Star Runners: Mission Wraith (#3)

by L. E. Thomas

  Gotta get used to that, he thought.

  The cramped corridor opened up to the main passage. The long viewport revealed the blackness of space over the Formidable instead of the gigantic bulk of the Tizona. He gripped the strap on his shoulder and leaned against the viewport. He stared into the void.

  Below the field of stars stretched the carrier’s retrieval bay for all incoming traffic and the spot he would have to soon land his Trident. The bay in the center of the ship reminded Austin of a small football stadium. No space traffic was coming or going at the moment, but Austin knew that would soon change.

  Pulling himself away from the view, Austin made his way toward the orientation in the multipurpose room on the starboard side of the ship. Along the way, he passed the guarded hatch leading to the bridge. Two Marine guards wearing perfectly pressed dark gray uniforms flanked the bridge entrance. They stared him down as he passed.

  Austin found the multipurpose room. A crowd had already gathered in the room, speaking quietly in the dozen rows of seats. He found David “Bear” Keller lingering on the back row and focusing on his tablet.

  “Hey man,” Austin said, slipping into the seat next to Bear. “Feels like school, right?”

  “Sure does,” Bear said, glancing up from his tablet. “Did you know this ship’s reactor can operate for as much as fifteen years without refueling?”

  “Uh, no.”

  “Hey, what’d you think of your room?”

  “It’s small, right?”

  Bear lowered his gaze. “Look at me, man. I’m bigger than you. That room’s the size of a porta-potty.”

  Austin laughed. “I guess you’re right.”

  “You hear about Braddock?”

  “What’s that?”

  “Been promoted to Major,” Bear said, his eyebrows raising. “He’s leading the entire wing on this tour.”

  Austin thought of Braddock, his strong leadership skills exhibited at the end of the Battle of Atlantis. He nodded. “He’s a good man.”

  “Tough, but fair.” Bear exhaled. “I’ll miss Nubern, though.”

  Austin smiled. “I will too, man.”

  Skylar Kincaid strolled into the room, a tablet in her hand. Her face darkened as her eyes fell on Austin. She moved to the front of the room and sat alone.

  “What’s up with you two, anyway?” Bear asked, leaning forward.

  “I don’t know, man,” Austin lied, staring down at his tablet. “Why?”

  Bear shrugged. “I thought you guys were close.”

  “Not sure what’s going on,” he mumbled, his stomach turning.

  “Women, right?”

  “I guess.”

  A Tarnex Squadron Star Runner stepped into the room and marched with a purpose to the front. His heavy black jacket made him appear like a biker. The man’s hair was cut close to his scalp. He pressed commands into a tablet from the front of the room. When he looked up, he placed his hands on his hips and surveyed the room. A hush fell over the crowd of two dozen Star Runners as he stared at them.

  “That’s better,” the Tarnex Star Runner said in a confident tone. “Everyone take a seat, and we’ll begin.”

  An image of the dagger-shaped Formidable appeared on the screen behind the officer. He gestured back with his thumb. “As I hope you know by now, this is the Formidable—your home for the foreseeable future. I’m Captain Doug Lord with Tarnex. It’s part of my job to educate you newbies on the ins and outs of this vessel. There are five-hundred men and women in the space wing on this boat and forty-nine pilots, a ship’s crew of two thousand and a hundred Marines as well as a handful of special operations troops, also known as Serpents. They are counting on you to integrate into the crew fast and seamlessly. For the next few days, we will meet like this and go over what you need to know to make a life for yourself on this ship—everything from the procedure for off ship communications to the importance of utilizing the mandatory rec rooms.”

  He pressed on his tablet and the image shifted to a schematic of the ship. “You are here,” he said, pointing with a laser pointer to the multipurpose room on the starboard side of the ship. He moved the pointer to highlight the bow of the ship and work his way down. “Along the primary deck, the bridge is here, retrieval bay here, hangar bay is flanked by four launch tubes on either side here, followed up by the engine room and ship’s operations here. Above the hangar is primary flight control or pry-fly, the flight bridge, flight deck control, launch ops and the Carrier Space Traffic Control Center. Below the hangar bay is the crucial Spacecraft Maintenance Division. These crew members are responsible for keeping all forty Tridents, twelve Kardas and ten Corvos operational. At the bow below the bridge, you have the Combat Direction Center or CDC. Berthing compartments are located on the port side. Enlisted personnel racks hold about fifty to sixty people each and are located on each side of the ship. We have about covered it. Got it?”

