CassaStar (9 page)

How did you do that?
exclaimed Trindel in amazement.

Do what? The jump?
Byron asked, contemplating the question. His answer was cut short, though.

“
715T, return to formation at once!”

The voice over the com was Bassa’s and he sounded furious. Byron felt his stomach sink. What had they done wrong now?

That didn’t sound encouraging,
Trindel noted, his solemn thought tinged with concern.

Irritation rising in his chest, Byron clenched his fists. “Damn!” he muttered under his breath.

Spirits dampened, his team returned to the squadron. The remaining drone was neutralized and the trainees assumed formation. Facing the scene of the battle, Byron noted three Cosbolts drifting among the lifeless drones. After a moment, power returned to the ships. The downed teams slowly joined the squadron while the drones proceeded toward the base. Byron hoped the three ships who’d failed to evade the drones would receive the brunt of Bassa’s wrath. He still had no idea what error he and Trindel had committed.

Too many jumps?
Trindel offered as they returned to base.

They were all successful, though!

Trindel said no more. Byron’s irritation continued to grow as they proceeded to land and taxi into the hanger. A couple of the men commented on his team’s kills, but Byron’s sullen mood discouraged further conversation. Retreating to the debriefing room, he dropped into his chair with incredible force and fumed in silence as the others joined him.

The officers did not enter until all of the trainees were present. One look at Bassa’s angry expression and Byron’s defenses rose in anticipation. This session would not be pleasant.

Officer Rellen gestured to Morden, and the instructor stepped forward. He glanced at his computer pad before scanning the room.

“
Your first major battle was not without mistakes,” began Morden, his tone grim, “including three downed ships. Fortunately, all drones were neutralized within an acceptable period of time. Several teams had multiple kills, and Byron and Trindel possessed the highest total with four …”

“
With a matching four jumps,” interjected Bassa, his loud voice commanding everyone’s attention. “And that is unacceptable!”

Byron felt his face flush with anger and embarrassment. “All four jumps were successful, sir,” he protested.

“
You were damned lucky!” the senior officer retorted. “We’ve repeatedly informed you of the dangers of multiple jumps, as your teleporter will fail with such misuse. Two successive jumps drain the element. You failed to give the teleporter time to recharge before jumping again. Those last two jumps were pure luck, and you never rely on luck!”

His words vibrated the walls of the room, punctuated by the fury emanating from the senior officer. Byron’s jaw was tight as he held back the ugly words that rose to his lips. He could not lose his temper now. Beside him, Trindel shifted in his seat.

“
Sir, if I may?” Byron’s navigator offered.

“
I don’t want to hear it!” exclaimed Bassa, effectively silencing Trindel. “You are to report to my office the moment we finish here.”

Consumed with fury, Byron paid little notice to the remainder of the debriefing. He had no doubt his team would receive their first mark today. While the successive jumps pushed the limit, not one had met with failure. It angered Byron that they would be punished despite their success. It annoyed him even more that their perfect record would now be tainted.

His attention returned when the instructor covered the incident that led to their third jump. It was but a small consolation that Byron and Trindel were not at fault, as Kernse’s team was responsible for the ill-timed jump that placed both ships in danger. While this removed some of the blame for their third teleporting attempt, it did not excuse the fourth jump. The ensuing lecture from Officer Morden irritated Byron further, although it would pale in comparison to what awaited his team in Bassa’s office.

The senior officer’s gaze only strayed from the pair when he berated the three failed teams. His senses were not required to detect the growing fury in Byron, as the boy’s expression revealed his emotions without question. Bassa did not allow the young man’s resentment to alter his judgment, though. The pair would receive a berating that would occupy their thoughts for a long time.

When the debriefing drew to an end, Bassa exited without reiterating his instructions. Still furious with Byron’s team for their blatant disregard for protocol and safety, he retreated to his office to await the young men. He’d been patient with Byron thus far, going out of his way to ensure the boy’s skills were properly developed while ignoring his more daring antics. However, today’s reckless stunt would not go unpunished.

When the chime announced his visitors, Bassa bellowed for Byron and Trindel to enter. The young men complied, and he noted their expressions at once. Trindel appeared pale, his eyes filled with apprehension, but Byron’s face revealed indignation and defiance. This did not settle well with the senior officer and his fury was renewed.

“
What do the regulations say about multiple jumps?” he demanded.

Byron took a deep breath. “Jumps should not be attempted closer than five minutes apart,” he replied, his eyes cold.

“
And how many jumps did you perform today in just under nine minutes?”

“
Four, sir.”

“
How many?”

“
Four, sir!” Byron and Trindel cried in unison.

Bassa stared hard at the men as he rose to his feet. Neither moved, but he sensed Trindel’s mental flinch.

“
You placed yourself and others at risk,” he stated. “Jumping without allowing the teleporter to recharge is reckless and dangerous. Your third jump might be excused, but certainly not the final jump. That was sheer stupidity!”

Byron shifted his stance, but his face bore no traces of apology. Annoyed by the young man’s continued defiance, Bassa realized there was only one way to reach the arrogant pilot.

“
Not only will this result in a mark on your record, but I am considering dismissing you both from the program.”

