I could have left this all behind.
Instead I sat there with my arms crossed as I stared at the ceiling. My back was rested against the wall, with my feet pressed into the edge of the cot.
It was time to decide what to do next.
Hendra had out played me. Which meant, somehow, she’d found out that I knew about her.
How?
Had I underestimated how powerful she was? Could she have gleaned my suspicions just by walking past me?
She was turning out to be much more dangerous than I could have predicted.
So what to do next?
Technically, I could jump away and forget the whole thing. This was the Academy’s problem. I could leave Earth and start somewhere new.
There were other ways to further my task. The Coalition Academy were not the only group who could help me take down Master.
....
Yet that didn’t feel right – abandoning them. It didn’t’ sit well. It felt like a lump I couldn’t swallow.
I’d already put months into the Academy. And though it was hard to admit, I’d already learnt a lot.
There was a hope kindling within me that I could not only defeat my master with their help, but change, learn maybe.
My self-view was changing, however slowly. I was no longer a loner. I had somewhere to belong.
....
I had somewhere to belong.
If Hendra was as powerful as I now suspected, she wouldn’t stop.
I could reveal my true powers. I could subspace jump out of this cell and find her, but I wouldn’t be able to hide who I was.
There were two guards watching me from beyond my cell, more security officers flitting between them.
....
What should I do?
...
Jason Singh
What had she done?
I was standing in the corridor, in a fresh new uniform, reeling.
I’d known Em was capable of this, right? I’d known she was unstable, so why hadn’t I intervened?
She’d just ruined her career. She’d get a criminal charge too. Serve some time on a prison asteroid somewhere.
This hadn’t been some spur-of-the-moment attack. It had been premeditated.
I winced as I remembered the memory Hendra had shared with me. Utilizing her telepathic powers, she could share her experiences with others.
So I’d seen it. In every goddamn gritty detail. The way Em’s face had spread with hatred, pleasure even.
I shook, planting a hand over my mouth. The memory wasn’t mine, but it still felt like I’d endured it. Every terrible second of the violent beating.
I almost wanted to confront Em, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
I’d been an idiot. I should have seen all the warning signs that there wasn’t something quite right with that cadet.
By now the news had spread, through the goddamn city let alone the Academy. It wasn’t everyday there was an assault like this on campus.
I pressed a hand hard into my brow as I tried to banish Hendra’s memory of Em’s contorted face.
I jerked my head up and concentrated on the view. I stared at the campus grounds, looking for some kind of solace.
“Lieutenant,” my wrist device suddenly rumbled with the voice of Admiral Forest. “Report to my office.”
I let her sharp tone cut through my mood.
I turned on my heel and half-ran to her office, thankful for the excuse to use my limbs – to chase away the muscle memory of Em’s attack.
When I reached the Admiral’s office, I was surprised to see Hendra sitting there.
Her face had been fixed up, but her usually bright expression was subdued, gone even.
She looked like someone who’d suffered a significant trauma.
I made a fist. I’d let that happen, right?
“Lieutenant, you need to hear this.” The Admiral nodded towards Hendra.
Hendra clasped her hands tightly in her lap, and I could see they were glistening with sweat. “I just thought you should know what I found out about ... that woman. When she a-a-attacked me,” Hendra had trouble forcing the word out as her voice shook, “She left her mind unguarded. The situation was so intense that I couldn’t help but pick up on her thoughts.”
My stomach clenched.
“She’s been sharing Academy secrets. She was sharing them with two Kore Empire assassins.”
“... Em’s only been in the Academy a few months,” I pointed out. I shouldn’t have said it, but the words came tumbling out. Was I trying to defend her? I couldn’t be – what she’d done was inexcusable.
“Em lived in this city for several months prior to joining up,” the Admiral supplied.
“She is a very skilled agent,” Hendra continued, her hands still shaking, “She used her abilities to break into offices and steal secrets.”
I felt cold now. Totally cold. Like I’d been ejected from an airlock and sent spinning into the void.
Em? All this time, it had been her.
It made sense. She had skills far beyond the average recruit.
It also made sense that she’d been able to overpower those two Kore assassins; they’d let her do it. In order to keep her cover, they’d sacrificed themselves.
I pressed two fingers hard into my brow, drawing a harsh breath.
I couldn’t understand how I could have been so naive.
“We will interrogate the cadet,” Forest began.
“I’ll be able to help you.” Hendra suddenly released her hands and pressed forward until she was sitting on the edge of her chair. “I ... want to do this. For the Academy,” she added.
“Under ordinary circumstances, considering what she put you through, I would decline your offer. But as you are the most talented telepath we have on campus, I’m afraid we’ll need your skills.”
I shot the Admiral a quick look.
She clearly picked up on it as she stiffened. “Ordinarily, I would never consider using telepathic interrogation. However, considering the number of secrets that could have been leaked ...” she trailed off and swallowed hard. “We need to find out what she’s done.”
I felt sick. Sick about everything. I knew the Admiral was right, but ... telepathic interrogation was the kind of thing the Kore Empire would do.
