Axira Episode One (7 page)

Despite my better judgment, I remained where I
was.

…

Jason Singh

“
It was the delivery.” Mason pressed his fingers together to
emphasize his point. “With a totally blank expression, she told the
whole room she was a professional drinker, then walked out. I’ve
never seen anything like it. I’m telling you, she’s the coolest
recruit to come along since that Hegar who could eat flies through
his nose.”

I leaned against the window and tried to ignore Mason as he
commanded center stage – as usual – filling in our assembled
friends on last night’s antics.

“
Wait, I can’t believe this. Sorry, but as if someone – even a
Taskarian – could drink a whole bottle of Caskcar and walk out of
anywhere.” Camit – a half-human half Bakarian – tipped her elegant
head back and shook it incredulously.

“
Well, lucky for you a whole party full of witnesses saw
it.”

“
Maybe it wasn’t really Caskcar,” Camit suggested.

“
I smelt the stuff after some idiot tried to offer some to my
sister. It almost burnt my brains out of my skull.” He stabbed a
finger at his head. “It was Caskcar alright.”

“
So what happened to her?” Nordan asked as he leaned in and
looked interested.

“
Fine,” Mason shrugged expressively, “She was totally fine.
She came back and went to bed. My sister said she got up this
morning and Em was already eating breakfast.”

I’d tried to look for Em last night, and I’d seen her, but I
hadn’t managed to catch up. She’d walked off before I could call
out to her.

I’d only met the woman yesterday, but she’d already taken up
a fair chunk of my time and thoughts.

“
I think she’s going to be a great inclusion into E club.
Hell, I reckon they’ll be using her for missions before she has
even graduated,” Mason predicted.

“
Aren’t we jumping the gun?” I heard myself ask, finally
turning from the window, “It’s only her second day. Sure, she is
great on the track, but she may not be so great when it comes to
study.”

“
Look at you being the voice of reason. I saw how impressed
you were last night. Shut up, you totally agree with me – Cadet Em
is going to be the new golden recruit of the Academy. Now, how long
do you think we should wait until we ask her to join our
group?”

I had to snort. Not because I found it funny, but because
this was ridiculous. “We don’t know anything about this woman.
Maybe we should let her settle in before we demand she joins us.” I
was speaking mostly for my own benefit. I’d barely had a
conversation with Em – and though I burned to know her secrets – I
should probably let her settle in before my interrogation could
start.

“
You’re being such a kill joy. Anyhow, aren’t you meant to be
doing something today?” Mason leaned back and shot me a pointed
look.

“
I haven’t forgotten,” I replied dryly, “This is only the most
important day of my career.”

“
What do you think your mission will be, anyway?” Mason
questioned.

Despite the conversational tone in his voice, I knew I had to
be guarded. I also knew I had to lie. “I don’t know, something
boring, knowing Forest.”

Mason snorted. “Yeah, sure, Admiral Forest is known for
sending her favorite soldiers out on dull missions – she’s renowned
for it in fact. She’s certainly not known as the hardest admiral in
the Academy. What do you really think your mission is going to be?”
Mason pried again.

I shot him a stiff-lipped smile. To be honest, Admiral Forest
had already briefed me. She’d also let me know not to share details
of my operation with anyone – which included my assembled
friends.

“
Just give it a rest,” Camit fobbed a hand at Mason. “He’s
probably not allowed to tell us. Now can we please speak about
something else?”

“
Sure, I’m going to find out when Cadet Em will be training on
the track again,” Mason began.

“
Something else,” Camit snarled.

Mason lifted his hands in surrender.

I took the opportunity to say goodbye and leave.

Mason was right – I should probably be spending more time
wondering what Forest would tell me today, and less on the curious
Cadet Em.

...

Axira

“
Combat class?” I looked at Elle. “Already? I have been told
that does not begin until our third week.”

“
The curriculum has changed. We’re going to start today. I’m
soooo nervous. My brother has been trying to teach me, but I’m not
a quick study – at least not when it comes to this kind of
stuff.”

I looked at Elle, controlling my expression – which wasn’t
hard, considering I had worn nothing but a blank expression for 450
years.

If an accomplished admiral and her equally accomplished son
weren’t capable of training Cadet Elle Singh, perhaps she should
take that as an indication she wasn’t suited for this
program.

Again, I held my tongue.

We walked with the rest of our class towards the combat
hall.

“
Do you reckon they will be teaching us how to use TI
objects?” One of our classmates asked their friend.

“
Nah, that comes later. Plus, ever since some incident five
years ago or so they really restricted their use in the cadet
program. I heard from a mate who is in third year that the
Barbarians and Kore have found ways to circumvent TI implants, they
can even gain control of them. I doubt we'll ever be taught at this
rate,” his friend answered.

From what I understood, TI objects and TI implants were
indeed being restricted. There were races and technologies out
there that could now take advantage of them. I was one such
example. If I wanted to – which would only happen under my master’s
murderous influence – I could clamp a hand over some poor soul's TI
implant, send a subspace burst into it, corrupt it, and watch as
every TI object in range crushed them.

It was a changing galaxy. Indeed, over the past four years
ever since my escape from my master, it had been changing faster
and faster, quickening towards a strange new future.

I began to draw in, concentrating on my thoughts. This was a
habit of mine – of course it was – my thoughts, for 450 years, had
been all I had control over.

It was still completely natural for me to turn off, stare at
a wall, and draw inwards. I could not, however, do that whilst
there was an excitable, chatting cadet by my side.

