Defender of the Empire: Cadet #1 (18 page)

The admiral smiled. “Very well then, you are dismissed.”

I stood up quickly and gave him a salute. I managed, somehow, to walk to the door. Once on the other side I started to run.

Okay, so I managed to keep myself from
running
per ‘say, but I did move quickly. Very quickly. I made it to the dining hall from the admissions building in record time. My nerves were still strung tight as I snatched my lunch. I sidestepped walking anywhere near Lassie and her friends. I filed it distantly that they were going to try more drastic tactics in the near future. I wasn’t sure what I would do if they tried any of those on me right now, but it wouldn’t be good. Luckily nothing happened… this time.

I spotted Jason sitting at our cust
omary table of the last two days. I tilted my head in surprise to see that he was not alone. My brows rose to see that the new comer wasn’t Westley either. He was someone I had not seen before. He was older than Jason and I with black hair. He was broader than Jason but that was all I could make out with his back to me.

Jason smiled when he saw me over the newcomer’s shoulder. He waved at me and the new lad turned to see who he was waving at.
I was struck by his bright green eyes. His face was young, but his eyes… his eyes were very old.

“Rylynn! This is 3
rd
Class Cadet Strausman.” Jason said once I was close enough.

“Marius.” The new comer added holding a hand out to me.

I set down my tray and took it. “Rylynn.” I returned. “So what brings you to our table?” I asked. Okay, so it may have come out a bit gruffer than I had intended, but I was a bit jumpy. “Sorry.”  I muttered with slight flush. “Tests were… well they could have been better.”
And that isn’t even the half of it.
I thought silently with a sigh.

Marius
gave me an understanding smile. “There is nothing quite so horrible as Academy tests.” He said with a shudder. He took a drink before answering my previous question. “I am here because I heard you need another for your team.” He shrugged picking up a roll. “I need a team.”

“And if he can, Westley can serve as our fourth member.” Jason added.

“Cool.” I said before taking a bite of my lunch. I glanced at Marius before adding. “But why would you want to be on our team? I’m sure there are others who are more socially acceptable.” I had to know what was behind his showing up. It couldn’t just be that he needed a team.

Jason rolled his eyes but Marius smiled. He set down the roll and leaned forward on the table. “
Let’s just say that the ‘socially acceptable’ groups,” he said with finger added quotes, “don’t want to work with a guy like me. I tend to do things that get the mission done with the best possible results, but that doesn’t mean I always follow the rules.”

“He has experience piloting
and with advanced weaponry.” Jason added. I could tell that he wanted me to approve working with this guy.

I raised my brows at him. “Awesome. I was just curious why a 3
rd
class cadet would want to work with two new recruits, that’s all.” I met our newest acquaintance’s gaze “Welcome to the team.”  He grinned and went back to eating and discussing ideas with Jason. I returned to my meal and listened. There was something about Marius that just wouldn’t leave me alone. I felt that we could trust him with the challenge. There was just something more about him, secrets that may or may not become important.
Or maybe I’m just paranoid.
I thought to myself. Neither Spectral said anything, surprisingly.
Thanks guys.
I thought sourly.

Scrae chuckled.
YOU ARE PARANOID, BUT THAT IS A GOOD THING. IT MAKES YOU CAREFUL, WHICH WILL SERVE YOU WELL IN LIFE. Said the mouse. I decided to just stop thinking about things that didn’t have any relevance to the test lurking ahead in my next class.

Chapter
14 – The Results

              I showed up to Medical after class just as I had promised. Westley had even canceled the afternoon lab as he felt it more important to know if I could continue my training or not. I was grateful to him for it. I had been worrying about it since the doctor had informed me of what might happen. Stupid as it sounds, I had never worried about the seizures. They came, and yes they were bad, but once they were done I was never harmed. Achy maybe, but I had no bruises or cuts. And, while suffering the pain I didn’t have it in me to worry about what was going on around me. If I died I wouldn’t know it…
okay, that is a creepy thought
. I mused to myself as I waited.  Before now, I might not have cared about the seizures, but now I understood
why
they threatened my training. I knew before, it just hadn’t sunk in. I had no warning when a seizure would hit. It just came. What if that happened while I was on a mission or piloting? I could kill not just myself but everyone with me.

             
I frowned. Why had Captain Wingstar given me a letter of recommendation when he knew I had suffered a seizure when they transported me on board? He had to have known that I could possibly be dismissed for medical reasons. Was it some kind of cruel joke?
Or is there something he knows that I don’t? He only ever saw me once and we didn’t talk all that long. But out of that single meeting he gives me a letter of recommendation…
I had thought he had given it to me because he had thought me worthy of it. And maybe that was part of the reason, but what if there had been another?

             
“Ah, good to see your word is good.” Dr. Clayton’s voice dragged me out of my musing.

             
“Reporting as ordered, ma’am.” I said with a salute.

             
The corner of her mouth lifted at that. “Very good, though don’t need the salute. I just need you to show up and be honest with me while we take care of you.” She said.

             
I nodded my understanding. “So what do you need me to do?” I asked.

             
“Come with me.” She said and led me to an exam room.

              An hour and forty-five minutes later found me siting in a chair waiting to know the results of the many tests I had been run through. Meghan came by a couple times to tell me that the doctor was still going over the results and consulting others. She smiled, but her eyes seemed troubled. She was troubled, I was troubled. Were they trying to figure out how to tell me that I was dismissed from service? I started to shake. Luna and Scrae tried to comfort me. But they had their work cut out for them. I heard them. I just couldn’t acknowledge what they were saying. I tried to image what I would do if I could no longer be part of the Legion Fleet. Where could I possibly go if I couldn’t stay here?

