Defender of the Empire: Cadet #1 (17 page)

             
Surprised for the third time that afternoon, Marius stared at her. Zara did as well.  Scrae nodded to himself as if he understood why Luna had requested something so un-Spectral like. 
Why not?
Marius eventually managed to think to her.

             
RECOVERED OR NOT, THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO PUT HIS SOUL TO REST WHILE THE
LOUS-ECI’DALB
IS WHOLE. Luna told them with a heartbreaking certainty.

Today seemed to be a day for impossibilities, but Marius remembered the post
-mortem picture of Mara Dane. Her eyes had been flat but not empty. It was like she had still been in there, screaming. It fit with what was known of the infamous
Lous-eci’dalb.
The cursed blade had been forged so long ago with a long forgotten technology as to seem magical. The Soul Shadows were said to have been behind its creation and that had been the final straw that had led to their imprisonment. Both the blade and the Soul Shadows had become myth over the ages, but there had been far too many stories of late that mentioned something like them that Marius had never made the mistake to think either a myth.

So who wields the
cursed blade?
He asked.
I am assuming that the two of you know since whoever it was killed your Shades.
Marius frowned.
And perhaps you could tell me how the two of you ended up with Rylynn because it is obvious that the two of you are not bonded to her.

KYLESST IS TRAPPED WITHIN THE
LOUS-ECI’DALB
. Luna told him after shivering. I HAVE BEEN PART OF THE FORCE THAT KEEPS HIM TRAPPED. She said in a shamed tone. She looked up at him with beautiful gold rimmed silver eyes. Marius wondered what kind of hell she had been trapped in that had made her this skittish version of her former confident self. Luna’s story drew him back from the horrors he was imagining. DESPITE BEING TRAPPED BENIETH LAYERS OF SPECTRALS AND DRAINED REGULARLY, KYLESST WAS ABLE TO KEEP SCRAE FROM LINKING TO THE CURSED BLADE. HE ALSO MANAGED TO FREE ME FROM IT
.

But how did you end up with Rylynn?

CAN YOU REALLY NOT GUESS, MARIUS? Zara gazed at him with her blazing golden eyes. Marius blinked at her for a second before turning his gaze to the dark haired girl talking to her friends. She had a bond link without having the linked Spectral nearby…He glanced at the three Spectrals around him.

Kylesst is a mythic and Rylynn
is his destined Shade. It’s how they are half-linked now. And somehow this Kylesst has looped you around their link.
Marius rationalized.

YES. Scrae nodded his little head.

So who is the one who wields the Lous-eci’dalb?
Marius asked watching as Rylynn and her two friends started to leave the room. He smiled at her question about whether or not she had missed dinner or not. He watched with half an eye as the doctor returned.

ADMIRAL ADRIAN KNIGHT. Luna and Scrae said together.

Is there any physical proof of that?
Marius asked. As a Shade he knew that Spectrals did not lie. Yes, there were times when they did not tell you everything. But they never ever said an untruth. Unfortunately, the courts would want more evidence than the word of two, or however many Spectrals were trapped in the cursed blade, before they even
thought
about demoting and punishing an admiral of the Legion Fleet.

NO. Luna said with a shake of her
lupine head. HE IS TOO CAREFUL. RYLYNN IS THE FIRST TO WITNESS HIS CRIME AND SHE ONLY KNOWS WHO IT IS BECAUSE KYLESST TOLD HER.

You are right. He must have had his DNA wiped from the scene because the only DNA found belonged to Mara and Rylynn.

DID HE TRY FRAME RYLYNN? Scrae asked in a worried tone.

Marius shook his head.
Only by leaving her DNA there. She is known to be a witness because none of the scant evidence points to her as the killer. In fact, she is the only reason why Mara was found so soon. If she hadn’t, as I surmise she did, throw the crowbar at the light the maintenance request would never have been sent.
Marius thought as the doctor sailed out of the room and the three young people left. He rose and followed them at a distance. The three Spectrals kept pace with him.

