“We should be exiting the wormhole shortly,” said the admiral.
“Yes,” said Legrande. “I am well aware of the situation.”
The ship started to vibrate slightly, just as it had when they entered the wormhole. Then, as suddenly as it had started, they were back in open space. Within seconds twelve ships dropped out of light speed and were in front of them, every ship from the cadet fleet minus Ryan’s ship. Amanda abruptly came out of her trance and ordered the cadet fleet to get into formation behind them.
“We’re at the rendezvous point,” she said. The monitor in front of her lit up and showed ninety-seven enemy ships less than fifteen minutes from their location, motionless, almost as if they had expected them. Also on the screen were the eight Altarran ships. They were coming up behind the Karang and were minutes away from overtaking them.
“Contact the Karang and tell them to stand down and surrender or we will destroy them,” said Legrande.
Amanda stared at Legrande and shook her head. “You’re an idiot,” she said. “Do you really believe they will surrender?”
Legrande motioned to Lieutenant Markem. The lieutenant pulled out his weapon and pointed it at Amanda. “That’s a direct order. Unless you want to be shot for treason, I’d suggest you comply.”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Legrande,” said the admiral.
“Another word out of you and I’ll order him to shoot you first, Jonas,” said Legrande. “And the same goes for your oversized gorilla over there. If any of you move I’ll have you shot for treason. Are we clear?”
Kyron bared her teeth but stayed where she was. “When we are done here I will gut you like the spineless pig you are,” she said.
Amanda looked at her friend and motioned for her to sit down. Kyron listened to her but it was obvious she wasn’t happy about it. Then Amanda sat and sent a message to the leader of the Karang. Needless to say they didn’t reply. In fact they powered up their engines and started to move forward in unison.
“What next, Legrande?” said Amanda. “Maybe you want to invite them over for coffee and cake?”
“Not at all,” said Legrande. “Remove the headgear and give it to Lieutenant Markem.”
“What do you think you’re doing, Legrande?” said the admiral.
“Come now,” said Legrande. “You military people are all alike. You think you know everything. Well, guess what. I’m in command now and we are going to make sure that both the Karang and the Altarrans are annihilated today. We were hoping the situation would have been resolved earlier, but Thompson must have figured out that we had a spy on his ship and stopped him. No worries. I’m here now to put an end to all of the ineptness.”
Kyron laughed at Legrande. “You are the fool. Nobody but the chosen one can command the Ship of the Gods.”
“Well now,” said Legrande. “We’re about to find out. Now hand over the headgear or I’ll kill your father.”
“Don’t do it, Amanda,” said her father. “As for you, Legrande, I’ll see to it that you and your cronies burn in hell for your traitorous actions.”
“It’s okay, sir,” said Amanda. “They won’t be able to control the ship.” She took off the headgear and handed it to Legrande. Markem handed his weapon to Legrande and put on the device. The ship immediately powered down and all the monitors went blank.
“I told you, Legrande,” said Amanda. “I’m the only one who can make things work on the ship. So unless you want to die, you’ll give me back the headgear.”
The doors to the bridge opened and Lieutenant Ollinger entered with a weapon pressed up against Commodore Laurent’s head.
“All right, Ms. Williamson,” said Legrande. “Put it back on. However, you will do everything I ask of you or I will kill your father. And if that doesn’t work I will kill your gorilla friend and then the Fleet Admirals girlfriend.”
“Do not listen to him, Amanda Williamson,” said Kyron. “Our lives are meaningless in the grand scheme of the universe.”
“You are correct about one thing, Kyron,” said Legrande. “Your life and the lives of your kind are meaningless. Now, listen to me, Ms. Williamson, and listen well. You will destroy the Karang. In doing so, you will accidentally destroy the Altarran fleet with them. It will be a most unfortunate accident.”
“You must really think I’m stupid,” said Amanda. “Am I supposed to believe that if I do what you ask of me that you’re going to allow the rest of us to live?”
“Well,” said Legrande, “that’s a choice you’re going to have to make. Or I can just kill your father now.” Legrande fired his laser, hitting her father in the upper thigh. “The next shot will be his head.”
