The Phoenix Wars: Book I, Reprieve

by C. R. Daems

  "Those are cheery thoughts," Hanna said while Hyun frowned.

  "Yes, if you concentrate on dying," I said. "I've decided I'm having fun on Anixia. I plan to enjoy each and every day, and I'm willing to do anything to save my new home."

  "I think I'll have a document made saying just that, and we can all sign it and hang it on our wall," Hanna said, looking to each of us, Hyun and I nodded. The next day, Hanna returned that evening with the document, which we all signed and hung on our wall.

  Chapter 9

  Unhappy People Are Dangerous

  "The nerve of that asshole Bradley. You have been warned," Doug snarled. "This damn place is like a prison. Do this, do that, you have a choice but not that one, your DNA isn't to our liking, so we will change it, no that's not one of your choices either. Remember what that skinny bird in the purple-robe said after they kidnapped us? None of you could fly an Anixia cruiser. He fucking lied. The cruisers are being flown by humans."

  Carl smiled. "Imagine if we stole one and brought it to Earth," Carl's smile turned evil. "We would be heroes, famous, and rich. Bitches would be lining up for miles to have us fuck them."

  "Remember that thought, my friend," Doug said. "We have to pass this stupid training and keep our noses clean if we are ever going to have a chance at that dream."

  "What do you think of Kayla?" Carl asked.

  "She's an airhead. I'm surprised she has lasted this long," Doug said, then pursed his lip. "If we play our cards right, I'll wager we can get her to transfer to our room."

  "How?" Carl looked excited at the prospect.

  "We need to scare her to death when we begin the one-on-one fighting exercises. Terrify her to the point she knows she will fail against us, then we could agree to help her look good if she moved in with us. That airhead would do anything to pass."

  "Are we going to help her to pass?" Carl asked, sounding confused.

  "Naw, just make her think she needs us to pass." Doug laughed. "We get to screw her twice. Once as our roommate and then in the final exam. It will be fun."

  "Maybe we could use her. She has friends in training for the cruiser Bridge positions," Carl said. "We could have our own private harem."

  "We have time to make a decision," Doug said. "I have talked with several in cruiser training, and they like the idea of going back to Earth now that we are cured. Remember, the alternative to fame and riches is banishment."

  Chapter 10

  War Games

  The time has come for you to practice what you have been learning and to demonstrate how much you understand," Bradley said, pointing to nine fighters. "They have been tested and are each fully functional. Pick one and mark it so you can recognize it as yours. There are markers on the table." He pointed to a table against the wall. "You will have thirty minutes to get comfortable with your fighter before the games begin. While you are live, you will remain above five thousand kilometers. Initially, everyone is your enemy, and your task is to survive. These fighters are equipped with recording devices that can detect when you score a hit on another fighter and when another fighter scores a hit on you. In the latter case, a buzzer will be activated, and your lights will blink on and off. In that event, cut your power to Mach 1, drop to one thousand kilometers, and return to the cavern. Any questions?"

  "What constitutes a kill?" I asked since this was the first time we had been briefed on the game.

  "Locking onto your opponent's fighter and pressing the button to activate the Swift missiles," Bradley said. "The Vulture missiles are for action against the Tullizor cruisers."

  I was the last to be propelled out the cavern's door. I started the engine immediately but intentionally did not apply enough power to stop the fighter from continuing to drop. At one hundred meters, I applied power and banked to the left and away from the other students. I wanted to experiment and get used to my fighter in case it responded differently than the ones I had used previously and set the chronometer to alert me in twenty-five minutes. Turning left put me behind the mountain range and out of sight. I began banking right and left, made steep descents and climbs, performed rolls and loops, and flew upside down. When the chromometer chimed, I accelerated to Mach 8 as I rose to twelve kilometers, clearing the mountain range that separated me from the enemy. As I cleared the mountain peaks, I heard Bradley's voice.

  "Game one has officially begun."

