender? He had no athletic abilities. Bryce knew how uncoordinated he was. Why hadn’t he stopped him? Why in the universe had the former Defender gone along with the idea that Tayrym would make a good private? But mostly, why hadn’t Tayrym taken his new relationship with Guri as a sign to change his dreams? Nothing had gone as he’d hoped, as he’d planned. Now they were being driven further and further apart. And he could do nothing to stop it.

  A throat cleared beside him.

  Tayrym wiped his eyes before glancing up. “Sorry. I’ll leave.”

  The captain, who he’d seen occasionally in passing, patted his back. “The beginning is always the hardest, Private. But I promise you, it gets better. Why don’t you call home?”