Her father fell back into his seat and winced in pain. “Okay,” said Amanda. “No more.” She grabbed the controller and placed it back on her head. The ship powered back up, and not a minute too soon as the entire Karang fleet opened fire on them. But the weapons fire never even made it to them. The ship obviously had some type of shielding system that deflected the enemy’s weapons.
On the main screen the eight Altarren ships came into view. They opened fire on the Karang fleet from behind them.
“Now, Ms. Williamson,” said Legrande. “Target both the Karang and Altarran ships. We will simply say it was an unfortunate accident. That they were victims of friendly fire. Things of this nature happen all too often in times of war.”
“Do not do what he says, Amanda Williamson,” said Kyron. “We are friends. Our queen entrusted you with the amulet.”
Amanda looked into Kyron’s eyes. “Do you not trust me, Kyron? I will do what is best for all of us.” Amanda’s eyes glowed and darted towards the exit. She hoped Kyron understood.
“You will do what I tell you to do or your father and friends will die now,” said Legrande.
Amanda sat down and looked at the main screen. She noticed that Lieutenant Markem was standing directly behind her with his weapon pointed at Kyron. Ollinger was standing in front of her father but facing Commodore Laurent.
“Targeting both fleets now,” said Amanda. “Firing weapons in three, two, one.”
A beam of reddish light shot forth from the massive ship. It encircled both the Karang fleet and the Altarrans’ eight ships. The beams surrounding the Karang ships maintained a reddish glow but the Altarran ships were bathed in a bluish light. Suddenly there was an immense explosion that filled the entire view screen. Amanda noticed that Legrande and his men were intently watching the screen. She nodded to Kyron to make her move. Kyron took off running towards the bridge doors. Legrande saw that she was running for the exit. He yelled for Markem to shoot her.
Amanda used the distraction and jumped into action. She did a back flip from her chair, flying over Markem. As she came down she wrapped her legs around his neck and in one fluid motion snapped it like a twig. He was dead before he’d hit the floor. The sound of the bridge doors opening attracted Ollinger’s attention. He aimed his weapon at Kyron. Before he could fire, Amanda’s father kicked his legs out from behind him. As he fell to the floor, Laurent came down on him, thrusting her knee into his Adam’s apple, effectively crushing his windpipe and killing him. The bridge doors closed. Obviously Kyron had escaped.
“That will be enough,” said Legrande. He had picked up Markem’s weapon and was pointing it at the three of them.
“You’re finished, Legrande,” said Admiral Williamson. “How are you going to explain all of us being dead with you the only survivor?”
“That’s easy enough,” said Legrande. “I’ll just say that when Amanda fired the weapon and Kyron saw all the ships were destroyed, she went crazy and killed everyone. Luckily for me, I managed to kill her before she got to me.”
Amanda laughed. “Do you really think anyone will buy that story?”
“Since I’ll be the only one alive to tell it, yes I do,” said Legrande. “I’m sure some heads will roll, but I’ll be alive and the mission will be accomplished.”
“Pe
rhaps you’d better take another look at the main screen, Legrande,” said Amanda. “Looks like all of the Altarran ships are still in one piece.”
As Legrande turned to look at the screen, Kyron leaped from behind him. She hadn’t left the bridge after all. Closing the doors had been a ruse to make Legrande believe she had fled. She had hid behind one of the stations on the bridge. Now she bared her fangs and bit down on Legrande’s neck. As he came crashing down she ripped his head off with her bare hands and threw it on the floor. It rolled to a stop in front of Amanda.
“Indeed,” said Kyron. “Heads will surely roll.”
Amanda didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She ran to her father and hugged him.
“It’s okay, Mandy,” said her father. “Let’s contact the president and get to the survivors out there.”
Kyron came over as well. “How did you know that the weapon would only destroy the Karang ships, Amanda Williamson?”