  I immediately saw a fighter ten degrees to my right, twenty kilometers distance, and three kilometers below me. I set my fighter into a twenty-five-degree dive. Three seconds later, I was within twelve kilometers of the fighter, had a weapons lock, and two seconds later pressed the button that would normally fire the Swift missiles, which put me at six kilometers from my target–a missile travel time of six seconds. I smiled as his lights began blinking on and off, and I rose back to twelve kilometers to survey the area. The poor soul probably never knew he was under attack. Even if he had seen me clear the mountain, he had less than eleven seconds to respond. Something only an experienced pilot like Bradley could manage.

  Looking around, I could see six fighters, some forty-five-kilometers in the distance, weaving in and out at elevations between eight and twelve kilometers. My hologram failed to disclose the seventh fighter. I dove, leveling out at four hundred meters above the five-kilometer lower limit but kept my speed at Mach 8. During the sixteen seconds it took to reach the closest fighter, I had three weapons locks and three corresponding kills. As I passed my last kill, I put the fighter into a backward loop while surveying my hologram. I laughed when I saw only one functional fighter. He was flying slowly as if looking for another enemy. My half-loop ended me upside down, almost two kilometer over him. I had a lock and hit the firing button. When I saw his lights blinking, I pushed the joystick forward and did a victory roll as I sored to twenty kilometers. There, delirious with elation, I slowed to Mach 1 and descended in lazy circles.

  "The bitch cheated," Doug shouted as I exited my fighter ten minutes later, unable to stop smiling. "Typical woman, can't fight fair."

  "I'm curious, Doug. How did she cheat?" Bradley asked clearly amused, although trying to look serious.

  "The bitch wasn't in the game area when it started and then flew below the minimum five kilometers to sneak up on us," Dong shouted, spittle flying out as he screamed. "Fucking bitch could have killed us flying at that speed."

  "If she violated the rules of the game, I would reprimand her, and if she repeated violating the rules, I would disqualify her; however, I did not stipulate a specific area for the game, although I should have. Even if I had, it would not have mattered as she crossed into the area several seconds before I officially started the game. Secondly, she approached the group at three hundred and eighty-three meters above the five-kilometer minimum. So she broke no rules and did in fact kill you, Doug. If this had been a real war, you would be dead. Neither you nor the enemy are bound by any gentlemen's rules. So sneaky counts, stabbing you in the back counts, and exploiting any disadvantage you have counts."

  "I'll teach that bitch a lesson next time we meet," Doug's voice faded as he and Carl stomped out of the cavern.

  "Congratulations, Kayla," Bradley said. "We don't keep statistics on the games, but if we did, your performance would have shattered the record. I've never seen a game over that quickly."

  Simon laughed. "If I had been sixty seconds late, I would have missed the entire game. Although I not sure whether that performance was genius or reckless."

  "In a war, genius, but here with trainees, reckless," Bradley said. "Their awareness is nonexistent, and they could easily run into you while maneuvering."

  "He's right, Kayla," Todd said and laughed. "I was so busy fighting two enemy fighters that I never saw you. I thought I had won when my unit signaled I had been killed."

  "Kayla has taught everyone an important lesson. Situational awareness is every bit as important as how well you can fly. I doubt if any of Kayla's kills knew she was in the area and being targeted until too
late." Bradley turned to Todd and nodded to the door, then turned back to me and nodded to the classroom.

  Once inside, he sat and motioned for me to sit. I sat. My jubilance faded as I noted the conflicting emotions crossing his face: anger, frustration, reluctance.

  "Kayla, as you must already be aware, I don't believe women belong in a fighter group. It's nothing against you as an individual; however, your overall performance and that quick thinking and spectacular performance today mean I'm not going to be able to fail you. Actually, I would like to, but we need the very best fighter pilots we can get if we are going to survive the Tullizor." He paused for a drink of water. "Doug and Carl are going to be a problem even if you hadn't embarrassed them today. I can protect you in the classroom but not outside this cavern. I've seen their types before. They are not above punishing you if they catch you alone. Then it will be your word against theirs and maybe some friends. Unless you object, I want to enroll you in the police unit. We can pretend it's a backup in case you fail. That will not only protect you but equalize the odds."

