Star Runners (30 page)

"No."

Skylar fell to her knees and draped her arm around his shoulder.

"No," he said again.

He stared without blinking at the empty space where Josh's freighter had been.

The
Saber
was gone, stolen, and some of the best Legion pilots were lost with it.

He squinted, releasing a tear down his face.

"They killed my friend," he whispered.

Skylar squeezed his shoulder as they sat in silence surrounded by the crimson light, staring into the blackness.

*****

"I don't understand what happened out there,” Austin said. “Is the Legion really that inadequate?"

Scorpion flinched as he spoke. "Watch it, mister. You aren't the only one who lost people. Quit acting like you're the only one suffering."

"What happened out there?"

"It was another pirate attack."

Austin shook his head. "Where? On Earth? I thought Earth was safe. Josh was through the curve. He was safe."

"Earth is not safe," she said, shaking her head. "Who told you that? Just because something has never happened doesn't mean it can't happen at all."

Austin sighed. "Aren't we supposed to protect those freighters? Why don't we station patrols around Earth?"

Scorpion lowered her gaze. "Earth is dark."

"Then we use a shroud." Austin's pulse quickened. "All Legion space should be protected."

She stared at him. "Do you realize what you're saying? Protecting all of Legion space all of the time would be like asking the military to patrol an entire ocean to prevent a rat from taking a drink. There's too much space. Earth is too far away from the normal space lanes. Now that pirates are attacking ships on the dark side of Earth's moon, it might be time to re-evaluate protocol."

"Protocol? Protocol!"

"Calm down, Austin."

"You don't know what I've been through."

"And you have no idea what I've been through," she said through clinched teeth. "I grew up without a family, bouncing around in foster homes until I was recruited. Since then, I've flown with three different COs - all killed in action - and seen twenty three of my friends not return home. You need to shake this off. Now."

He wanted to push her out into the hallway and slam the hatch shut.

"Why are you here anyway?" Austin turned back toward the view port.

"Because you weren't in class today. That's not like you."

"I didn't feel like it."

"What?"

"I didn't feel like it, lieutenant."

Scorpion stepped into the room, shutting the hatch behind her. "I'm going to forget I heard that."

Austin pretended to look at his tablet, but couldn't focus on anything. Scorpion stood in front of him.

"Did you really think this would never happen? You know how dangerous it is out here, what we're up against in Dax Rodon and the pirates. Josh did also. Too many of these pilots look up to you for you to skip class. I need you back tomorrow."

Austin sighed. "Maybe I'll just quit."

She looked like he had slapped her across the face. "Quit. You wanna quit now?" She turned toward his hatch. "There's the exit? If after all this you can quit, you aren't the man I thought you were."

He hurled the tablet into the wall and collapsed into his seat. "My best friend is dead! What the hell is the point of all this now?"

Scorpion knelt down in front of him. "I'm only going to say this once, Austin. It is hard to lose someone you care about, but quitting is not the answer. People die. You will, too. Pouting about this in your quarters or going home won't change any of what has happened. Neither will destroying stuff in your room.

"You are the most naturally talented pilot I have ever seen. I love watching you fly. You're a leader, the other Tizona trainees see it, even the instructors see it. What about them? You going to abandon them, too?"

"They'll be better off."

Scorpion slapped her hand on her knee as she stood.

"If you don't get over this self-loathing attitude that plagues your mind, you will die in a fighter flying without confidence or you'll die on the inside and live life in a shell for the rest of your days."

Austin rolled his eyes, blinking away the tears.

Scorpion stood. "It's your choice. If I don't see you in class tomorrow, I'll book you passage on the next flight to Earth."

She left the room, but her presence remained. He wished she would just let him leave.

Austin thought of going home and telling Mom he was dropped from the scholarship. He didn't care. Scorpion's words stuck with him, though, echoing around the room as he stared into the ceiling. He thought of letting down the other pilots. Bear, Skylar, Etti, Gan - what would they think?

