Gamma Raiders: Storm Squadron Alpha: Scifi Alien Romance Novel (6 page)

The murmurs of the crowd echoed from the naked walls of the training room.

“Each of you on this stage,” he said as he turned to face the cadets, “has undergone the Battery. And we’ve collected a thorough picture of your skills and your talents. The commanders have convened to discuss your results. Each of you have been placed in the appropriate position to suit your talents and the needs of our forces.”

Fuck. There was no way she was going to end up in Storm Squadron now. Here, she had been so consumed with her decision that it never occurred to her the decision might be stripped from her. She’d be forced to spend her life repairing and modding ships ….

…And that was something she couldn’t accept. Life as a mechanic wasn’t in the cards for her. Not anymore. I’m a pilot, gods dammit. Bring it on.

Adaar read down the list of names, congratulating each of the small class of candidates on their selection. He told about the honor of being chosen for each of their specialist positions as they were placed into various combat and support roles.

Unsurprisingly, the three large Kamaran men who had arrived with Reina were all selected for the Barrage Battalion, the rebellion’s own brand of special operations marines. When the day of the assault on Kamara finally arrived, Barrage Battalion would lead the charge. Known for their fearless heroism and relentless courage, they would play an integral role in the Rebellion’s success.

As each recruit joined their comrades-in-arms, the room cheered them on. The good feelings and high spirits among the crew were part of the reason she had always felt so welcome here. And she knew that even there among the mechanics, hell especially among the mechanics, she’d be made to feel right at home. Would the Storm Squadron cadets accept her? Her heart pounded in her chest.

Another young man from Yordask was assigned to the Storm Squadron, a small and wiry looking fellow who looked like he’d be more at home in a weapons development lab than behind the controls of a fighter. But Kira wasn’t going to judge his skills based on his appearance. She trusted that the squad leaders knew what they were doing, and each of the assignments they made were well-reasoned.

As Adaar made his way down the line, Reina leaned in to Kira. “What if I don’t make it into Storm?”

“I’m sure you have nothing to worry about. I saw your sim-flight. You’re good.”

Kira found herself empathizing with the poor girl. She understood her anxiety. She clearly couldn’t see her own talent.

“Reina Blackwell,” said Adaar, finally standing before her.

“Sir,” she said.

“Storm Squadron.”

Reina’s eyes lit up as she rushed over to greet the pilots who awaited her in the corner of the training room.

Kira watched as Ja’al embraced her, and the fire of jealousy returned. Oh well. There was nothing she could do about it now. Sometimes things just didn’t work out.

Captain Adaar stepped over to Kira and stood in front of her. A small, private smile crossed his face as he nodded almost imperceptibly. An acknowledgment of the friendship they shared and the role Kira had played in getting this whole rebellion off the ground. Even if she wouldn’t be at the forefront of it, she was grateful for the acknowledgment.

Kira stood in the “at ease” position, with her legs spread and her arms held behind her back. She wanted to return the Captain’s smile, but with the eyes of the room on her, she maintained her composure.

Looking out to the crowd, she saw Tyrus standing with the mechanics, watching her closely. She’d be happy to run over and celebrate with him. Tyrus had become a great friend. She hoped he didn’t let the position of power go to his head. Though, if he did, she could always kick his ass at Traps again to put him back in his place.

“Kira Thorne,” said Adaar.

She swallowed against the dryness of her throat. Nothing to be nervous about. Her fate was sealed when she botched the test flight in the Battery.

“Storm Squadron.”

Kira’s eyes went wide. She must have heard wrong. The applause that filled the room faded into the background of her mind as her thoughts spun. That can’t be right.

Adaar smiled wide. “Congratulations, Kira,” he said, clapping her on the shoulder. “Go to them.”

She saw Ja’al in the distance, beckoning her onward.

Looks like I’m going to be a pilot after all. She hoped she was up to the challenge.

Chapter 6

Ja’al kept his office cold. Too many creature comforts would make him sloppy. He couldn’t afford to get soft. The cool air invigorated him. Challenged his willpower. The small room was sparsely decorated and barely finished. The exposed guts of the ship and cabling hanging from the ceiling reminded him that his work was never finished. It helped to keep his mind on the mission. Besides, there weren’t any trinkets or memories he wanted to keep around. There was no use dwelling on past regrets. He was here to create a better future.

Ja’al sat on the cool steel floor for his morning meditation, trying to clear his mind to prepare on the day ahead. But anxious thoughts assailed him. Reina’s arrival was a complication he didn’t need. Guilt was a useful emotion when it motivated him to action, but soldiers and leaders had no room for rumination or regret. He had to live in the present and create a better future. A future with Kira in it.

And now that Kira was officially part of the Storm Squadron, he’d need to be careful with his emotions. The sight of her sent the blood pumping through his body, filling him with a desire more intense than he knew how to handle. It would be a challenge to keep his passions cool around her.

There were too many stray thoughts in his awareness. Ja’al returned his attention to his breath, but the surge of arousal still pulled at him. This would be more challenging than he thought. He directed his attention to the rise and fall of his chest. Grounding himself in his body helped when his mind ran amok.

The harsh buzz of the comm system rang through the room, pulling him from his trance. The gods were conspiring against his meditation this morning. But letting go of his attachment to the results gave him a chance to practice acceptance. And besides, anyone visiting him this early in the morning must have something urgent to discuss.

Ja’al reached over to the small wooden table and released the door lock. Its hydraulics hissed as the door slid open.

“We need to talk, Ja’al,” said Kira.

That’s never a good way to start a conversation. Ja’al pushed himself up off the floor. He didn’t want to leap to unhelpful conclusions, but the look on her face betrayed concern. “Of course, Kira. Come in.”