“
You look tired? Are you tired?” Elle asked
quickly.

“
I am not tired,” I assured her.

“
I suppose it wouldn’t matter with you, ha? I bet you’re
really good at combat. You will be able to pass this class easily.
You’ll probably get top marks. Me,” she patted a hand on her chest,
and I noted it left a slightly sweaty imprint over the tight weave
of her uniform, “I just want to pass.” She gesticulated wide.
“Pass,” she emphasized.

“
You will have to do more than that,” somebody growled from
behind us. I recognized the voice and pitch as belonging to
Lieutenant Ma’tovan. He stalked past us, his towering form casting
a shadow over Elle and making her shrink towards me.

I held my ground, but did not make eye contact.

“
I’m so sorry, sir, of course I will try my hardest,” Elle
said effusively.

I latched a hand on her arm and pulled her forward. Ravangs
never liked platitudes. They didn’t want to hear that you would try
your hardest.

“
We will sacrifice,” I said simply.

That’s what a Ravang wanted to hear – that you would give up
everything, from your mental well-being to your physical strength
to your very life. Everything to them, from battle to simple
training, was a test of determination.

The lieutenant looked placated, at least mildly, and marched
off to harass some other new cadets.

“
You seem to know how to deal with him, how do you do that?”
Elle turned to me, an excited expression reddening her
cheeks.

“
You need to study the Ravang,” I suggested.

“
I have. I read everything about his race that I can. And I
thought I was doing a good job.”

“
Books will teach you nothing. You must meet them and learn
from your mistakes.”

“
Wow,” Elle shot me another impressed look, “How much have you
travelled? It sounds like you’ve been all over the galaxy. The
Ravang home world is close to the Borderlands, isn’t it? Have you
ever been there?”

Yes. I’d been there. I’d plundered it several times. I’d also
met countless Ravang in battle. I wasn’t about to share that detail
though.

“
You know, I don’t know much about you, other than the fact
you used to be a marathon runner and you are like the only friend I
have here,” Elle admitted.

Friend? That word threw me.

It was wrong. Patently wrong. I was not her friend. I had
just met her, and to-date our interactions had revolved around me
saving her.

Before I could point out the error in her reasoning, we
arrived in the combat hall, and Ma’tovan bellowed at every cadet to
shut up.

I had to be careful. Of course I had to be careful. While
every other cadet in this hall would try their hardest to impress
Ma’tovan, I couldn’t possibly try my hardest. My hardest would
involve a subspace blade and the ability to jump from point to
point, let alone display strength far, far above anything a human
could produce, even when assisted with armor.

I needed to calculate exactly how much effort to put in. I
could not afford another mistake like yesterday; I was starting to
realize that running for four hours in high humidity at the pace
I’d managed to achieve was startling.

No more startling anyone today, I concluded
firmly.

"What do you think this will involve?" Elle leaned towards
me, trying to keep her voice low.

It wasn't low enough. The lieutenant spotted her and growled
in our direction. "I see we have some more volunteers. Cadet Singh
and Em, please come to the front of the class."

Elle groaned.

It seemed the more I allowed this human to hang out with me,
the more I was drawn into her troubles. As we approached the
lieutenant, I made a firm determination this time to abandon her
once we were finished here.

"The galaxy is changing,” the lieutenant turned from us to
growl at the assembled cadets, “It's not the same place it was five
years ago. Our battles and enemies have changed. And they continue
to change, racing towards a future we can't allow them to create.
We – the Coalition – are the only force that stands in the way of
the Barbarians, the Kore, the spacers, you name it. Every scumbag
in the Milky Way who rejects our principles, tramples on freedom,
and oppresses the weak."

I didn't move. Not even a twitch. At the mention of my race –
the spacers – I stiffened my face as if I'd passed it through
concrete.

"There was a time when we could churn out recruits who could
get by with simple combat skills. That time isn't now. The reality
is, once you get out there,” he pointed one stiff finger up to the
ceiling, indicating space beyond, “You will be expected to fight.
It may not happen in your first week, or your first month, or even
your first year, but your ship or your planet or your station will
be attacked. Maybe it will be the Barbarians, maybe it will be Kore
assassins, maybe it will be some enemy we haven't even met yet, but
unless you learn now,” he pointed his stiff finger at the ground,
“Here, today, you won't be able to rise to the
challenge."

The assembled cadets puffed their chests out, clearly
thinking that they were up for the challenge.

Elle, however, knotted her hands together and let her
shoulders hunch in.

I was now more sure than ever that she wasn't suited to be
here. As much as I didn't agree with the patriotic tone of the
lieutenant's speech, the content was accurate. The Milky Way
certainly was changing. And he was right: in the past five years
the Coalition had faced more enemies than it had in the past
20.

My master had referred to it as the quickening. A time when
history seems pushed through a funnel, pushed toward some future
like a boulder gathering speed.

He would never tell me what that future was, but I knew it
would involve him in some insidious, murderous capacity.

"Today, we're going to learn simple combat techniques. I
expect you to master them by the time we leave this class,” he
stated flatly, “Because tomorrow, we move on to harder stuff. And
the next day, harder stuff again. If you can't keep up, you will be
left behind." The lieutenant's gaze darted to Elle and lingered
there until she shifted back awkwardly. "So now I'm going to
demonstrate what you have to do."

I was hardly paying attention now. The lieutenant's words
were affecting me, pushing me back into my memories.

I hadn't been kidding when I'd said I was good at distracting
myself. 450 years of being locked inside my own consciousness had
made me very comfortable with my thoughts.