SO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?
Zara asked.

We are going to stay close to Rylynn. If we know her name
, then the admiral probably does too. And if she is indeed the first to witness Knight’s crime than he will be looking to keep her quiet one way or another.

AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT? YOU DON’T LOOK LIKE A STUDENT OR
A TEACHER HERE, MARIUS. Zara pointed out.

Marius smiled at her and concentrated on another gift he had inherited. His form became younger till he went from a thirty seven cycle old
man to a fifteen cycle old lad.
And now?
He asked with a raised eyebrow at the spectral panther. She purred and he smiled.

“Hey Becky, I have a job for you.” He silently called his handler.

“What do you need?” She asked.

“I need you to make me
into a 3
rd
Class Cadet of the Legion Fleet Academy. File under the name ‘Marius Strausman’”

“Oh…okay. Consider it done.” Becky said and Marius could just imagine her blinking at the request. “Can I ask why?”

Marius smiled. “Sure.”

“
Why?
” She asked.

“I am going to be joining this year’s
Admirals’ Competition. Make sure the picture is a fifteen cycle old me instead of my currant picture.” He directed.

“
I know that.” Becky snapped distractedly. As a Shade she knew it was possible for Marius to change his apparent age. “Marius…” Becky continued in her no-nonsense voice.  “What about Rylynn?”

“She and her friend
s need a fourth for their team.” He could feel Becky’s questions burn across the link. Sighing, Marius took pity on her. “I’m following a lead, Becky. Calm down.”

Becky sniffed. “Sometimes I just don’t know about you.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” Marius smiled innocently though he knew she couldn’t it see… but she could probably hear it.

YOU ARE GOING TO GET INTO TROUBLE AGAIN. Zara muttered.

I wouldn’t be alive if I didn’t.

Chapter 13 – The Wolf Pup and the Bear

There is nothing more fun than taking a test that you are nowhere near prepared for. I am, of course, being sarcastic. Two days is a laughable amount of time to be thrown into a different culture and learn both the basics of its technology and what they are teaching. I was grateful for both Westley and Jason. If it hadn’t been for them filling in the gaps and stuffing the class material into my brain I would have failed miserably. As it was I think I barely passed. But maybe I would get some credit for doing that well with only a single day or so to prepare… but then again, that would just be too nice.

I did what I could and now I could escape for lunch. It was only a short break, but I felt it was a well
-deserved one. Of course, the Universe still hates me. My professor of Empire Cultures told me that Admiral Knight requested to see me before I went to lunch. I asked if he knew why the admiral wanted to see me. The professor shrugged and turned back to grading tests.

As I said, the U
niverse hates me.

Having no choice I went to the office to meet with the one man in the universe I never wanted to see again. On my way I couldn’t help but worry about
why
he wanted to see me.
Does he know??
I worried as I put one foot in front of the other.

YOU WON’T BE GOING IN ALONE. Luna reminded me. WE WILL BE THERE.

And Kylesst? Is that weapon you are afraid of there too?
”

I DON’
T THINK HE HAS IT WITH HIM HERE. Scrae remarked.

I felt a mixture of relief and disappointment at his words. Relief because my
adversary wasn’t armed with such a horrible weapon and disappointed that I wouldn’t hear from Kylesst. Was he okay? The last I had known, he was being fed on.

With much dread I reached the door to the office Admiral Knight was using at the Academy.
I stared at it for what felt to be a long time. Glancing down the hallway I caught sight of the secretary’s expression. She had a raised eyebrow and was glancing between me and the door. I turned away from her and took a breath. Maybe if I started screaming she would come to my aid. Then again, how long would it take her to come help me? She didn’t seem the type to go out of her way to help others who weren’t her employers. 

