On Dagger's Wings (The Spiral War Book 1)

by SF Edwards

  Trevis turned the rifle he had stolen on the second officer. “The code if you be so kind and I won’t be letting any harm come to you.”

  A blast rocked the ship and Blazer gripped the helm tight before a second struck. Their time was up. “Not to belabor the point, but that’s our defenses firing on this ship. They will destroy it if they have whether we’re onboard or not.”

  I really hope that isn’t true. But what’s hitting us? The blast was too powerful for even the anti-matter cannons the Temblors carried. Did the academy deploy additional forces or bring some defenses to bear that we haven’t seen before?

  Blazer read the doubt in the officer’s eyes as he looked at his crew. Several shook their heads but the two young helmsmen nodded vigorously. The captain did his best to resist Zithe’s grip, shaking his head the best he could. Blazer watched as the second officer’s will to live overrode all else.

  “One, eight, seven, six, two, five, four,” he called out as Telsh punched the code in.

  “I be having control,” she called out and programmed the ship to put them into a stable orbit around Singularity Base. “Inform the academy. We be having the ship.”

  “Stand by,” Trevis replied. “Engineering?”

  “We not be having the room, that last blast be breaching the bulkhead,” Kallie, the leader of the Explosions engineering team, called out for a howl of air. “It be vacuum in there.”

  “Good! Gokhead, you best be contacting the academy, be letting them know before they kill us.” Trevis turned to address the crew. “Drop your weapons and you will be taken unharmed. We not be savages.”

  The crew reluctantly complied and one by one tossed their weapons to the deck as Gokhead passed the word onto the academy. The firing stopped a moment later but not before several hull breaches showed on the damage control board.

  Blazer kept his gun leveled on the second officer as Porc and Nash made their way around the bridge. They bound the crew with security cuffs they’d liberated on their way to the bridge. As Porc bound the captain’s hands Blazer and Marda stepped up to him and she injected Zithe with silver tooth, a drug proven to reverse and inhibit lycanthropic transformation.

  "You know it would be a lot more ironic," Marda commented as she removed the injector, "since this ship is named after a famous Terran vampire if a Valu captured this ship.”

  Blazer shook his head. Few of the vampiric sub-race still survived on their home world.

  "I guess I'll just have to do then," Zithe growled when the drug began to take effect and his vocal cords returned to his control.

  "Group Two, what be your status?” Trevis called out.

  “We’re dropping back to an area with pressure,” Kallie responded, huffing, the scream of wind still echoing through her link. “Call us in a dropship though, we got wounded down here.”

  UCSB DATE: 1000.381

  Star System: Classified, UCSBA-13, Mendrick’s Bar and Grill

  Blazer’s drink stared back at him, an unblinking amber eye that filled him with self-doubt. Temblin had flown the bomber Blazer had escorted and had lost to enemy fire. After all, Temblin had done for Blazer, he was gone, obliterated by a single blast from one of the Nosferat’s heavy turrets. It was no glancing blow either, but a solid hit that atomized the assault craft.

  Blazer looked up: the others were taking the losses hard as well, but the death of Seri proved the harshest pill of all. The mother hen who’d looked out for them for nearly an annura - her inability to let go of her old element had led to her and Joda’s. demise If only she’d stayed on Joda’s wing instead of going out on her own. They’d both paid the price for that mistake.

  Marda had led element one in the battle, and along with Trevis’ element, were the only ones not to lose a bomber. Blazer rested a reassuring hand on the shoulder of Marda’s dress uniform.

  “Seri knew what she was doing,” he said low and calm.

  Marda nodded. “I know. Still it was no way to go.”

  Gavit’s mug clattered to the table, three more arrayed before it. “Five cents, all I needed was five more cents,” he slurred through his bandaged face.

  “Gavit, maybe you want to knock it off?” Blazer hinted.