Hendra caught my gaze. Despite her own considerable distress, she made eye contact and shot me a commiserating smile. “It’ll all be okay,” she promised.
The heavy, ominous feeling in my gut told me that was unlikely.
Chapter 15
Axira
I knew she would come to see me.
I doubted he would. I’d seen Jason Singh’s face after he’d believed Hendra’s lie that I’d attacked her. He’d looked at me like I was a monster.
A monster ....
I’d been a monster for centuries, I could be one for another few days. Until I sorted this.
I still didn’t know what I should do. I was still torn about revealing my identity now and proving Hendra’s treachery, and waiting to see if another option would arise.
Right now I pushed to the edge of my cot as Cadet Elle Singh approached me.
There were two security guards with her, even though I was behind a containment force field. After she assured them she’d be fine, they wandered off, just out of earshot but not out of sight.
“I heard what happened,” she said.
I waited for her to tell me I was a monster, to reject me, to do something other than offer a commiserating smile.
“And I don’t believe it for a second,” Elle continued.
I couldn’t contain my shock.
By now I knew Hendra would have spread ‘memories’ of my attack.
If she was as skilled as I now suspected, I imagine she would have also planted ample evidence.
....
So why would Elle still believe me rather than the apparently substantiated allegation?
“It doesn’t make any sense,” Ell
e continued. “She’s hiding something.”
I couldn’t help but smile.
I couldn’t speak, though – I didn’t know what to say.
This was the first time someone had ever defended me like that. The first time someone had chosen to believe I wasn’t a monster, even though there was ample evidence to prove I was.
I stood up. “Thank you,” I managed after a substantial pause.
“Don’t thank me yet. I’m not going to stop until I prove you’re innocent. I’m going straight to my mum—”
“You don’t need to get in trouble for me,” I counselled quickly.
“If you can’t get in trouble for your friends, who can you get in trouble for? Plus, I wouldn’t still be in the Academy if it weren’t for you. The least I can do is return the favor and prove this is wrong.”
“Thank you, Elle,” I repeated.
“First thing I’m going to do is work on my idiot brother. I cannot believe he bought Hendra’s act so quickly. All he needs is one pretty smile, and he’ll forget all his training and sense.”
I didn’t comment.
“You just sit tight. Trust me, I can do this. Hendra’s going to assume everyone believes her. I’m going to have an advantage as the only person in the whole Academy who isn’t so goddamn gullible.”
Despite the situation, I let out a small laugh.
I’d underestimated Elle, hadn’t I? Sure, she couldn’t run fast or fight well, but that did not mean she wasn’t a formidable warrior.
“Sit tight. Next time I see you, I’ll get you out of here,” she promised. She offered me a friendly wave, a brave smile, and even a sloppy salute. Then she walked out.
....
I stood there and stared.
I didn’t know how I felt. Before Elle had walked in, I’d been plotting how to take Hendra down. I’d been after revenge.
Now my attitude had shifted.
I didn’t want revenge – I wanted to protect Elle and the rest of the Academy, even if she was the only person on the entire campus who had any sense.
This was what Ma’tovan had been on about, I suddenly realized. The difference between being a warrior and a guardian.
A lesson I was about to learn.
...
Jason Singh
“I cannot believe you are such an idiot.” My sister rounded on me. She’d found me in the corridors. Now she practically pinned me against one of the walls with her fury.
“Elle, what are you talking about?”
“All it takes is a pretty smile, right? Some girl offers you one of those then you don’t stop to think.”
My jaw hardened.
“She didn’t do it. I can’t believe you even think she’s capable of something like that.”
“... Elle, just calm down.”
I knew my little sister liked to protect her friends, but this was ridiculous. There was no doubt Em had done it. I’d seen every awful second – by proxy, but it still felt as if I’d endured it myself.
“No, not until you come to your senses.”
“Elle, I saw it myself. Hendra shared her memory with me,” I heard bitterness twist through my tone as my heart pounded harder in my chest.
“No, brother, what you got was a complete fantasy. And what you’re feeling now – all that rage and shame – that’s a fantasy too. She planted it in your mind. She’s a telepath – she can do that. I can’t believe you were stupid enough to accept her memory. It’s influencing you when you should be stepping back and realizing what’s actually going on here.”
“Elle,” I tried to use a soothing voice.
“Jason,” she shot back with a snarl, “Listen to me. Think about this. Why would Em agree to a meeting in public, then go into Hendra’s office and beat her up? You think Em is that stupid? If she wanted to punch that idiot telepath in the nose, she would have just done it. This makes no sense. Why would someone plan an attack like this? There would be no way to get away from it.”
“Elle, Em is ... unstable. She would have seen it as an act of power, of dominance. She would have thought she could get away with it, because in her mind she’s untouchable.”
“Oh my god, I can’t believe you are this stupid. You know telepaths can create memories, right? Manufacture feelings.”
“Hendra isn’t that powerful.”
“How do you know that?”
