Childhoods Lost (Sentinels Saga Book 2)

by Linn Schwab

“Everyone,” Chrissy said. “Everyone at the academy saw it.”

  “Didn’t anyone else volunteer?”

  Chrissy shrugged and shook her head. “I don’t know. I just know they picked me.”

  Robin glanced around the table at the rest of her squad. She could tell they were just as concerned as she was. A ten–‌year–‌old should not have been placed in this position. She belonged with the rest of her squad on Valhalla until it was their turn to enter service. Sending her this early was beyond cruel, whether she volunteered for it or not.

  Robin closed her eyes briefly, then stood up and wrapped her arms around Chrissy. “Welcome to Volaris,” she said. “I’ll have someone give you a tour of the station.” She introduced Chrissy to the others, and asked Caroline and Mindy to show her around. As soon as Chrissy stepped away from the table, Katrina glared at Robin in disapproval.

  “This is a bad idea,” she said. “You need to tell them to send her back.”

  Robin shook her head in despair. “What makes you think they’ll listen to me?”

  “They have to, Robin. This is just stupid. They have no business putting her in a destroyer. How is she gonna reach the controls? Heck, I can’t even reach the controls!”

  Robin looked over her shoulder at Chrissy as she followed Caroline and Mindy away. “It’ll be alright,” she insisted. “It’s not like we’ll be going into combat again. Not for a very long time, anyway. I’m not going to let anything happen to her.”

  The station’s alarms suddenly screamed in Robin’s ears, and Lieutenant Marlowe’s voice came over the intercom: “Scramble all destroyers and fighter squadrons! All units make for the tip of Pangea!”

  TACTICS 059

  The alarms sparked instant chaos on Volaris, sending personnel scrambling in different directions. Pilots converged on the hangar deck while destroyer crews sprinted for the spur level. The alert interrupted Caroline and Mindy as they prepared to show Chrissy how to use the elevators.

  “What’s happening?” Chrissy asked.

  Caroline could see the panic in her eyes. “Don’t worry,” she said, taking Chrissy’s hand. “Just stay with us and you’ll be okay.”

  Commander Eldridge and Major Richards burst in through the elevator doors together. “Control room!” Major Richards ordered.

  Mindy pressed the control room level button, and the elevator started to rise. When the doors opened, the two senior officers ran out again and sprinted to the center of the control room. The young Sentinels quietly followed behind them, curious to learn what was going on.

  “Lieutenant Marlowe,” Commander Eldridge yelled, “give us an update on the current situation!”

  “Enemy ships are advancing near the tip of Pangea again.”

  “Are they approaching in the same scattered deployment as before?”

  “No, it looks like they’re much more organized this time.”

  “They must be on to us,” the commander said. “They’re trying to pinpoint our location.” She stepped closer to Lieutenant Marlowe’s station. “Open the gun bay doors, Lieutenant, and position the guns so they’re facing Pangea.”

  Mindy overheard the commander and immediately tried to get her attention. “Commander,” she said, moving closer to her.

  “Not now, Sentinel!” the commander reprimanded her.

  Veronica shook her head in frustration. “The gun bay doors aren’t responding,” she said.

  “Commander Eldridge,” Mindy persisted, “the guns aren’t put together.”

  The commander glanced at Mindy with a look of irritation on her face. “What do you mean they aren’t put together?”

  “They’re lying on the floor in big wooden boxes.”

  Commander Eldridge crossed her arms, suggesting she wasn’t entirely convinced. “And just what makes you so certain of this?”

  Mindy cringed and pursed her lips, fearing she’d be punished for entering restricted parts of the station. “I saw them,” she reluctantly explained.

  The commander returned to the center of the room and pointed up toward one of the overhead monitors. “Miss Holden!” she yelled at Miranda. “Interior view of the gun bays, now!”

  “Yes, Commander.”

  When the image appeared on the display, it seemed to confirm what Mindy had described. Commander Eldridge looked at Major Richards in astonishment. “How long have your guns been in this condition?” she asked.