  “Why should I?” he roared and met Blazer’s eye. His injury looked better, the surgeons rebuilding it after a stray plasma round during the board action had burned his left eye and half of his face. “Seri’s dead because of me. We all know it but none of you want to say it.”

  Blazer looked about the table. No one blamed Gavit for Seri’s death.

  Arion fixed Gavit with a sympathetic look and put on his most reassuring voice. “Gavit, that Tiger Cat and Phantom had her dead to rights.”

  Gavit just glared back at the big man.

  “I know you think you could have, should have, saved her, but I watched whole thing. Those One Char rockets they fire are designed to take out bombers.”

  “Five cents, that’s all I needed to reach her, five fragging cents.”

  “You can’t be everywhere at once,” Blazer replied. “You’re not omniscient. You and your flight got to her as quickly as you could and, like Arion said, no fighter can withstand a hit from those anti-bomber rockets of theirs. You can’t blame yourself for that. You don’t blame yourself for Bichard ditching his fighter when he took that hit from the cruiser’s big guns.”

  Blazer cringed. Wrong thing to remind him of. Gavit’s fist slammed into the table. “I’m supposed to be the best pilot here and I watched Seri and Joda bite it. Then one of my wingmen had to eject. What does that say about me? And now this,” he bellowed pointing at his face before he stormed out of the bar.

  Deniv downed the last of his drink and raced off after him. “Gavit, hold up man.”

  Blazer made to get up but Arion stopped him. “No. Let him go.”

  Blazer stopped and stared at him. “What? Why not?”

  “He needs time alone and Deniv can help him work through this better.”

  God I hate it when he’s right. Still he’s a member of my team and in pain, I should do something.

  “Arion, this is part of my duties.”

  “Since when? You’re not our leader, remember? Besides, he’s too buzzed right now for anything you say to do any good. The nanos will sober him up and then Deniv can talk him down. When he’s done they’ll come back.”

  It rubbed him raw but Blazer conceded the point. Still, he considered Gavit one of his men not just a friend. Does that mean I really want to be their leader?

  Out of the corner of his eye, Blazer caught Trevis looking up at the screens hanging about the bar. Memorials to the fallen ran on all of them. Pictures and videos of Seri, Joda, and the members of Temblor Squadron cycled through one after the other. Trevis raised his mug as a picture of Joda chewing out a group of cadets came on screen.

  “His last act be saving me. Forever will I be in his debt.”

  Blazer knew that was a debt Trevis could never repay and as a Tomeris it left him honor bound to continue in Joda’s name no matter what. Blazer looked across at everyone else in the bar as Trevis stood to address them. Cadets from over a dozen different squadrons looked up, many looking like they might not return from this break.

  “We all be in Joda’s debt. We all be training under him.”

  That wasn’t entirely true, but Blazer didn’t dare stop Trevis or risk ruining a toast in honor of a great man.

  “We all be training under him, learning from him, and we be taking his sacrifice and we honor it. We be beating back the Galactic Federation bastards in his name and we be the generation that stops them,” Trevis continued.

  He slammed his mug down on the table for emphasis and cadets all around the bar clapped. Even Blazer and the others at the table joined in. It felt good. It made sense to honor Joda and the others by beating back the enemy in their names.

  As the clapping subsided, Blazer looked up to find Trevis looking at those seated there. “I be senior here now.”

  Chri
s looked up, “What about Railet?”

  Trevis shook his head. “Railet? Railet be turning in his form from what I be hearing. He not be coming back.”

  Damn, we’ve been beheaded again. He looked around the table and saw the thoughts running through everyone’s eyes before Trevis continued.

  “No one else at this table be quitting. We all be coming too far and we know loss be a part of this. So we be fighting on.”

  Blazer nodded and looked at the rest of them. “I agree. The academy will assign us a new squadron commander. God help them!”

  A few of his squad mates chuckled in response.

  “We’ll carry on in memory of Seri, Joda and everyone else who’s lost their life to this war.” Blazer looked around the table; saw what the problem was. “We’re all forgetting something. We won the battle and those who fell did so to save everyone here. We won’t let their sacrifices, their losses, be in vain. We fight and we continue.”

