Star Runners: Mission Wraith (#3) (8 page)

The transport banked slightly. Mackaron, much larger now, filled the lower half of his small, circular viewport. The brownish surface passed the transport. A glint of steel reflected starlight in the top left corner of Austin’s view. A hulking piece of metal crept in front of the viewport. The steel came to a point. The incoming vessel dwarfed the escort Tridents as they shot toward the behemoth, becoming nothing more than faint specks of light.
 

“My God,” he breathed.
 

Ryker leaned over his shoulder and squeezed his arm. “What do you think, Rock?”

“I don’t know what to say.” He watched the Tizona come into view. The sword-shaped vessel appeared large enough to hold thousands of Tridents—perhaps more. Countless running lights twinkled brightly as a steady meteor shower while the mass of the
Tizona
passed the transport. The blade section of the vessel stretched to the crossguard before becoming more narrow at the hilt. Freighters, cruisers and carriers docked and departed from the
Tizona
in well-orchestrated flight patterns.

“Is that going to be our ship?” Austin asked.
 

“It’s the home of every member of the Tizona Squadron,” Ryker whispered, her gaze fixated on the
Tizona
. “Our one true home. We must be prepared at all times to sacrifice everything we have, everything we are, for the
Tizona
.”
 

Austin’s mouth dropped open as he took in the sight. He thought of the other squadrons he had seen on Tarton’s Junction: Lobera, Excalibur and Tarnex. “So all squadrons have a home vessel—one like that?”

“Yes. The first four Legion core worlds each created their primary vessel to defend against the Zahl invasion generations ago. Excalibur and Tarnex were first, followed years later by Tizona and Lobera. The home vessels have since become the first stop for all Star Runners after accepting their orders or starting a new tour. The Tizona no longer tours on a regular basis, but she’s here if needed. The carrier you will most likely serve on is much smaller and leaner to fit the needs of the Legion.”
 

“Why did they build such a big ship? It must hold thousands of crew.”
 

“It does. Our forefathers wanted a large ship to curve to hot spots as the Zahl tried to invade. Due to our technology and ability to effectively respond, the four original home vessels helped the Legion become the only planets in history to hold off a Zahlian invasion.”
 

Austin shook his head. “It’s beautiful.” The transport passed under the crossguard of the
Tizona
. “I don’t believe it.”
 

“Wait till you see inside.”
 

Lieutenant Austin Stone heard the roar of a thousand conservations booming down the hall, punctuated by bursts of laughter and hundreds of footfalls on the polished black deck. Sconces held flickering blue flames, providing the only light in the grand hallway. The walls arched up forty feet above their heads. The ceiling nearly disappeared in the shadows. Up ahead, the entrance hallway culminated in an archway.
 

The Tizona officers marched toward the sound. Ryker Zyan fell into line next to Austin as they departed the transport. More officers joined from adjoining passageways until Austin and Ryker walked in a sea of Tizona blue. All officers wore their dress uniforms with polished buttons and shoes.
 

The lively conversations of reuniting comrades lessened as the flow of officers neared the archway at the end of the hall. The light grew brighter as they approached the opening. The exotic odor of incense wafted through the hall. He glanced at Ryker, who kept her wide eyes forward.
 

As they passed through the stone archway, Austin blinked to force his eyes to adjust to the brighter room. A river of more officers flowed through four additional archways leading into a rectangular area stretching a thousand yards. The polished brass walls reflected a white light pulsating from the three-story platform at one end of the expanse. Men in blue tunics stood on stools at either side of the arch, barking orders.
 

“Quickly now!” the closest man wearing a tunic said. “Squadrons thirty through thirty-five, form up in your formation grids!”

Ryker tapped his shoulder. “Come with me.”

She led Austin through the controlled chaos, weaving through a mass of humanity clad in Tizona blue. They stopped at the thirty-second grid near the back of the cathedral. His ears filled with ringing as he stood at attention in the grid designated for the thirty-second squadron. He looked around, awed at the size of this room that had to take up a large portion of the Tizona’s hilt.
 

“What do they call this place?” he asked, leaning into Ryker’s ear.
 

“The Hall of the Tizona,” she said back, nearly yelling to be heard over the noise. “What do you think?”

He gazed at the ceiling painted in Tizona blue. An abstract version of the Tizona symbol embroidered on his shoulder patch had been painted on the cathedral’s ceiling. He gazed at the ceiling as more Tizona officers filed into the massive room. He smiled. This made the graduation ceremony on Tarton’s Junction feel like an elementary school play, he thought.
 

“In just a bit, you’ll find out where your assignment will be for the next five years,” Ryker said. “It’s something every Star Runner—no matter what squadron—lives for.”

He took a deep breath. “What are the chances the entire squadron could be assigned together? Does that happen often?”
 

“Sometimes,” she said with a smirk. “Sometimes Star Runners are sent as replacements to various locations throughout the Legion. Other times they report to a position together. We don’t even have a commander since Nubern’s promotion, so who knows?”

“True.”