Amanda hugged Kyron. “I knew from my visions when I saw the Semina Vitae use it the first time. They were fighting and both fleets were in close proximity. The same thing happened. They fired the weapon at all the ships but only the Karang were destroyed. The bluish light you saw surrounding your ships was energy shields. They protected them from the explosion. They also told me the weapon would only work against the Karang ships. I’m just glad you understood my signal and trusted me.”
“Of course I trusted you, Amanda Williamson,” said Kyron. “After all that we have been through and the fact that the Ship of the Gods responded to you, it was most obvious whom you sided with.”
The communications monitor beeped. It was the supreme commander calling. Amanda sat down and put the call on the main screen.
“Supreme Commander Granthaxe, I’m glad that you survived. Do you know what happened to the Fleet Admiral and to my ship as well?”
“Fleet Admiral Benjamin Thompson is alive and well,” said Granthaxe. “I have some of your crewmembers onboard my ship. The one named Tanner wishes to speak with you.”
Amanda’s heart felt like it was going to explode. She took one look at Tanner’s face and knew Ryan was gone. Tears welled up in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.
Tanner looked at her. The anguish in his voice was evident. “I’m really sorry, Mandy. I tried to get him to come with me but he used the ship to save his father. He told me to tell you he loved you and he’s sorry he couldn’t keep his promise.”
Amanda felt dizzy. She couldn’t catch her breath. She screamed out Ryan’s name and fell to her knees. The room started spinning and she collapsed to the floor.
Amanda opened her eyes. The room was dark. Her head was pounding and felt like it was going to explode. Then it all came back to her. The ship, the war, and worst of all, losing Ryan. She knew she was in sick bay. But which ship was she on? For that matter was she even on a ship? She hit the call button on the side of the bed. “Hello? Is anyone there?
Within seconds the door opened and in walked none other than Doctor Basha. “Wow,” said Amanda. “I must have been unconscious for a while. The last time I saw you was back on Earth before we left. How long have I been out?”
“Almost twenty-four hours,” said Basha. “A few hours after you passed out they put me on a supply ship and flew me out here.”
“Where is here?” asked Amanda.
“My least favorite post in our entire fleet,” said Basha. “Pluto. This is where I did my first two years of service. I swore I’d never come back here, but when they told me you were unresponsive and they couldn’t wake you up, I figured I’d better come see what I could do.”
“Thank you for coming, Doctor. I really appreciate it.”
“You won’t say that after you get my bill,” said Basha as she laughed. “This is one hell of a house call. Anyway, how do you feel, Amanda?”
Amanda shrugged. “My head feels like it has an anchor around it. My eyes hurt and . . .” Her voice got really quiet. “And my heart is broken.”
“Well,” said Basha, “I’ve got painkillers for your head. And your eyes will hurt for a while. Your retinas grew larger and your vision is much more powerful than it’s ever been. As for your sadness, there’s a roomful of people who have been patiently sitting outside that door for the last twelve hours waiting for you to wake up. And I’m pretty sure I’ve got something for you to mend that broken heart.”
Amanda looked away from the doctor and shook her head no. “I appreciate you trying to cheer me up, Doctor. And I’m thrilled that my friends are outside that door. But I really don’t want to see or talk to anyone right now.”
The door opened up and a very familiar face walked in. “Really, Mandy? Not even me?”
Amanda looked at Ryan in disbelief. She jumped up from the bed and ran into his arms as tears flowed from her eyes. “Ryan!” she screamed. “But . . . how? They told me you were dead.” She held onto him tightly, almost as if she were afraid that if she let him go he’d disappear.
“Honestly, Mandy, I thought I was dead. Just before the ship collided with the Karang two images appeared. One of them was my mother.”
Amanda looked into his eyes. She could have sworn he said he had seen his mother. She could see tears flowing freely down his face. “You saw your mother?” she asked.
His voice choked up but he continued. “Yes. As crazy as it sounds, I saw her. She wrapped her arms around me and told me everything’s gonna be okay and I thought I was a goner for sure. But then another figure appeared alongside her. It had a bluish glow and surrounded both of us. The next thing I knew, I was floating in space along with my mother. She looked me in the eyes and told me everything would be okay and not to worry.”