  "Will that affect my fighter training?" I asked. I didn't know what to think. Bradley was right. Doug and Carl could not be trusted and certainly not above getting even with me for embarrassing them. Yet, I would risk their vengeance rather than give up a chance to be a fighter pilot.

  "No," Bradley said emphatically. "You may have to give up your free time, but Joseph and I will make sure you don't miss any fighter training, even if one or both of us have to give you private instruction. Doug and Carl are trouble, but no one can do anything unless they screw up, and I don't want you to be crippled and unable to fly in order to get rid of them."

  I shot ramrod straight in my seat, and my heart felt like it was beating at Mach 8. The thought that they could snatch my dream away had bile in my mouth, and my face felt drained of blood.

  "I'm sorry, Kayla," Bradley said. His voice a little more than a whisper. "Because the Anixia cured someone of their fatal disease doesn't make them nice people or grateful. Right now, they are scheming on how to betray the Anixian and get back to Earth." He laughed. "No, I didn't hear them say anything. They are not the first, nor will they be the last to cause trouble. Go see Joseph after dinner. He will be expecting you."

  "Bad day?" Hanna asked during our dinner meal while giving me a long, thoughtful stare.

  "No, an excellent day but with unintended consequences," I said and saw Hyun and Hanna lean closer to me, bright-eyed and eager to hear.

  "I killed five of my classmates in our mock war game, but Bradley feels Doug and Carl will be looking for revenge, outside of class, if I continue to embarrass them.

  "That's not fair," Hanna exclaimed.

  "I agree," Hyun said. "I've seen their kind before. Being fair or honoring their word are concepts for dummies in their world."

  "Can't Bradley do something?" Hanna asked.

  "Not until after the damage is done and then only if the Anixia can prove they caused it," I said, feeling nauseated at the thought. I had never been in a physical fight, and would be under massed by forty or more kilograms, lack their aggressiveness and years of fighting experience, and outnumbered. The thought had me shaking with fear. I rose shaking but resolved to fight. Like the Tullizor, Carl and Doug were the enemy and something I had to face or lose my new life.

  When I entered the police training area, I saw a rather average-looking man quietly kneeling with his eyes closed. "Are you Joseph?" I asked.

  "Yes, and you must be the exceptional Kayla." His eyes opened, and he smiled. "Bradley was raised a Quaker and has strong feelings about a woman's place in society along with an equally strong predilection to protect them. So, for him to willingly teach you to be a fighter pilot is against his very nature." He laughed. "Now, asking me to teach you how to protect yourself is more normal and an excellent idea, given you embarrassed the likes of Doug and Carl." He surveyed me for several minutes before continuing. "How do you feel about being trained to be in the police unit?"

  I laughed. "I'm not a fighter by nature and didn't have to be. My nation had a volunteer military, no foreign nation was threatening to annihilate us, and I lived in a safe neighborhood. Having said that, I feel obligated to live up to my agreement with the Anixian. They gave me a new life, and I owe them for that. So, if any nation is threatening the Anixian and to take away my new life, I'm willing to fight. That goes for defending myself…and every Anixian against those who would harm them or me."

  "Although the Anixian give everyone a choice, many believe they aren't bound by the agreement, like Carl and Doug. They plan to steal a cruiser and return to Earth to wealth and fame, and while they scheme, they cause disharmony and the reason we need police." He flowed to a standing position. Surprisingly, he was only a few centimeters taller than me. "I'm satisfied you are what we need in the police." He smiled. "Yes, after you qualify, I would like you part of the police force in your free time. You are the kind of individual who I want keeping the peace." He walked over to me and gently gripped my wrist. "What do you do now?"

  Scream, I silently thought and couldn't help a giggle. "Sorry. I don't have a clue."

  "I see we have a lot of work ahead of us," he said with a small nod. "If you are grabbed at the wrist and you act quickly, you can rotate your arm against the thumb and break free. The worst thing you can do is try to pull away. Pretend to try to pull loose, and when he returns the pull, step into him, driving your knee into his groin. Reflexively, most times, he will block the knee, but then your leg is raised up and lying against his leg. So you drive it down onto his instep. The bones there are fragile even in muscular men and break easily…" He went on for the next hour having me practice the technique and added a head to the attacker's nose option.