Austin glanced to his side, suddenly aware eyes bore down on him. Skylar Kincaid stood to the right in the row in front of him. She glared in their direction, saw Austin’s eyes on her, and quickly looked forward. David “Bear” Keller stood to her right, a goofy and familiar expression on his face. Austin remembered the look when they all saw Atlantis for the first time.
 

But it was Skylar’s expression causing a sour feeling in his gut.
 

“Isn’t it amazing?” Ryker asked.
 

“It’s indescribable,” Austin said, turning his attention back to the cathedral.
 

A gong sounded followed by the thumping of bass drums. The light over the crowd softened, dissipating until it was dark. The beam on stage at the end of the hall intensified.
 

“ATTENTION!”

A slender figure in a Tizona tunic stepped into view. Blonde hair flowed down her shoulders as she strolled to the center of the tall stage. A hush fell across the room until there was complete silence. Austin heard only the hum of the Tizona’s engines and life support. The woman raised her hands high over her head.
 

“I am the Grand Commander of the Tizona, Marda Steele, and I welcome you all to our sacred
Tizona
, our home,” she said with calm authority. “You have all traveled from across this Legion for your next tour of service for the greater good of the entire galaxy. For that, you have my gratitude and the gratitude of all those who wore Tizona blue before you.”

Steele stepped across the stage, her footfalls echoing through the cathedral. “As you know, the first Star Runners were responsible for charting this space. Using bravery and instinct, these pioneers mapped the great expanse and made sense of the void for generations.

“While their kind has faded from recent memory, it is in their spirit and honor you fly amongst the stars. Never forget that, and never forget you represent the
Tizona
.”
 

“TIZONA!” the room roared in unison, the officers raising their right fists into the air as they did so.

“Proceed with the assignments,” Steele ordered.
 

Men in blue tunics stepped off their stools and moved in front of each squadron grid. The lighting faded on the stage and moved to the grids in the center of the cathedral. The men stepped onto a glowing sapphire rectangle in the otherwise dark floor. As they did, the rectangles ascended four feet from the deck. The man in front of the thirty-second squadron raised in front of him a tablet with trim illuminated in blue.

“Members of the elite thirty-second, hear my voice,” the man said in a booming voice like that of a man selling programs at a professional baseball game. “It is with great honor I inform you that your squadron will be assigned to the Parazonium Class Carrier,
Formidable
, over the next five years. The
Formidable
is currently docked here with the
Tizona
and is scheduled to depart tomorrow morning. You will report there immediately.”
 

The man lowered the tablet, apparently waiting for the other men in the hall to finish their announcements. When the final voice silenced and the orders had been given to all thirty-five Tizona squadrons, Steele raised her hands again.
 

“Dismissed!”

Ryker stood at ease and hugged Austin. “I can’t believe our entire squadron is being assigned to the same ship. First time that’s happened to me! Come on!”
 

*****

Austin walked down the tube lit with a luminous light, contrasting with the dim aura onboard the Tizona. The tube was only wide enough for single file traffic either way. He stared at the back of Ryker’s head as they marched from the Tizona to the
Formidable
, her black hair swinging. Two officers behind him engaged in a quiet conversation Austin ignored until the traffic stopped and they stood in line like they waited for a ride at an amusement park.
 

“Another tour on The Fringe you think?” one officer asked.
 

“Who knows? Commander Horace hasn’t said squat.”

“Figures.” The man snorted. “With everything going on, Commander Horace probably won’t say anything until we’re underway and half a million MUs from this place.”
 

“You think it’ll happen this time?”

“What? War?”

“Yeah.”
 

“Who knows? Fat cats on both sides are burning up the waves talking about the pirate funding and the espionage.”

“That’s just great.” He sighed. “I’m just ready to get this boarding process over with.”
 

Austin’s stomach grumbled. It felt like the first day at a new school. He had grown accustomed to life on Tarton’s Junction and hadn’t realized how comfortable he had become. The station was like a rock in Quadrant Eight.
 

Now, he boarded a Parazonium Class Legion carrier bound for who knows where to do who knows what. He swallowed as the line to board the
Formidable
started moving once again. Fear filled his body. He dreaded going into combat again. Every night brought nightmares of battle. With each comment from others about his performance during the Battle of Atlantis, his dread intensified. He couldn’t escape the thought he should have died with the others, perishing to save Earth. People were born with only so much luck and good fortune. And he couldn’t shake the undeniable feeling his luck had run out.

He would never share his feelings with anyone. No one wanted to hear a second lieutenant complain about his first duty. Despite his initial hesitation and his concern brought on by the conversation he had with the veteran Lieutenant Ryan Bean, Austin had signed his five-year commitment. The Legion owned him now. And he would serve to the best of his ability.
 

He played with the Legion wings on his chest as the line slowed once again. A different feeling washed over him, a feeling of pride. From his initial recruitment from the servers of Star Runners to enrolling in the Tizona School of Excellence to his eventual involvement in what had become known as the Battle of Atlantis, all of his hard work and accomplishments had led to this moment. He smiled and looked at the Legion wings sparkling as it reflected the interior lights of the boarding tube.