“What happened next?”
“Then the alien from your visions appeared and said that he had transported me off the ship. Turned me into pure energy. It was an intoxicating feeling. Anyway he told me that they decided they would save me. When I asked them why, they said my mother convinced them to do so. They also said we had unfinished business. Next thing I remembered was waking up on the floor in Captain Haywood’s office. I sure scared the hell out of him when he walked in and saw me lying on the floor.”
Amanda held onto Ryan crying as one by one, Jill, Tanner, Commodore Laurent, Ryan’s father, and her father entered the room. They were followed by Supreme Commander Granthaxe and Kyron.
Amanda noticed that a few of her friends weren’t there. This concerned her. “Where are Paul and Nikki and Rawlings?” she asked.
“Paul and Nikki are back on Earth in medical facilities,” said Ryan. “Rawlings didn’t make it.”
Amanda held onto Ryan and shook her head. She watched as Ryan’s father walked over to him. She let him go and smiled as the two embraced. Fleet Admiral Thompson had tears in his eyes. “You saw your mother?” he asked.
With tears flowing freely Ryan simply nodded. “I’m sorry I disobeyed orders, sir. I just couldn’t lose another parent.”
His father stood back and smiled. “I would have done the same thing myself,” he said. “Now get back to Amanda over there. That’s an order.”
Ryan returned to Amanda’s side. “Aye, sir.”
Amanda smiled as Granthaxe walked towards her. “Amanda Williamson,” he said, “on behalf of the Altarran race, I want to personally thank you for all that you have done. Your bravery and fortitude are that of an Altarran warrior.”
“Thank you, Supreme Commander Granthaxe. But I had a lot of help. Without Kyron and my father and Commodore Laurent, as well as our combined forces, we would never have succeeded.”
Kyron smiled and elbowed Granthaxe in his side. “Maybe you should rethink our outdated policy of not allowing females to be commanders. After all, it was three females and only one male that completed the mission of finding the Ship of the Gods.”
Granthaxe looked down at her. “We will discuss the matter another time, Kyron. As for now, we must get back to our planet and assist our ground forces to r
id our planet of the remaining Karang troops that were left behind when they retreated.”
“The Karang left Altarra?” asked Amanda.
“Indeed they have, Amanda Williamson,” said Granthaxe. “It seems when they lost contact with their fleet they pulled out immediately. Unfortunately some of their troops did not evacuate before their ships left. Therefore we must return and crush them like the insects they are.”
“That reminds me, Supreme Commander,” said Fleet Admiral Thompson. “I’ve ordered two troop carriers packed with ground forces to meet you when you get back home. They are there to assist you and your troops with mopping up and finding the remaining Karang forces.”
“Thank you for everything, Benjamin,” said Granthaxe. “Now I must take my leave. It was my pleasure to fight alongside of you and your son and his future bride.”
“Future bride?” said Tanner. “Did I miss something?”
Granthaxe laughed. “Come now, Tanner Blackhart,” said Granthaxe. “As your kind would say, even a blind man can see that.”
“Future bride?” said Amanda looking at Ryan,
“Well,” said Ryan. “Amanda Thompson does have a nice ring to it.”
“Really?” said Amanda. “I was thinking Ryan Williamson sounded better.”
Ryan smiled at her. She looked into his eyes and thanked God that he was alive and both the Altarrans and humanity would live on. Then she closed her eyes and kissed him.
Edward Miller
As a former chief editor for a sci-fi gaming website for over fifteen years, Edward Miller, author of the Cadets series, has crafted many stories designed to take readers to new places and immerse them in mind-bending situations. His debut novel with co-author J.B. Manas, The Kronos Interference, was named to Kirkus Reviews’ Best of 2012. Kirkus called the book, “impressively original” and a “tour de force.”
In a former life as a musician, Edward toured the United States with such acts as Foghat, The Allman Brothers Band, Edgar Winter, 38 Special, and others. Edward resides in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania with his wife and family, along with their dog, Holly.
Cadets: 2 The Ship of the Gods Page 22