  The major seemed at a loss for words. “I have no idea,” she said. “I was under the impression they were fully functional.”

  “Haven’t you ever conducted live fire training exercises?”

  “Not here. We send our personnel to Cirrus for that.”

  The commander clenched her fists in frustration and headed straight for the elevator. “You’re in command here now, Major Richards. Tell one of your destroyers to wait for me. I’m on my way to the spur right now.”

  The controllers all turned to Major Richards with fear and uncertainty in their eyes.

  “Is she leaving us?” Miranda asked.

  The major didn’t seem to have an answer. She ordered Veronica to hold one of the destroyers, then looked out toward the tip of Pangea in concern. What could she possibly have in mind? she wondered. Would she really just leave us all behind and deprive us of a much needed warship right now?

  * * * *

  When Jenny arrived at the hangar, most of her pilots were climbing into their planes. A few squadrons were already heading for the airlocks, and several others were in the process of firing up their engines. Virginia ran in right behind her and caught up with her as she neared her squadron.

  “Is there a plane for me?” Virginia asked, yelling to get over the engine noise.

  Jenny pointed toward two brand new fighters which didn’t have markings painted on them yet. “There’s one for each of us,” she said. She looked at the bandage on Virginia’s arm. “Are you sure you’re up to this?”

  Virginia rubbed her arm and winced. The pain on her face was obvious. “I’m gonna try,” she said. “Just lead the way. I’ll be right behind you.”

  Jenny ran toward one of the fighters and quickly climbed up into the cockpit. She turned her transmitter on so she could speak to the others, then glanced toward Virginia to check on her progress. This is not good, she thought in concern. Virginia was clearly in a lot of pain as she tried to pull herself into her cockpit. “Remember, everyone,” she said to her squadron, “Virginia’s trying to fly with an injured arm. If she isn’t capable, we’re going to have to look after her.”

  “Don’t worry, Captain,” Nancy assured her. “No one’s gonna lay a finger on our Tiger Shark ace!” Her comment drew applause and cheers from the others. Virginia felt a tingling sensation in her skin, and realized she was blushing again.

  * * * *

  As Delia ran toward the spur, the Calypso’s condition was her first concern. Repairs had been made to the ship’s battle damage, but technicians were still troubleshooting the systems and there hadn’t been time for a test flight yet. With the Angelfish and Wallaby out of commission, there was little choice but to press the Calypso into action. She would just have to take the ship out as it was, and hope it was ready for the stresses of combat.

  Another worry was the fact that her crew was still shorthanded. Cheryl and Wendy had yet to be replaced, which left her two short of a full crew of seven. She could get by without a navigator in battle, which meant Tammy could cover the systems position. But that still left her with no one on auxiliaries, and she really didn’t want to leave that position unmanned. She considered commandeering one of the station’s technicians since some of them would likely still be present in the spur. But as she approached one of the elevators, she came across a member of ECHO 7, standing with her back pressed against the wall as other personnel rushed by in front of her. She knew the girl’s name was Tabitha, but she had no idea what position she’d been trained for.

  “Tabitha,” Delia said, stopping in front of her, �
��I need someone to cover auxiliaries for me. What position are you in Christy’s crew?”

  “Pilot,” Tabitha meekly responded.

  Delia decided this was no time to be choosy. Auxiliaries didn’t exactly require a lot of training. “Close enough,” she said, grabbing her by the wrist. She started sprinting toward the spur again, pulling Tabitha along with her as she ran.

  * * * *

  On the bridge of the CVS Terrapin, Captain Carly Russell waited impatiently for clearance to launch from spur number two. Her crew looked out through the forward windows and watched as the other destroyers departed. What is the holdup? she wondered in frustration. We need to get out there, fast. But the control room had ordered her not to leave yet, and with each and every second that passed, the enemy fleet was drawing closer.

  The systems operator, Teresa, slapped her palm on the surface of her console in frustration. “What are we waiting for?” she complained.