His door pinged several times over the next two hours, but he ignored it. It was probably some of the other students, maybe even Skylar, but he didn't want to see any of them. If the view port in his quarters could open, he might have thrown himself into the void. What was the point of all of this if he was just going to watch those he loved die around him?

Something in the core of his body turned cold. What if that had been Skylar? What if the pirates had attacked Earth? His mother would have been in danger, possibly even killed. What about Kadyn going about her business? His life on Earth depended on him to succeed, whether they knew it or not.

Besides, Josh wouldn't want him to quit. He remembered Josh's last words to him.

"Make us proud."

He took in a deep, slow breath and folded his arms over his chest.

After sitting in silence for another minute, he picked up the damaged tablet from the floor. The screen was cracked and the corner was dented, but it fired up as if nothing had happened. He opened his class information and keyed for Scorpion's contact information.

Lieutenant Zyan,

I'll be in class tomorrow. I'm sorry I missed a day. It won't happen again.

Rock

There were no seasons in space.

Fall was a special time back home, full of festivals and cloudless blue skies. Pumpkin pie appeared at social gatherings along with hot apple cider. Nature painted in vibrant colors across the landscape, trees morphing from green to orange and red overnight. It was a time of long drives through winding mountain roads not too far from the concrete suburban world. Fall was a time of escape and relaxation. Of course, fall also used to mean school, but it was still a wonderful season.

Instead of the brilliant fall colors of north Georgia, only the red and purple hue coming off the nebulae - what Josh had called the "dark cloud" - in the blackness of space provided any color. Nothing signified the passage of time except classes, sim time, drills, and formation flying around Tarton's Junction.

"Come right to one-two-five." Skylar sounded nervous, her voice cracking as she continued leading the mock patrol.

"Roger, Cheetah. Right with you," Austin said, remaining close in formation. "Looking good."

Behind them, Etti Mar and Gan Patro, both in trainers, flew in close support as they continued their three-hour patrol. It was the same routine every week, but it was better than being in class.

Austin's grades had improved in the six months since Rockshot. With his eighty-four points, he was closer to finishing his training than most of the Tizona students. Skylar had racked up sixty-six and Bear was close behind with fifty-nine. By the time he returned home for Christmas, he could have his wings although he would never be able to tell anyone.

The emails home had become more difficult, his mother obviously missing him. In the week after Josh's freighter was captured, Austin tried to contact Mom on the live wave despite there being a delay. She had been excited about their conversation, even popping popcorn for the occasion and sitting in front of his old computer, his room behind her unchanged by his time away at school. She did most of the talking about work and life in Marietta. He offered a few tidbits of his cover story he had been instructed to use when speaking with home; the school for the local children on the island in the pacific was coming along nicely and his course work was still getting done. He didn't have to lie about his grades, providing him as sense of relief.

She said Josh's parents had not heard from him since the spring. They were growing understandably worried. Austin had swallowed hard, but told his mother nothing.

Nubern would deliver the news once the Expiration Protocol had been completed. Austin didn't ask many questions, but heard through the station’s scuttlebutt this was a series of steps taken to create a logical story whenever a service man or woman from a dark world was lost in battle. 

He had kept the conversation short, feeling it was too hard to lie for a long period of time. Lying took energy, requiring him to be "on" the entire conversation, and not leaving time to relax. It was this reason he preferred emails.

"Tighten it up, Rock," Nubern said softly on the closed channel.

Austin glanced at his instruments, saw he had drifted off course while he daydreamed. "Roger, sir. Sorry."

"Not a problem. Stay frosty."

Nubern had been his support since Josh was captured and probably killed. He enjoyed speaking with Nubern about the history of the Legion, but still knew little about his background or his experiences. After knowing the man for nearly a year, Austin gathered Nubern had been an excellent pilot before being transferred to recruitment and instruction.

"Beginning our sweep," Skylar announced, sounding relieved, and banked left. "Heading home."

The pilots landed the Tridents without incident.

"Well done today," Nubern said as the canopies whistled open and the rush of stale, metallic air penetrated the cockpit. "You're really getting better."

The smell of fuel and sweat surrounded him.