  Austin’s eyes widened. Bear glanced at him, his brow wrinkled.

  “Good,” Lord said, taking off his jacket to reveal well-shaped biceps with a black tattoo of a sword on his left forearm. “Today, we’ll start with your health. UV light is crucial for the human body, and we’re going to talk about how you get this in the void.”

  *****

  “Man, that was just plain brutal,” Bear grumbled as they marched aft toward the primary deck mess hall.

  “You didn’t find the required time in a UV room interesting?” Austin asked, his eyebrows raised.

  “Smart ass.”

  Captain Lord’s presentation stretched every second of the allotted hour period. To think they had two more weeks of daily hour-long orientation sessions made Austin wish he were still on Oma with Ryker, swimming in the lukewarm waters along Seaside.

  To their right, two Tridents zipped past the retrieval bay viewport and headed out of their sight, driving for deep space.

  “Looks like the patrols have started,” Bear said, nodding to the passing fighters. “We are really underway.”

  Austin gazed out into space. “Looks like it.”

  “I heard we are heading for the border because of that Atlantis incident,” Bear said, staring at Austin. “You still haven’t talked about what you saw there. What do you know about it?”

  Austin thought back to the conversations he had on Atlantis with both Nubern and Captain Ty Braddock. They discussed the situation in secret, so Austin didn’t know what he was at liberty to say. He knew Josh had apparently witnessed a Zahlian capital ship in communication with the Tyral Pirates, who had launched and financed the attack on Earth. Braddock seemed to think they were on the path to war, but he didn’t seem to want to broadcast it.

  Finally, Austin shook his head. “I know what you know. Earth was attacked, and we stopped it.”

  Bear snorted. “That we did.”

  The mess hall had steel walls, steel chairs, steel tables and steel trays—just like Austin’s quarters. Several hundred men and women filled the mess hall, their conversations mixing with the clattering of silverware on the plates. The different uniforms of the Star Runners mingled at separate tables from the mass of gray uniforms comprising the enlisted crew. Since he arrived, Austin had discovered the enlisted crew all hailed from core worlds. The recruitment efforts on dark worlds apparently focused on Star Runners; a fact Austin had been unaware of until he began his service on the Formidable.

  As they waited in line for dinner, Austin found Ryker in the sea of Tizona officers at one long table. He recognized all the Star Runners at the table as members of his thirty-second squadron, but the two officers near Ryker, one in Lobera green and the other in Tarnex black, were unfamiliar to him.

  Austin and Bear made their way through the line, picking up steaming dinner that looked like a dark brown paste, and strolled over to the table. Ryker looked up at him, smiling when he approached.

  “Good evening,” Austin said when an awkward silence fell between them.

  “Lieutenant,” Ryker said in a neutral, offi
cial tone. “How was orientation?”

  “Fine, ma’am,” Austin said, frowning. “How is everything for you?”

  She avoided eye contact and looked at the two other officers. “This is Lieutenant Stone and Lieutenant Keller,” she said, pointed at both Austin and Bear. “They were two of the Star Runners involved in the Battle of Atlantis.”

  “Oh?” The Lobera Star Runner stood, wiping his mouth. He had a chiseled jaw and piercing, colorless eyes. He stood two inches taller than Austin’s six-foot-two inches but seemed even taller when he took in a deep breath and swelled his chest. “Hell of a fight, I heard. Well, for a backwater planet, anyway.”

  “It was,” Austin said, staring back at Ryker and suddenly feeling very stupid holding a tray in front of him.

  “Not bad for a couple of dark world recruits. I’m Lieutenant Lo Talad, Twelfth Lobera,” the man said. He looked back at the other officers around the table. “That sorry piece of trash is Lieutenant Nur Welden, Seventh Tarnex.”