  “You’re waiting for me,” Commander Eldridge announced, arriving at the rear of the bridge. “I’m assuming command of this vessel.” She glanced around to see if everything was ready. The ship was already powered up and the engines were set at minimum idle. “Release the moorings!” she ordered. “Throttle up to point eight five! Fall in line behind those other ships, then maintain a distance of fifteen hundred meters!”

  She walked up to the captain’s console and stood directly to Carly’s side. “Captain Russell,” she said, “you’re familiar with our forces in this area. Bring me up to speed on our ships and their current positions.”

  “Since the Wallaby and Angelfish out of action, we’re down to eight destroyers now. The Gecko and Violet are concealed along the edge of Pangea, and the Osprey is hiding somewhere in the wreckage field. The Pollywog and Scorpion are leading us in, and the Calypso and Stingray are right behind them.”

  Her navigator pointed to a scanner display which was monitoring the enemy fleet’s progress. “Those ships aren’t closing very fast,” she noted.

  Commander Eldridge looked at the display. “They know we’re waiting for them,” she explained. “They just aren’t quite sure where, or in what numbers.” She took a deep breath and began to evaluate her options. A frontal assault with nothing but fighters and destroyers would likely prove to be very costly. They’d be flying into a wall of forward facing guns and would start taking fire long before they reached torpedo range. “We need to make sure they can’t concentrate their fire,” she said. “Otherwise those guns are going to decimate us. I need to coordinate with the other destroyers.” She looked at the radio operator. “See if you can contact all of them for me. Tell them to hold back until I give the order.”

  * * * *

  After the last of the destroyers had launched, Major Richards turned to Mindy and Caroline, and the young girl whose name she didn’t yet know. “I want all of you girls in the cafeteria,” she told them. “It’s the safest part of the station if we come under attack. Get everyone in your battalion in there, and tell them to stay there until this is over. Understand?”

  The three of them nodded and turned to leave.

  The major issued another instruction as they left. “And make sure they stay clear of the emergency bulkheads! The doors could seal themselves without warning!”

  As the younger Sentinels rushed out of through the exit, Janine ran in and approached Major Richards. “What’s going on?” she asked, gasping for breath. It seemed apparent from the tousled appearance of her hair that she must’ve been asleep when the alarms went off.

  “We’re being attacked,” the major explained. “Enemy ships are advancing near Pangea again.”

  Janine’s expression indicated panic and confusion. “Where’s Commander Eldridge?” she asked, tentatively glancing around the control room.

  Major Richards gestured toward the windows, implying the commander was no longer on Volaris. “I guess she didn’t tell you she was leaving,” she said, closely observing Janine’s reaction to the news.

  What at first seemed like helplessness and indecision quickly gave way to calm and acceptance. After a few seconds more of catching her breath, Janine made an effort to stand straight and still, and looked at the major as if in deference. “Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked, signaling a willingness to take orders from her.

  The sudden change in Janine’s behavior came as a surprise to Major Richards. She was still deeply upset with the woman for locking her out of the infirmary and refusing to grant her access to Sheri. “I don’t know,” she said. Her voice was colored with an air of cynicism. “Shouldn’t you be the one telling me what to do? Or are you finished slamming doors in my face now?”

  Janine looked her in the eyes and attempted to rationalize her actions. “Major,” she explained, “my authority pertains only to active investigations. The case against Captain Starling has been resolved now. And, generally speaking, combat operations are outside my purview.”

  “That makes two of us,” the major informed her. She took a deep breath and allowed the harshness to fade from her expression. With the extent of Janine’s authority now revealed to her, the veil of intimidation had been lifted. The question of which one of them outranked the other was finally off the table now. “Yes,” she said, after thinking for a moment, “there is something you might be able to help me with. Are you authorized to use Command–‌net?”

  The question appeared to make her uncomfortable. “Maybe…” she said. “Why?”

  Major Richards pointed toward Pangea. “We’re in big trouble here, Janine. We need all the help we can get. The Fourth Fleet is supposed to be arriving here soon. I need you to log on to Command–‌net, and use whatever influence you might have to find out where they are right now.”