"Thank you, sir," Austin said as he unscrewed his helmet from its collar. "Really looking forward to the formation training tomorrow."

Austin winced, afraid his sarcasm was too thick.

It was.

"I know you've grown tired of the training," Nubern said softly, glancing at the line of Trident trainers parking side-by-side. "You are ahead of most of your classmates in terms of skill and talent, but that's no reason to get cocky."

His face warmed. "I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't be - I know it’s frustrating. I've been there."

"Really, sir?"

"Yes." They both climbed down to the deck. "I remember wanting nothing more than to go through a curve on my own or try out the shroud, but I had to wait until my squadron was ready. It bothered me, but I got a lot of practice because of it."

"When do we get to practice with the shroud or distance curves?"

Nubern smiled, pulling off his flight gloves and stretching. "Funny you should ask. How about the end of the week?"

"Really?" Austin leaned forward, thinking of passing through an extended curve in space in something the size of the X4. "I've only been through a distance curve once, and that was when we arrived at the beginning of the year."

"Well, curriculum calls for your first distance curve around this time in your flight training. Scorpion and I think it's time."

The other trainees walked up with Skylar in front, her face beaming. "Did I hear that right?"

Nubern sighed. "I hadn't really wanted to announce it this way, but gather 'round."

The other Tizona pilots formed a semi-circle around Nubern. Etti Mar stood next to Austin and bumped his shoulder, a playful grin on her pale face. Wisps of curly red hair tumbled down around her ears. Bear moved to Austin's other side, his face serious.

"As I was telling Rock here," Nubern said, "you will be going on your largest formation training at the end of the week. We still have to work out some of the details, but the plan is to go in two waves. We will take a distance curve to the closest planetary body, a dull dusty world called Flin Six, about a light year away. There each wave will fly formation for one orbit, testing the reflecting shroud technology, and then return to the station. Some of our Star Runners will fly escort to you rookies since Flin Six has been rumored to sport some pirate activity."

The trainees glanced at one another. Gan nudged Bear and murmured something, their eyes wide with excitement. Etti looked up at Austin, her face revealing a smile that didn't seem genuine. He rested his hand on her shoulder, tapped twice and stared across the circle at Scorpion. She had her hands behind her back, standing at ease. Their eyes locked, her face grim.

"Sir?" Shelbi Weaver raised her hand. "Will both waves go the same day?"

"Hadn't been decided, but probably one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Should be a cakewalk. Any other questions? Alright, good job today everyone. Real tight flying. You are all dismissed."

The trainees scurried off in their normal pairings. Gan and Derek jabbering on about this and that, Bear walking in silence with Skylar, and Shauna, Shelbi and Martin lingering near a fighter talking about tactics. It was the same after every flight, some of the trainees still excited about the idea of flying.

"Are you looking forward to this?" Etti asked, staying close to Austin as they walked out of the hangar.

"Riding a distance curve? Sure. Aren't you?"

"Yes," she said, swallowing hard. "I think it's great."

"You ever ride a curve on Pacar?"

She shook her head sharply, the red curls bouncing. "We don't have curves back home. Our moon is close enough for standard flight."

"Oh, that's right." He sighed. "Anyway, it's going to be great. I'm looking forward to it."

"Rock?" Scorpion called from behind, Nubern standing next to her. "Do you have a moment?"

"Yes." He looked at Etti, who frowned. "I'll catch up with you later, okay?"

"Alright. See you, Austin."

Austin jogged back to the Trident. "Yes?"

Scorpion nodded toward Etti Mar, who continued looking back at Austin as she walked toward the hangar exit. "Gotta friend there, don't you?"

Austin shrugged. "I guess so."

"Nothing like a little puppy love," Nubern grumbled. "Always something like that with our trainees."

Austin grimaced. "Nothing will come of it, sir."

Nubern snorted. "You're not in trouble, Rock. Relax."

"Yes, sir."

"Anyway." Scorpion sighed. "We wanted to talk with you about the formation flying."

Austin felt his chest swell. "Yes?"