  I liked Joseph and thought the class wasn't going to be as perilous and daunting as I had envisioned. By the end of the session, I thought I might enjoy his class and maybe the police and helping people.

  Chapter 11

  Graduation Of Sorts

  The next several weeks were a whirlwind of activity. Joseph and I decided my classes would be best early in the morning, before breakfast, when I was fresh–in theory–and not after dinner when I would be tired, digesting food, and ready for bed. It made for a long day.

  "How is your police thing going?" Hanna asked, three weeks into the training.

  "Far better than I had anticipated," I said, realizing it was true. I had only agreed out of fear that Carl or Doug or both might physically attack me out of revenge for making them look bad in fighter training class, and they could seriously hurt me to the extent I couldn't continue fighter training. It had been a good decision, as the last couple of weeks had proven. Doug and Carl were getting increasingly hostile. "Joseph is teaching a style of martial arts which is well suited to women as it doesn’t require strength and has better non-lethal options when fighting. He said it was called Aikido and developed in Japan. The style suits me in that it is less aggressive than a lot of the other styles I've seen in movies."

  "You ready to take on Carl or Doug?" Hyun asked, looking serious.

  "Hell no!" I said, cringing at the mere thought. "But I maybe could get free to run. Winning against them is probably a year or two away." I paused and pursed my lips in thought. "Although Joseph has indicated that the police have a distinct advantage. First, they have a body cam which is continuously being recorded at a remote location, and attacking a police person can get you banished. In addition, the police carry weapons, a laser and a stun baton."

  "Are you going to have a regular shift?" Hanna asked.

  "Joseph said I would be backup for emergencies and occasionally fill in when there is an open shift but only when I wasn't required by the fighter unit." In secret, I was looking forward to being a part-time policewoman.

  Today's fighter exercises had been fun, although the other candidates didn't seem to have enjoyed themselves as much as I did.

  "Bradley, that bitch Kayla isn't providing us with any us
eful practice," Doug said after our practice session while jabbing a finger in my direction. "She is just showing off. As you have said time and again, the Tullizor aren't fancy. They come at you in waves in an attempt to run over you. She isn't learning anything and wasting our time. She doesn't belong in this class, and she has Todd beginning to copy her antics. Someone should show the bitch what a real fight is like. Nothing fancy, just tearing skin and breaking bones."

  A chill ran down my spine. This sounded like a prelude to what Bradley had feared. I saw Carl's evil smile at my involuntary reaction. Yes, they were capable of doing just that, I couldn't help the thought and shuddered.

  "What the Tullizor will be doing to us if we don't get some real practice soon," Carl chimed in while giving me an evil scan of my body.

  To my horror, Bradley said, "I think I agree. Class dismissed for today. Kayla and Todd, my office."

  I had to bite my tongue to keep from making a stinging retort. Only remembering the incident with my father stifled the words. Hearing Carl and Doug victoriously laughing made me feel like dying. I would rather have had a beating from them. Tears welled up in my eyes as I followed Todd and Bradley. Inside, Bradley closed the door and raised a hand to stop either Todd or me from talking.

  "Doug's right. He's not learning anything and probably never will. Todd, you are, on the other hand, doing well following Kayla's example." He laughed. I think at my open mouth expression. "Kayla, I'm going to transfer you and Todd to work with the Saker fighter pilots during their practice sessions. I want to see how effective your innovations are against experienced pilots. Doug is also right that the Tullizor aren't fancy. I'm hoping your techniques may provide a winning edge." He handed me a handkerchief. "I wanted an excuse to get you and Todd away from those two Neanderthals and maybe focus their attention elsewhere. They are trouble looking for a place to happen. Maybe, I should do what the Tullizor do and put them up front in the formation. Get out of here and act like you are being punished." He waved towards the door with an ear-to-ear smile.