  Blazer raised his glass to the viewer as it showed an image of the Temblors who had fallen and held it until an image of Seri arguing with Joda appeared. Datt had snapped that image only a tridec earlier. “To all those who have fallen, we carry on in your name!” Blazer announced.

  Everyone else in the bar repeated his words with their mugs held high. “To all those who have fallen, we carry on in your name!”

  It felt good to remind everyone that they actually won. The funeral that dawn had sobered everyone. The assembly had watched the caskets, empty and full, launch into the local star. At the end of the ceremony, each of the cadets had been awarded an honorary officer’s rank.

  Blazer had heard about Railet’s resignation along with several other cadets who’d turned in their forms as well. Many were from their class of cadets but more were from the class behind them. It felt unfortunate that so many didn’t realize that death and loss would be a part of their lives in the life they’d chosen.

  The squadron sat in silence. Blazer remembered the good times while thinking about how to honor their fallen friends and instructor before someone pulled Gavit’s chair away. Expecting Gavit, he and the others looked up as the chair spun around and Chertsin sat down. Blazer felt a surge of electricity enter his hands as Trevis visibly restrained himself. They didn’t need this man to remind them of their failures. Blazer considered him a blight. He had done nothing but sit and wait out the battle.

  Chertsin looked around the table, nodded at Seri’s empty seat. “I just wanted to say something to the group of you. Thank you.”

  Everyone just stopped and stared. Blazer couldn’t believe it, especially not out of this man. “Say again?” Blazer spoke in shock.

  Chertsin looked back at Blazer and saw humility for the first time. “Thank you. The whole academy thanks you, the Temblors, and the Blue Bricks. Thank you for saving us. Nobody knows what would have happened if that cruiser had crashed into Singularity Base. It would have been really bad as we all know. You deserve our, my thanks, and that’s all I wanted to say. I’m heading home for the break.”

  Before he left, Chertsin looked over at Trevis and the other Explosions. “If you not be heading home be you wanting me to extend any messages onto your kin?”

  Trevis shook his head slowly. The other Tomeris Explosions shook their heads as well.

  Blazer was sure he hadn’t heard Chertsin speak in their native dialect on purpose, ever.

  Chertsin then nodded and left, everyone looking around confused until Marda broke the silence.

  “Who was that man?”

  “I think it was Chertsin,” Arion replied. “He’s matured.”

  Trevis shook his head. “No. He finally be recognizing that we not be the enemy. That we need be working together. It just be scary hearing it from him.”

  Blazer couldn’t believe that Chertsin of all people had come to thank them. Others had too, but to hear it from Chertsin felt like hearing it from an enemy soldier.

  UCSBA-13, Exercise Fields

  When the time for their flight home neared, Blazer and Marda made their way from the bar. Walking across the sports fields, Blazer watched several cadets run around to get out their pent-up energy.

  Blazer thumbed the back of Marda’s hand gently. He relished her smooth skin and being with her now made him feel so alive. He never wanted that feeling to go away and stopped, keeping her hand held tight. “I think we should do it.”

  Marda looked around then back up at him. “You are getting bold. I would prefer it not be in such a public place,” she smiled back.

  “No, not that,” Blazer replied though it appealed to him after the last few cycles. “I think we should get married.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “I know it’s sudden and you would prefer to plan more but…”

  “Are we even allowed to?”

  Blazer had to think about that for a moment. He wasn’t clear on the rules about cadets getting married. “I don’t know but I love you and after last cycle I’m sure...”

  She reached up and gently caressed his face. “I know and I feel the same way. But where? How?”

  “We’re heading home to Anul. We just get our closest friends and family together for a small private affair.”

  “We need permission from an officer, I know that much.”

  “My grandfather’s a retired admiral. He can get us clearance.”

  “If we’re allowed to, do you think he’ll agree?”