  Austin nodded to both of them, but his eyes fell back on Ryker. After a moment, Bear nudged his shoulder.

  “Come on, man,” he said. “Let’s go sit and eat.”

  “Okay,” Austin said quietly. He looked at Ryker, who stared at the table. “See you later.”

  Austin and Bear settled into the only open seats on the closest table, right in the middle of Lobera Star Runners. Bear sat across from Austin, and they ate in silence for a moment.

  “So you there,” a dark skinned Lobera Star Runner across the table said with a smile, “I hear you’re the one.”

  Austin blinked and sighed. “One for what?”

  The Lobera Star Runner glanced at his comrades with a smile. “Rumor has it a Tizona first timer on board single handily took on a wing of pirate fighters to defend a dark world. Rumor has it that’s you.”

  Bear looked up from his plate. His mouthful of food sent particles across the table when he spoke. “Hey, I wouldn’t say he did it all by himself.”

  Austin thought of the Star Runners who died that day over the Pacific Ocean. He reflected on the F-18 pilots who bravely defended Earth even though they didn’t have the entire story, following orders without question.

  “He’s right,” Austin said, scooping the thick food into his mouth. It tasted like sweet potatoes only more bland. “I didn’t do it alone.”

  The Lobera Star Runner’s smile faded. “Hey, I didn’t mean to pry. I’m Lieutenant Darrien Brock.” He gestured to a Star Runner to his left with curly red hair. “This is Lieutenant Teri Soloman. Over there is Lieutenant Feri Trace and Kason Tark. This’ll be our third tour out here.”

  “Third?” Austin asked, glad the subject had been changed from the Battle of Atlantis. “I bet you’ve seen it all out here.”

  Darrien shrugged. “We’ve seen a lot.”

  “I’ll bet. I’m Lieutenant Austin Stone. This is David Keller.”

  Darrien eyed him, his food momentarily forgotten. “If you ever want to talk about the battle,” he said before pointing with his fork to the Lobera Star Runners he just introduced, “any of these officers would be glad to listen. There are some who say the battle you were in is the first move in a concealed effort to start a Legion-Zahl war.” He grinned. “But there’s always talk like that.”

  Austin looked at them, the feeling of camaraderie he felt among the Star Runners returning for the first time since he arrived. “Thanks, but it was just a scrap with untrained pirates.”

  “A mass of untrained, well-armed pirates can still put up a lot of incoming fire,” Darrien said. “You know, I knew Mako Stark. Did you get a chance to meet him?”

  Austin shook his head sharply. “Who?”

  “Callsign Dart.”

  Austin stared down at his plate for a moment. Then he remembered. “Dart was an Excalibur Star Runner.”

  “Yes.”

  “He was stationed on Atlantis.” The memory came back to him quickly. He remembered Nubern leading the handful of Star Runners in the desperate defense of Atlantis. “Dart was part of the initial Atlantis defense.”

  “Yes,” Darrien said, his eyes watering. “He was supposed to be there on leave while our carrier was docked for maintenance.”

  Austin remembered briefly seeing Dart as they boarded their Tridents in a desperate defense of Atlantis. He fell, along with Telmi and a rookie named Dizzy, during the opening shots of the battle. The casualties left Nubern and Austin alone in the air against terrible odds. They died when Austin, for some reason, survived.

  “He fought bravely, Lieutenant,” he said.

  Darrien nodded sharply. “He always did.” He cleared his throat. “You know he was academy trained?”

  “No.”

  “Yep. Graduated at the top of his class. He was from Tal Mara, beautiful world. I went home with him once after our first leave.”

  Austin smiled. He had realized the Star Runners who hailed from the Legion core worlds and went through the Legion Academy were treated with a different level of respect than people like him. He understood, of course, since his greatest achievement had been playing an online video game well.

  “Where are you from?” Austin asked after a moment.

  “Pacar.”

  Austin felt his face warm. “I know Pacar.”

  “Really?”

  “I flew with a Star Runners named Etti Mar. She was from there.”

  “Where is she now?”

