Defender of the Empire: Cadet #1 (6 page)

             
“Not always. Since you passed with flying colors, even making sure that the victim made it to safety even though they had said that they could make it on their own…” My brows rose as I realized she had noticed. But then, it was a test so it would figure they would have some way of recording it. Admiral L’Seral nodded with a smile as if she had guessed what thoughts were behind my reaction. She continued. “…Let us discuss your departure for the main Academy.” I stilled and she noticed. “Is something wrong?”

             
I opened my mouth, closed it then said. “I am not complaining, but I would have thought that there would have been some sort of screening or test or something…” After all, I had planned entire speeches to convince the board that I should be allowed in…Not that I met a board. Just a sour lieutenant and an admiral who pretended to be an incredibly frail woman. The first was obviously against me. The latter was different.

             
“There was, the test was to see what your morals were.” Admiral L’Seral said.

             
“I thought there would be something more… official then that.” I said struggling for the words. I wanted her to be telling me the truth so bad, but I was having trouble believing that that was it.

             
Admiral L’Seral smiled and said. “Usually there are other official tests. However you do not need them.”

             
“Why? It can’t be because I am a colonist.”
If anything, that would see
more
tests.
I figured.

             
“Of course not.” She said off handedly. She then held up the letter. “It is because of this. Captain Wingstar is one of our greatest captains. He
should
be an admiral by now, but he is the only person I know of to not only turn down the Admiral’s Diamond once, but
twice.
” Her tone was both admiring and frustrated. “Though God knows he should wear it.” She muttered. I guess it was a long standing debate between the two. Admiral L’Seral turned back to me “He also doesn’t recommend many for the Academy. In fact, before you, there were only two. Both are now excellent captains in their own right. One will probably be made a commodore by cycle’s end. I swear the man somehow knows the kind of people the Fleet will need when he sees them. It may not be many but they proved to be invaluable over the years.” I blinked at her. “Yes.” She continued seeing my expression. “His recommendation pretty much automatically grants you acceptance. Welcome, Rylynn of Colony Lenti, to the start of your Legion Fleet career. It is now up to you to see how far you go.”

             
Ten minutes later found me on the Academy shuttle bound for the planet with a new pair of boots on my feet. Of course, I wasn’t the only one on the shuttle. That would have been too kind and life had a policy against being described that way.  My fellow passengers were Admiral Knight and the disembodied voice who congratulated me on being admitted to the Academy. Somehow (I figure it was because he could hear my thoughts) he knew that admittance meant a great deal to me.

             
JUST TELL ME IF THERE IS ANYTHING I COULD HELP YOU WITH. He said as I focused on staring out the window and not paying my physical companion any attention. I made it look like shyness when in reality I was terrified. The other voice, the one I had heard briefly after the woman had died, hadn’t said a word since. When I tried to focus on it all I got was a jumbled tangle of gut wrenching fear with an ounce of anger. I could only assume that it was caused by the same source as my terror: Admiral Knight. Of course, experiencing gut wrenching panic did not help still my own terror. So I didn’t focus much.

             
Tell me when I can report that poor woman’s death.

             
The voiced sighed and I distinctly heard it shift into a hiss. THE TIME IS NOT, OBVIOUSLY, NOW. YOU WILL KNOW IT WHEN IT COMES.

             
You mean when I get blamed for it because my DNA is found on the scene?

             
YOU WILL NEED TO BE CAREFUL, BUT KNOW IF THERE IS ANY BLAME IT WILL NOT STAY AT YOUR FEET FOR LONG.

             
How?
I asked pressing my face closer to the window. There were probably nose prints on it now. Too bad.

             
THE WOMAN’S OWN WILL COME TO INVESTIGATE AND THEY WILL SEE THE TRUTH. He paused a moment before adding AND ONCE HE CALMS DOWN, THE MOUSE WILL HELP YOU.

Mouse?
I asked surprised.

YES.

              It intrigued me to learn that one of the voices saw itself as a mouse. It made me wonder what entities were behind the voices. I was fairly sure that they were not proof of my insanity. They were far too helpful, even when they were cryptic, to be products of my own mind.  So one was a mouse, what was the other?
Are you a mouse too?
I asked. It seemed a reasonable question to me.

             
NO. I AM MOST DEFINITELY
NOT
A MOUSE. He replied stiffly.

             
NOT THAT BEING A MOUSE IS A BAD THING. The mouse muttered before descending back into panic.

             
The first voice snorted. HE’LL BE FINE. I GOT A RISE OUT OF HIM. He sounded very pleased with himself.

             
If you are not a mouse, then what are you?
I asked. Prompted by the question memory flickered. Admiral Knight had struck a chord when he had called himself a serpent.
Are you a snake?

             
SLIPPERY, CUNNING BEASTS. The mouse muttered softly.

             
A KIND. The other replied in his cryptic fashion.

             
What kind?
I asked.

             
I waited…

             
The intercom buzzed briefly before the pilot’s voice. “Just a head’s up, the ride is about to get rough. Hold on.”

             
“I hate reentry.” I heard the admiral mutter softly to himself. A moment later the shuttle rocked violently. I gripped my harness as vicious shreds of red and orange raged past the shields.

             
WELL, OH MYSTERIOUS ONE, YOU GOING TO TELL THE GIRL WHICH KIND YOU ARE? The mouse asked after a time.

             
There was a telling silence during which I could feel the snake’s irritation. Finally he said. IT IS TOO DANGEROUS RIGHT NOW. SOON WILL BE SOON ENOUGH. I could tell from his tone that he couldn’t be convinced to say more at this time. The mouse seemed to realize this too because he didn’t press matters either.