I took another breath and knocked on the door. Admiral Knight’s voice invited me to enter. Once again I was struck by the tone of his voice and the smile he greeted me with. Both would have been perfectly at home on a trusted guardian’s face. The spookiness of knowing such things could belong to someone who could kill in cold blood
made me cold.

To give myself time to hide my discomfort I glanced about the room. It was a useful space without any
character. It looked, unlike its occupant, exactly what it was: it was a spare office. Available to be used by those who didn’t work at the Academy but may have a need for such a space.

Joining me in looking about the room, the admiral sighed. “
I don’t like it either. It has no charm.” I won’t lie to you, it kind of bothered me that he could think along the same lines that I did. The man met my gaze and gave me a civil smile. “Luckily, it isn’t mine.” He raised an eyebrow at me.

Flushing I realized what he was waiting for. I quickly saluted and said in a rush, “
5
th
Cadet Sinclair reporting as ordered, sir!”

Nodding in satisfaction he said “take a seat.”

I didn’t want to, but not doing so would draw suspicions. So I sat on the edge of the chair. It was a move that I figured any nervous 5
th
cadet would do in the presence of such a superior officer. Being on opposite ends of the rank spectrum helped to sell my story. Until I knew what he knew and wanted I would be just another nervous cadet. Looking at it that way helped me to keep from panicking.

The corner of his lip lifted in amusement as he eyed me. “5
th
Cadet Sinclair, I wanted to make sure that you were okay. You had us all worried about you yesterday.”

I flushed. “I’m sorry about that sir. “ I shook my head in confusion. “I have no idea why it happened.”

Admiral Knight leaned forward in his chair. “I wonder if it has anything to do with all the excitement you have had for the past several days… things you may have seen that you don’t understand.”

I frowned at his words. I lifted my gaze and found him watching me with an intent stare. He was waiting…
he knows!!
My panicky mind whimpered. Insane as it sounds, in that moment I was drawn back to Aunt Sylvie’s attic library. There had been a book about wolves back on Earth. The book said that a grown wolf may eat a lone bear cub if given the chance. In turn, a bear would eat a wolf cub if found. Admiral Knight was a big man and in that moment it didn’t take much to see him as a bear looming over me. I was the wolf pup who threatened to reveal his secret.

I had to be careful. I had to put him at ease or I might not last for a month.  I
swallowed and looked down. I wrung my fingers for a moment before pretending to realize that I was doing so. I tucked my trembling fingers under my legs and forced myself to glance up at Admiral Knight. “I-it’s not been too bad sir. I do what I am told. Otherwise the professors might decide that I shouldn’t be here seeing as I am a colonist…” I trailed off. I met his gaze and I got an idea. What better way to put him at ease then to have him thank that he has all the cards… which sadly, he sort of did until this wolf pup grew up. “I-The admissions tests have been bothering me sir.” I said trying not to shift in my seat too.

“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow at me.

I nodded my head. “Aye sir. There were two tests in the darkened section of the Station and I am afraid that I failed one.” I shook my head as if trying to understand. “But no one has said anything and I have been afraid to mention it.”

“Tell me.” The
admiral ordered me gently.

BE CAREFUL. Scrae whispered softly to me.

I took a breath and said. “I saw a woman murdered, and I couldn’t stop it, not like I could the mugging. I tried, but she died and masked murderer chased me out.”

“Why didn’t you say anything before now?”

I bit my lip and managed to say “I was afraid to. I don’t want my admission to be revoked.”

“Well.” Admiral Knight said leaning back in his chair and
stippling his fingers. A satisfied gleam brightened his eyes. “Let me put your heart to rest.  No one was murdered. They were just actors. And you have told someone. You told me. We’ll let it remain between us and your admission will not be revoked.”

Swallowing
I nodded. “Thank you sir.”  I somehow managed to say through the bile rising in my throat. Scrae had descended into a rage that was causing my fingers to go slightly numb. I heard Luna working to calm him and the numbness receded slightly. I decided that sometime soon I was going to have to talk to them about how they were able to affect me.