  “Alright,” Janine agreed. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “You can use the terminal in Commander Jeffries’ office. It’s just at the other end of the corridor.”

  * * * *

  Caroline led Chrissy to the cafeteria while Mindy searched for the rest of their battalion. Major Richards made an announcement on the intercom: “Second Battalion, report to the cafeteria.” Moments later, almost all of them were there. The four squad captains quickly took a count of their members. Christy Allison frantically searched through the room. “Has anyone seen Tabitha?” she asked in concern. Everyone fell silent and looked around themselves. Tabitha was nowhere to be found. Christy immediately headed for the exit, calling out Tabitha’s name as she went.

  “Wait,” Robin pleaded, grabbing Christy by the arm. “Major Richards ordered us to stay here. What if the doors all close while you’re out there?”

  “Let me go, Robin!” she insisted. “I have to find her.”

  Robin could see the determination in her eyes and realized she had to let her go. She understood what her friend was feeling and empathized with her need to locate Tabitha, even if it came at great risk to herself. “Be careful,” she said, loosening her grip. “Get back here as soon as you find her.” Christy pulled away from her and darted through the doorway as fast as she could run.

  As she watched her friend step out of sight, Robin was suddenly reminded of the last time the two of them had spoken to each other. Christy had complained of hearing voices and her eyes had shown signs of sleep deprivation. She certainly looked much improved to Robin now, but the reason for her lack of sleep was still a mystery. What was it she told me? she tried to remember. Something about having killed people. She looked around until she found one of Christy’s girls, then pulled her aside from the others for a moment.

  “Rachel,” she said, “I need to ask you something. A while ago, Christy told me she helped kill people. Do you know what she meant by that?”

  Rachel gave her a brief description of how they had served on board the Calypso during the previous battle near Pangea. She explained that Christy had volunteered her squad to keep the Calypso’s torpedo tubes loaded. “We helped blow up some enemy ships,” she said. “The Calypso’s reloa
der wasn’t working.”

  “So that’s what she was talking about. She really did help kill people.” She looked straight into Rachel’s eyes now. “Christy said she was hearing voices. She told me she could hear people screaming. She said they wouldn’t let her sleep. Have you been hearing anything like that?”

  Rachel slowly shook her head.

  “What about the others?” Robin asked. “Have any of them mentioned hearing voices?”

  “No. But Christy never told us she was hearing voices either.”

  “She probably just didn’t want you to worry.”

  Rachel looked both confused and concerned. “But why would she hear people screaming, Robin? It’s not like we could hear them when it happened.”

  Robin was puzzling over the very same question. It just didn’t seem to make any sense. “I have no idea,” she said. “But at least she looks like she’s better now. Hopefully it won’t bother her anymore.” Outwardly, she tried to appear unconcerned, so Rachel’s mind would be at ease. But inside, she was still searching for answers. Either Christy was just imagining things, or something unexplained was affecting her mind — a possibility Robin found deeply unsettling. If I kill people, she wondered in anguish, will I start hearing voices too?

  * * * *

  Admiral Sands kept his eyes on the scanner as his fleet advanced toward enemy space. Commander Ingman had joined him on the Alabama’s bridge to assist him in coordinating the attack and oversee the deployment of fighters. After discussing the admiral’s goal for this assault, they’d both decided there was no point in exposing the carriers to enemy fire. So the Melbourne had remained a safe distance to the rear, along with the Belfast and Johannesburg. Since the distance to the objective was well within their range, the fighters had been ordered to fly into combat interspersed between the advancing gunships.

  As the ships moved closer to enemy space, they began to encounter sobering reminders of the previous engagement with enemy forces. The darkened remains of several cruisers still littered sections of the combat zone. Commander Ingman scrutinized one of the wrecks as the Alabama passed nearby. The damage to the cruiser was unsettling to look at, considering the loss of life involved. He lowered his head in respect and contemplation, and tried to imagine the suffering endured when the ship had met its horrific fate. “There’s one thing you have to give these girls credit for,” he said. “They sure put up a hell of a fight.”