“She was tested before she was brought onto Academy grounds – all telepaths are. It’s dangerous to have a powerful telepath walking around; they can glean secrets from passers by ...” my voice trailed off.
“Em already told me that Hendra is telling everyone she’s been leaking Academy secrets. Hendra is using Em as a scape goat while she’s the one spreading secrets.”
“... Em told you this?”
Elle nodded her head resolutely. “Just before Hendra beat herself up and ran screaming into your arms, she confessed to Em. Told her she was going to use her as a scapegoat, took pleasure in the fact no one would ever believe Em. Hendra is the psycho, not my friend.”
I opened my mouth to say something, but the words wouldn’t come.
“Think about it, brother. How would Em be able to discover so many secrets? She might be a really good runner and great with a gun, but the Academy has incredible security. She wouldn’t be able to walk into someone’s office and snoop through their computer, not even if she was the best hacker in the world.”
“We’ve already found experimental hacking equipment in her quarters,” I countered. I shouldn’t have – that was a secret my sister didn’t need to know. Yet I wanted to make her see she was wrong.
Em didn’t deserve her protection.
“Which would have been planted there by Hendra.”
“Elle, you just need to accept—”
“I don’t need to accept anything. We’re going to find proof.”
“... What?”
“The assassins you have in cold storage – we need to check them.”
“What? How do you know—”
“The rumor is all over the Academy, brother. Now listen to me. I’ve been doing a bit of research on Kore assassins – actually it’s been for a project, and I think I’m going to ace it. Anyhow, aren’t they modified depending on their task?”
I stared at my sister mutely. Where was she going with this?
“They are,” she answered her own question. “What’s more, there are certain assassins that can receive telepathic information, right? There are,” she answered her own question again. “Now, all we have to do to clear Em is to walk into cold storage and check those assassins. If we find evidence of telepathic ability, then we’ll know Hendra is lying.”
I couldn’t reply. I wanted to point out the numerous flaws in her reasoning, but I was too stunned by what she was suggesting. ... And worried.
Could it be true?
I shook my head as soon as I thought that.
Elle leaned in and grabbed my arm. “Come on. You owe it to her to try.”
I felt cold at her statement.
Did I owe it to Em to try?
Chapter 16
Jason Singh
“Elle, I don’t have time for this right now,” I protested as my sister all but dragged me along.
I wasn’t lying. Hendra would begin interrogating Em soon. The Admiral had requested I should be there.
“You owe it to her,” Elle repeated firmly.
I found myself melting at that.
I ... did owe it to her, didn’t I?
“Okay, but you can’t come into cold storage to look with me,” I said. “You don’t have clearance.”
Elle turned as she continued to tug me along. “Good.” She nodded firmly.
I pulled my arm free and kept pace with her on my own.
We turned into a wide corridor that acted as a thoroughfare.
I paled as I saw Hendra walking along with Admiral Forest.
At first Hendra’s expression warmed as she saw me. Then a strange thing
happened – her eyes slid towards Elle.
Was that suspicion briefly crumpling Hendra’s perfect blue face?
“Lieutenant,” she said as she greeted me with a low bow.
Was it forced? Was that strain tightening her neck muscles?
“Lieutenant, we’re ready to begin.” The Admiral gestured down the corridor.
Hendra’s gaze slid towards Elle again.
Maybe it was paranoia, maybe I was crazy, but I didn’t like the quality of that gaze.
“Admiral ... something urgent has come up,” I found myself saying. Once the words were out, I couldn’t retract them. Nor could I get rid of the feeling that accompanied them.
I owed it to Em to follow up on this.
Hendra’s gaze darted to mine.
I could no longer ignore it had an edge to it.
I swallowed.
“Don’t think you’re going to get away with this,” Elle snapped – despite the fact an admiral was standing barely two meters away.
“Cadet,” the Admiral snapped.
“You’ll have slipped up somewhere,” Elle continued unabated. “Did you remember to alter the Kore assassins in cold storage to remove evidence of telepathic abilities? Did you remember to cover your injuries with Em’s DNA? Did you remember Em’s DNA shows signs of subspace instability due to the scars on her wrists?”
The admiral opened her mouth to shout at Elle.
She stopped.
Hendra’s demeanor changed completely. I watched as fear crossed through her eyes and her cheeks stiffened.
It was one of the most visceral experiences of my life.
“You didn’t remember, did you? Proving you’re guilty is going to be easier than I thought. You realize a simple DNA scan of your so-called injuries will show you faked her DNA, right?”
Hendra moved.
I wasn’t expecting it, neither was the admiral. She shoved hard into Forest’s chest and she whirled towards Elle.
Before I could do anything, she locked an arm around Elle’s throat and slammed a palm against her face. “If any of you move – or even think of moving – I will completely destroy her mind. I will ensure she’ll do nothing but drool for the rest of her life.”
I froze.
The admiral warily picked herself up.
Everyone in the corridor stopped moving.
Axira Episode One: A Galactic Coalition Academy Series Page 14