  “I doubt that my grandmother will let him say no,” Blazer replied with a grin.

  Marda laughed and shook her head. “My grandmother would probably haunt him if he tried to stop us. OK. I know where I want to have it then,” she said and kissed him. “Before the Dask of Outcome I will be your wife, Mister Vaughnt.”

  “And I will be your husband, Miss Sciminder.”

  They kissed again, walking hand in hand towards the lift to the hangar. Reaching their destination, Marda stopped and looked up at her soon-to-be husband. “I have just one question. Are you taking my name or am I taking yours?”

  ###

  Thank you for reading On Dagger’s Wings, book 1 of the Spiral War series. If you enjoyed this book, would you please leave a review? A few lines are all that is required.

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  Books in the Spiral War Series

  On Dagger’s Wings, book 1

  In Death’s Shadow, book 2 (Coming Spring 2017)

  Rising Warrior, Rising Threat, book 3 (Coming Summer 2017)

  Would you like to know when the next book in the Spiral War series comes out?

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  Connect with SF Edwards

  Growing up in Tucson, Arizona, S.F. Edwards dreamed of flying and storytelling. He honed both of the loves into parallel careers as an Aerospace Engineer and Science Fiction writer.

  SF’s journey took him to the US Space and Rocket Center’s Aviation Challenge, where he was an instructor throughout his college career. After college, SF went straight to work at NAVSEA Port Hueneme working in the shipboard self-defense department. For three years he travelled the world and ensured the protection of American service members across the globe. For the next ten years he worked at Edwards Air Force Base as a developmental and operational flight test engineer on numerous aircraft programs.

  SF now calls the Puget Sound area home with his wife and five sons, one of whom is afflicted with a severe lifelong disability. The boys are his greatest joy and he works hard to make sure that they will become responsible, capable young men.

  After years of developing his writing skill set and honing the universe of his Spiral War book series, to make it as real as possible. SF continues to mentor other writers as a Veteran Reviewer on the Science Fiction and Fantasy Online Writer’s Workshop and multiple
local writer’s groups. SF also placed first in the Space Opera: Writers Summer 2016 Flash Fiction contest, as judged by Peter F. Hamilton, and placed second in the Spring 2016 contest as judged by David Farland.

  Like my page on Facebook: facebook.com/spiralwar

  Visit my website: www.spiralwar.com

  Time and Measure Conversion Factors

  Time:

  1 pulse = 100 centipulse/cents = 0.48 minutes

  1 hectapulse/hect = 100 pulses = 0.8 hours

  1 cycle = 30 hects = 1 day

  1 decacycle/decle = 10 cycles

  1 tridecacycle/tridec = 30 cycles

  1 annura = 390 cycles = 1 year, 25 days

  Distances:

  1 metra = 100 centimetra = 1 foot = 0.3048 meters

  1 kilometra/kimet = 1000 metra = 0.19 miles = 0.30 kilometers

  Dramatis Personae

  Monstero Nach:

  Joma Vailen- Original Monstero Nach Squadron Commander

  Seri Amare- Monstero Nach Replacement Squadron Commander/Blade Force Leader

  Railet Altair- Training Squadron 11 Transfer Cadet

  Blade Force:

  Schan Vaughnt- “Blazer,” Anulian Male, Ex- Navigator Guild Buoy Boy Energy Gatherer

  Arion Scotts- Anulian Male, Ex- Navigator Guild Buoy Boy, Self-healer

  Marda Sciminder- Anulian Female, Ex-Diplomatic Corps Shuttle Pilot, Combat Medium

  Usha Gokhead- Drashig Male, Ex-Space Forces Intel Specialist

  Deniv Vail - Anulian Male, Ex- Navigator Guild Buoy Boy

  Gavit Markus- Anulian Male, Ex-Aero-Racer, Ex-ASF Militia Spacecraft Handler

  Chris Anit- Anulian Female, Ex-Space Forces Security Specialist