As if he’d just been slapped, Byron’s eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped. For a brief moment, Bassa sensed fear in the young man. Byron’s expression altered to one of indignation, his eyes narrowing to mere slits. Bassa wondered what foolish words the young man was about to spew and waited for the response.

“
Sir?” came Trindel’s timid voice. “If I may say something?”

Shifting his attention, Bassa scowled. “Out with it!”

Glancing at his pilot, Trindel swallowed hard. “Sir, Byron didn’t use the teleporter’s power on our last two jumps,” he offered, the words tumbling out of his mouth in a rush.

“
What do you mean?” demanded Bassa, assuming Trindel was searching for any excuse at this point.

“
Our teleporter’s power was at zero when he made those jumps, sir.”

Confounded, Bassa stared at Trindel. Such a feat was preposterous. Pilots could not fold space without the teleporter. Unless by chance …

Bassa turned to his computer and pulled up the transcript from their flight. Requesting the power level of the teleporter at the time of each jump, Bassa eyed the screen with skepticism. The first jump had required sixty percent of the unit’s energy and the teleporter’s power only recharged to fifty percent by the time they performed the second jump. It was the final two jumps that caused Bassa to pause in bewilderment. The teleporter’s energy level rested at zero on both occasions, just as Trindel had claimed.

Bassa glanced up at the two men. Byron appeared confused and his angry thoughts had subsided. The senior officer stared at the young pilot as he digested the full implication of this new development.

Settling into his chair, Bassa retrieved Byron’s records. Searching through the history, he attempted to locate the young man’s last psyche evaluation. There had to be some mention of extraordinary powers that would explain jumps without using the teleporter’s power. However, the most recent testing had occurred over ten years ago and was noted as just above normal.

Perplexed, Bassa began searching for any mention of additional powers. Byron’s record was lengthy, but most of it covered physical skill or disciplinary measures. Frustrated by the lack of information, Bassa scrolled through the pages. The content provided no answers, though. Nothing in Byron’s records indicated that he could teleport using his own power.

Bassa leaned away from the screen in frustration. He regarded the young men with annoyance, although the feeling was not directed at them. Byron and Trindel appeared quite confused and continued to wait in silence. Bassa decided there was only one way to discover the truth.

“
I am ordering you both to remain silent on this matter, understood?”

“
Yes, sir!” they replied.

Bassa nodded at the young navigator. “Trindel, you are dismissed.”

He hesitated, glancing first at his pilot. With a nod, Trindel turned and beat a hasty retreat. Byron did not move, and Bassa thought he detected anxiety.

Leaning forward, he reached for the com. “Chief Toka?”

There was a pause before the flight chief responded. “Yes, sir?”

“
How soon can you have 715T ready for launch?”

“
I can have it ready in ten minutes, sir!”

“
Make it happen, Toka.”

Releasing the com button, Bassa retrieved his flight gloves and rose to his feet. “We’re going to test this ability of yours,” he announced to Byron. “Come with me.”

Stepping around his desk, he gestured for the pilot to precede him out of the office. Byron complied, his apprehension at odds with his usual confident demeanor. Bassa wondered if he had at last found a means by which to break through Byron’s cocky shell.

Upon entering the hallway, the young man hesitated. Bassa strode purposefully toward the teleportation pod, trusting Byron would follow. Determined to know the truth, he wanted to get Byron in the pilot’s seat without further delay. The boy followed without question and joined Bassa in the pod.

Still dressed for flight, Bassa waited while the young man donned his suit. He sensed Byron’s growing nervousness and wondered if he was aware of how strongly his feelings were projecting. Other than confidence and resentment, the pilot never allowed his emotions to show. Since Bassa was unsure what triggered the young man’s extra powers, he let Byron remain on edge and tense. Perhaps emotion and adrenaline had fueled his ability.

They performed the necessary preflight check before departing. Byron appeared uncomfortable with the senior officer in the navigator’s seat, but he settled once they entered space. Bassa relayed the coordinates and Byron set the proper course.

We’ll perform two consecutive jumps and drain the teleporter’s power first, understood?
Bassa thought as he selected the locations of their jumps.

Yes, sir,
Byron responded, his mental voice loud and clear.

Bassa focused on the young man’s mind.
First jump!
he instructed.

A moment of darkness signified Byron’s compliance and they emerged at the new location. Bassa confirmed their success before giving his pilot new coordinates.

Second jump!

The ship arrived without incident at the next location. Bassa checked the teleporter’s power and discovered the two jumps had indeed drained the device. The next jump would rely solely on Byron’s unique ability.

Teleporter’s energy is at zero. Return to our original position,
he instructed.

Sir, I don’t even know how I did it,
Byron protested.
I don’t think …

Don’t think! I’m ordering you to jump, pilot. Now, jump!

The thought had barely left his mind when everything went black. The stars returned outside the cockpit and Bassa checked their location. Byron had performed a precise jump and with no energy in the teleporter. Bassa leaned his head against the seat and contemplated the facts.

Only one in 800,000 Cassans had extraordinary abilities. Of those possessing heightened powers, fewer still became pilots. In all his years of flying and instructing, Bassa had only once met such a fighter pilot. The man revealed his ability to just a select few, as it was feared those lacking such talent would try to emulate his multiple jumps and meet with failure. Now he was faced with a second pilot who could funnel his own power into the teleporter.