  Austin focused on his food, swirling the fork around the paste.

  “Never mind,” Darrien said in an understanding tone. “Anyway, welcome aboard, Stone.”

  *****

  Austin took his tray and dumped it in the receptacle with the others. When he turned to leave, he nearly crashed into Ryker. Her mouth opened slightly, and then she smiled.

  “I’m sorry about earlier,” she said softly. “I didn’t know what to say.”

  “Sorry about what?” He smiled, trying to act as if the deflection from earlier didn’t bother him. “It’s fine.”

  “No,” she shook her head, her eyes glancing around as if she would be heard. “I was caught off guard. I served with those guys on my first tour and, well, I didn’t know what they would think to see me suddenly … involved.”

  Austin winced. “Involved? Look, I don’t want to be a problem.”

  “And you aren’t.” She stepped closer to him. “This will just take some getting used to. That’s all.”

  “Is there some kind of regulation against this?”

  Ryker kicked her feet at the deck. “Not exactly.”

  “I see.” He pursed his lips and nodded. “Well, I guess I need to hit the rack. I’ve heard we have an early briefing tomorrow.”

  “I know,” she said. “I’m in it.”

  He held her gaze for a moment. “See you then.”

  Major Ty Braddock stood at the front of the auditorium. Star Runners filed in, conversing with one another in hushed tones. An emerald glow pulsated throughout the room. There seemed to be a haze drifting over everything, but Austin thought it could have been a lack of sleep. Braddock’s cold gaze surveyed the Star Runners as they entered.

  A sleepless night filled with terrors, firefights and explosions allowed Austin to be first to the early morning meeting. He had stopped by the mess hall for a coffee and drank nearly all of it by the time he reached the briefing room. Braddock said nothing as he entered, only nodding in silence.

  Upending the disposable mug, he found Ryker, who sat at the far side of the room. He felt like a rusty knife twisted inside his chest. She didn’t even look in his direction.

  He shook his head. She had to be nervous about this situation, so he tried to give her distance. As difficult as it was, he kept his eyes away from her as the briefing began.

  “Welcome,” Braddock said softly. “Some of you may know me. I’m Major Ty Braddock, and I will be your CO for this tour. It is a great honor to lead all of you. I feel we have been very fortunate with an incredible space wing on t
his tour.”

  He held the room with his eyes for a moment before continuing.

  “All of you have the pleasure of leading our tour’s first patrol beyond normal carrier patrol. Star Runners, I don’t think I have to tell you that there will be many, many sorties in your near future with the state of events the way they are. That’s where we begin today.”

  The dull green light of the room faded as a hologram of a star chart filled the air over their heads. The chart’s focus lingered on the border between the Zahl and Legion space. A bright green triangle blinked at the edge of the border.

  “This is the Formidable,” Braddock said, gesturing with his laser pointer. “During the night, we curved here to Quadrant Four where we will be patrolling the edge of Zahl space and the edge of The Fringe. Commander Horace expects us to be here for some time. Just across the border is the Clarian System led by Sector Regent Knox Tulin, known by some as Warlord Tulin.”

  The star chart shifted to display an image of Tulin. His black hair slicked back like he had dipped into a tank of grease. A long hawk-like nose protruded out from the center of his gaunt face, outmatched only by a bulkier chin.

  “What I am about to tell you is top secret,” Braddock said, lowering his gaze. “This means you are not to discuss this outside of this room, and any mention of Tulin and what I tell you next will be censored from your outbound communications. You read me?”

  The Star Runners nodded. Austin opened his tablet and started typing notes as Braddock spoke.

  “Tulin’s file is being downloaded to your tablets labeled, ‘CST1.’ The bottom line is Tulin has a great deal of clout in the Zahlian Government, and he’s been very busy.” The star chart swept across the stars to Quadrant Eight. Austin saw the sun at the edge of the quadrant. “We have intelligence linking Tulin to the efforts to destabilize Quadrant Eight. It appears it was Tulin who had been supplying the late Dax Rodon—a known scoundrel and pirate leader—with supplies and weapons to lead an attack on Earth.”