             
So yes, with all those questions running about my brain I was almost in a panic. Nausea threatened as I tried to get control of myself. Finally, Dr. Clayton approached me. “I am sorry about the wait. Let us go talk.” She gestured for me to follow. Nerves of dread clung to me as I trailed behind her. She led me down a hall to what I assumed was her office. The walls had been painted a warm and soothing light turquoise green.  Little kid drawings adorned the walls and the artist himself smiled at me from pictures on shelves behind the good Dr.’s desk. The kid had to be around five cycles. He was also a lot darker than the doctor. He did have her brown eyes, though. Both that and the loving display of the pictures made me think he was her son. The dark brown eyes was light against the coal black of his skin. Smiling with him in a few of the pictures was a powerful man with the same coal coloring. His eyes were a bright violet. I would not want to run into him in a dark alley. He was both tall and broad and looked to have control over his strength.

             
I THINK THE MAN IS FROM J’ARA. I’M IMPRESSED, EVEN SCARED OUT OF YOUR MIND YOU ARE VERY OBSERVANT. Luna said to me.

             
OF COURSE SHE IS OBSERVANT. YOU NOTICE THINGS MORE WHEN YOU ARE SCARED. Scrae muttered back.

             
What is J’ara?
I thought to distract myself as Dr. Clayton settled in her seat. She indicated that I should sit, so I did.

             
Luna answered in the meantime. J’ARA IS A HOT DESERT WORLD OF SAND, GOLD, SALT, AND FIRE. THE J’ARANS ARE THE GREATEST METAL WORKERS IN THE EMPIRE. THEY ALL TEND TO HAVE DARK COLORING WITH BRIGHT EYES.

             
Luna didn’t get the chance to say anything more because Dr. Clayton looked up. Her smile was bright and beautiful when she guessed what I was looking at. “My family. Dev’shawn is my favorite little artist.” She said with such tenderness I wondered if my parents had ever thought of me that way. “My husband took him to J’ara to learn the Claytonar family trade.” She winked at me “They are probably just spoiling him rotten.” She sighed dramatically.  I was dazzled at how much younger she looked talking about her family. Her joy was infectious and I found myself smiling a little.

             
“Now, let us talk about the results of your exams as I know you have probably been worrying about it.” She said in a more businesslike manner, though her expression had softened. I, on the other hand, grew even tenser. The ax was about to fall…”We have found nothing abnormal.” She said and a puzzled frown wrinkled her brow. “I couldn’t believe it after seeing you last night, which is why it has taken me this long to talk to you.”

             
I blinked at her. “So… nothing is wrong with me? I can stay at the Academy?” Hope was a growing ember in my chest.

             
“We couldn’t find anything amiss, so yes you can stay at the Academy. But.” She said before I could stand up to thank her and leave. I froze. “I want you to report here regularly so we can keep an eye on you. I also want to program your Medi-Comp to keep tabs on you as well.  Perhaps it could tell us what triggers these episodes. Since we don’t yet know what triggers these attacks, I want you to avoid using delicate machinery. I will inform your professors of this as well. That may well change when we know what is causing the seizures.”

             
I nodded my understanding. The problem was, I already knew what was causing the seizures. She just wouldn’t believe me if I told her. So I kept it to myself and let her update the new instructions to M. Kit. I left Medical with a bounce in my step not five minutes later. I returned to the room to find that Lassie wasn’t glowering at me from her section of the room as she wasn’t there Still I couldn’t just sit in the room, so I picked up my books and headed for the lobby to study before going to meet Marius, Westley, and Jason for dinner.

             
Michel was there as he said he would be.  He nodded at me as I settled into the study area. After a few minutes when he must have finished whatever he was doing at the desk he came over to sit near me. I glanced at him distractedly before continuing to study the star chart of the Medrais System.  “So you are staying, eh?” He asked in his soft voice.

             
I grinned at him. “Yes. Nothing is wrong with me medically.”

             
He smiled and leaned back in his chair. “That is good to hear.” His lips quirked “I’m sure going to enjoy seeing some people’s expressions when they learn the good news. Especially Lassie’s.”

I laughed just imagining her face. She would just have to realize that I wasn’t going anywhere.
  I tilted my head at him and asked “So who is on your team for the competition?”

Michel sighed. “It
’s just me, myself, and I.” he replied. At my frown he continued. “I’m not participating in the competition. I have too much that I need to do already without adding in the stress of a competition.”

“Well, I’m not as wise as you.” I said with a wry smile. Hearing that I was allowed to stay
seemed to have released something because I couldn’t stop smiling. “I am joining the challenge with Jason and Marius and, possibly, Westley.”

Michel’s
dark hazel eyes turned thoughtful. “I thought Westley wasn’t a student.”

“He isn’t, but he is talking to those in charge to see if he can participate.
Our hope is that the professors will let him based on the fact that he has skills that 1
st
Cadets would have. He could also guide Jason and me in the things that we have no experience with yet.”

Michel nodded before asking, “Do you know who Marius is? I hav
e never seen him before yesterday afternoon, and yet the computer says that he has been at the Academy for almost three years.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “
You have an impressive memory if you know everyone who goes here. That has to be a couple thousand at least!”

Michel grinned sheepishly. “
I suppose it isn’t
that
good.” He became serious. “I guess what bothers me is that one day he isn’t here. The next he is. There is something off about him. Just be careful.”

I opened my mouth to ask more, but the computer at the front desk beeped and Michel excused himself. I was about to press the issue, but I noticed that it was almost dinner time. I waved at him before returning my books back in my room.
On the way to and from my room I wondered what that had all been about. I wasn’t the only one.