             
Unable to restrain myself I asked,
Is it too dangerous to know what the two of you are?
I prayed the snake would at least answer that. I was sure the mouse could answer, but he seemed to be deferring to the snake. Maybe it had something to do with predation?

             
I WILL ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, BUT DO NOT ASK ANYMORE ON THIS TOPIC FOR NOW. My cryptic serpent friend said. I mentally pouted before nodding my head slightly in acceptance of the terms. Satisfied with my acquiescence he continued. WE ARE SPECTRALS.

             
And damn did I wish I hadn’t made that promise! There were so many questions! Spectrals were creatures of pure energy and color. There were also twenty five kinds, all animals from old Earth. They were the reason why the empire was called the ‘Spectral Empire’. They were special, beautiful, and intelligent. All my life I had heard stories about them. But I had never heard of them communicating with a corporeal being not of a noble house before. But then, I couldn’t imagine the noble houses admitting that they were not special.

             
Even so, here I was talking with two… which made me wonder what the hell I had stumbled into.

***

             
The Academy shuttle dove into the atmosphere of Prima Imperium. Its shields held back the dazzling display of light and color of entry. Back above the falling star of the shuttle was the station continuing its pirouetting dance. The same dance it would step for as long as it was able. Within its many corridors life continued as it often did with travelers coming and going. Some happy that their trip was going so well, others complaining about lost luggage and exorbitant prices.

             
But there was a section that didn’t have the same heartbeat. A main hall cast in darkness. Silence reigned here. In a small nook behind the counter of an abandoned storefront were a pair of lonely LF boots. Forgotten in the wave of horror that shattered silence’s peaceful reign. Down the corridor that still trembled with the suffering and terror of a life forcefully ended were glassy, desperate eyes that stared and stared. Stared at the shards of glass that would glint around a crowbar thrown in a bid to distract a hungry blade from its target. A bid that failed.

             
A lingering shadow stretched and padded toward the carcass. It could not touch the flesh to get the treasure inside as that would warn those who were suspicious of its presence, but it could dream. It could hunger. It turned its head toward the crowbar and its glittering attendants.  There was a scent on it that gave the shadow pause. A potential enemy? A threat to its plans? It snorted. Soon its friend would search for the one who interrupted and this potential threat would disappear.

             
The staring eyes watched the shadow slink back into the deeper darkness.

Chapter 5 An Introduction to Beauty

              To be courageous is not to be without fear. There must be fear to have courage. But you cannot let the fear win. To be courageous one must accept that they are afraid
and
then do what must be done anyway.
My aunt Sylvia had told me something like that once, before the day everything went wrong. Before that day when she sent me to the market only to return to a burning crater. Aunt Sylvie hadn’t been talking to the Officers of Order who had come. Nor had she been in the small clinic that also served animals. I hadn’t needed anyone to tell me that because I
knew
she hadn’t escaped the building. She had probably been at her afternoon practice before her old piano-forte. She often played when she was in need of solace or just had some emotion that she could express no other way. It was her gift and I had always enjoyed returning home to the melodies that she tickled from the ivory keys.

             
I missed it.

I’ve heard that people often hold on to hope that their loved one had made it through some tragedy. That they believed that if they had faith that their loved one had survived they would see that person again. That they could
feel
that the loved one was still alive. As dark as this sounds, I
knew
Aunt Sylvie wasn’t there anymore. That she had been beyond my reach. Just as I had known something was wrong that day. I hadn’t wanted to leave her, but she had practically kicked me out the door. She had been scared.

             
Before that day I had never seen Aunt Sylvie scared.

             
“Are you ever afraid?”
my seven cycle old self had asked on a particularly bad night when our neighbor had threatened her in one of his drunken rages. We had been returning from her job. A basket of fresh fruit from the produce stand down the street on her arm, she had faced him calmly. Aunt Sylvie had told him something that I no longer remember, but whatever it had been it had startled our neighbor. He had grumbled and sat back down. He, a big man who worked in the mine and she a small, older woman. It had seemed like magic to me. She had been without fear.

             
Aunt Sylvia had turned her moss green eyes to me with a soft smile
“quite often.”
She had answered.

             
“I don’t believe it.”
I had said.

             
Her smile became amused.
I assure you, Rylynn, I know Fear and Fear knows me.”
She had said in that poetic fashion of hers.

             
I had frowned in confusion at her.
“But you never seem afraid. Teydon was angry and wanted to hit you. To beat you and I think he meant worse than when Ace and Carden hurt me.”
I said naming the two older boys who had made it their mission in life to terrify me.

             
Aunty Sylvie had frowned and set down the fruit she had been washing. After wiping her hands on her apron she had grasped mine. She had peered into my eyes then.
“Are you afraid of Ace and Carden?”
She had asked.

             
“Y-yes.”
I had admitted ducking my head in shame.
“I’m not as brave as you.”

             
She tilted my head back up. In a soft voice she had replied
“I am afraid of Teydon just as you are afraid of Carden and Ace. To be afraid is normal. Natural. It is a sense that keeps you alert in times of danger. The trick is not to allow fear to be your master, as fear leads to allowing horrible things to happen and innocents being hurt.”
She had paused for a moment before continuing.
“What I am about to say is both very hard and very easy. It is something a good friend once told me. ‘Face your fear, acknowledge its existence then use it to do what is right anyway. That is what being courageous entails.’”