"You are the best trainee on the station at the moment," she said. "We are all proud of what you have been able to accomplish in the past few months, even in the face of our losses. Your growth as a pilot and as a junior officer has been extraordinary. You have stepped up in every way possible, have really become a leader to this students. Case in point right there."

Austin turned around, Etti Mar lingered at the hangar door, staring back at him.

"We are going to have you lead the second wave to Flin Six the day after tomorrow," Scorpion said. "Should be six fighters in the bunch, three trainers with rookies at the stick and three Star Runners flying escort, but you'll be in charge."

Austin stomach turned. "Me?"

"Yes," Nubern nodded. "You will be in overall command of the mission. We can go over the specifics later, but you'll take command once we've cleared the station. Understood?

His pulse quickened, his heart pounding in his ears. "Out of curiosity, who will lead the first wave?"

"We're still working out the details," Scorpion said. "Even though Skylar is ahead in points, we are going to give Bear the reigns. He has shown more natural leadership in the past month. Now he'll get his chance."

Austin thought of leading a mission and stared at the floor. He had never been in command of anything more than calling pitches during a baseball game, and even then his coach could override him. He wanted to decline, unsure if this was something he truly wanted, but he decided to keep his mouth shut.

"Looking forward to it, sir."

Nubern and Scorpion lingered as if they wanted to say more. She stared at Nubern while he looked at Austin.

The lump in Austin's stomach moved to his throat. "Something more, sir?"

Nubern exhaled. "Yes, actually. There is a slight danger to leading the second wave that you should be aware of. Should you reconsider leading this wave, nothing more will be said and it will not go down in your file."

"Yes, sir," Austin said, confused at the double talk. What did they want him to do?

"As we stated earlier, there have been rumors of pirate activity on Flin Six. Dax Rodon has apparently been using this as a way point for quite some time, but we have no hard evidence this is the case, just rumors."

"Yes, sir." Austin didn't like the sound of this.

"If we conduct one training run in Flin Six's orbit, nothing will come of it. But a second wave hours later might give Rodon and his pirates the chance to anticipate we're coming and set up an ambush."

Austin swallowed hard. "Very well, sir."

"You are scheduled to take this run and if you don't want to be in command, I understand." Nubern rested his hand on Austin's shoulder. "We cannot cancel the training and this is the closest planetary body. Command doesn't want our training dictated to us by pirate activity, so we have to go regardless. Given your history with these pirates, I wanted to give you a chance to bow out if you didn't feel like you were up to it."

Austin thought of the danger of being so far away from the station, but thought of the other pilots flying escort. A vision of Josh's freighter burning as pirates pelted it with laser fire flashed in his mind. His face hardened. "I'll be fine, sir. I'd like to see Rodon try something. What should we do if anything happens?"

"If Rodon or his toadies show up, command will immediately shift to the highest ranking officer, which will be me or Captain Braddock if he decides to come," Nubern said.

"I'll make you proud, sir," Austin said.

"You already do, son."

*****

Austin adjusted his course, bringing his Trident closer to the formation. The fighters formed a semi-circle like a crescent moon, with two of the escorts, Snake and Bullethead, out in front at the edge of the circle and Scorpion bringing up the rear as the third escort. Making up the arch of the crescent were Captain Rolling flying with Etti Mar driving on the left, Skylar and Captain Braddock on the right, and Austin with Nubern in the center.

He looked over to his left, saw Skylar staring back only a short distance away. He saluted.

Skylar had been nervous after yesterday's briefing. Not many students had flown with the Tizona's Captain Braddock. He was known to be a hard man, and wasn't usually involved in training. He spent his time leading the "real" Tizona pilots stationed at Tarton's Junction. Some said he had been on twenty-two tours in the hottest systems in the Legion. Others said those stories were the myth Braddock surrounded himself with, but Austin wasn't going to test his resolve. With Braddock's cold black eyes and chiseled features like a statue, Austin had every reason to believe the stories. For some reason, Braddock had wanted to accompany the second wave to Flin Six.