She brushed a wisp of hair from her cheekbone and glanced around the room, her eyes resting anywhere but on his face. “You put me in Storm Squadron. After I failed the test. Why?”

“Because it’s where you belong, Kira.”

She sighed and shook her head. “I asked for this. And it’s what I want. But I don’t think I’m ready,” she said. “For Storm Squadron, I mean. I don’t think it’s the right place for me.”

He smiled to ease the tension, but it didn’t seem to help. “Why would you say that?”

“No matter how much experience I get and how many times we drill the maneuvers, I don’t have what it takes to be a fighter. When it all comes down to it, I’m going to let the team down. My instincts aren’t good enough.”

He laid a calloused hand on her shoulder and looked into her wide almond eyes. “You’re listening to the voice of fear. You’re imagining situations in the future that may never come to pass. You have control of this moment. And then the next.”

“What if I can’t do it?” she said.

“You’re here because you asked to be here. And I believe in you. No one is ever ready for the challenges life throws at them. But the ones who make a difference have the courage to act in spite of their fear. Somewhere inside yourself, you know you’re qualified. At least when you listen to that part of yourself, you know that you can do it.”

“I should have gone with the mechanics.”

“Is that what you’d prefer?”

She shifted uncomfortably. Ja’al already knew the answer to his question. And he knew that despite her fear, she wouldn’t back away.

“You should have the courage to follow your heart, Kira. It won’t steer you wrong. You’re capable of far more than you give yourself credit for.”

Her shoulders fell as she looked away from him. He knew it would take more than platitudes to convince her. But he didn’t need to win the war, he just needed her to take the next step on the path. One choice at a time. And with every action, she’d prove to herself that she could handle it. Momentum was the key.

“Following my heart is going to get me into trouble, Ja’al. People don’t always get what they want. Assuming otherwise is dangerous when people’s lives hang in the balance. I need to be realistic.”

Ja’al looked at her for a long moment. He wondered what had happened to her that caused her to doubt herself. It was a side of her that she rarely showed. The fact that she allowed Ja’al to see it, that she opened up to him now, meant that she trusted him. And he didn’t take that responsibility lightly. He wouldn’t let her down. “No one said it would be easy, Kira. Nothing worth doing is ever easy. But it’s always worth taking the risk. You don’t want to live your life with regrets.”

She crossed her arms in front of her chest. Ja’al averted his eyes, willing himself to ignore the way it pushed the curves of her breasts together. “I’ve caused enough trouble,” she said. “I should stick to what I’m good at. Why is it so important to you to have me in the Storm Squadron anyway?”

“Kira, you’re right about one thing,” he said as he leaned into her. “This isn’t going to be an easy road. Not for you. Not for any of us. The Kamarans are doing everything they can to root us out. They’ll stop at nothing to find the location of the Rebel headquarters and blow us all back to the depths of the void. The weight and the pressure weigh on every single one of us.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” she said.

She looked at him with a burning intensity that stirred his insides. With an unbridled passion and a thirst for life he would give anything to protect, Kira inspired him. She was a woman capable of bringing out the best in them all.

“I need you to remind me what I’m fighting for.”

“You’re fighting to save the galaxy from oppression, Ja’al.”

He shook his head. It was so much more than that.

“That’s the shallow answer that looks good to a recruiting officer. It won’t help you in the heat of battle. What drives you? What do you want?”

“You know what I want, Ja’al.”

She leaned into his body, and he savored the smooth touch of her bare skin against him.

“I want you near me, Kira. I want you in Storm Squadron because I don’t want to live with the constant regret of losing you.”

She shifted against him, pressing her body into his. The soft curves of her breasts felt warm against his chest and he drew his hand down her back and pulled her in close.

“I’m still not ready,” she said.

She buried her head in his chest and drew a deep breath. It wasn’t a decision he could make for her. Kira didn’t hesitate when it came to making her opinions known and she had no trouble going after the little things she wanted. But when it came to the choices that mattered, she still stumbled.

“I’m never going to give you more than you can handle. Trust the process.”

“I’m not going to get out of this, am I?”

“You chose this path, Kira. Now you have to walk it. But trust that I won’t let you fail.”

“It might not be up to you.”

“I control my fate, Kira.” His lips met her cheek, and he savored the lingering taste of her skin. “When I set my sites on something, there’s no stopping me. When I want something,” he said, pulling her in close, his mouth hovering inches from her lips, “I go after it with everything I have.”

“This could all go horribly wrong.”

“Maybe. We’ve chosen a dangerous life. And now we’ve enraged the Empire. There are no guarantees, Kira. But I refuse to live with regret.”

“You’re braver than I am,” said Kira. “Or maybe just more reckless.”

Ja’al pulled her in close and felt the heat of her breath on his chest. “You belong in Storm Squadron. You belong with me.”

***

When Kira arrived on the flight deck, the other new recruits already stood in formation, lined up and waiting. Reina smiled and waved her over. “I wasn’t sure you were coming,” she said.

Kira wondered how much the others knew about her. She hated having the feeling that the other cadets were talking about her behind her back. Her nerves were already on edge as it was. Reina must have noticed the look on her face. “Don’t worry, Kira. It’s just that you seemed so hesitant yesterday. I’m glad you’re here, is all.”

“After the ceremony yesterday, I couldn’t let everybody down,” she said. But as the words left her lips, she wondered about Tyrus. Would he feel let down, betrayed by her decision? It was unlikely—Tyrus didn’t seem to be the type to take offense to something like that—but she’d make it a point to catch up with him later to make sure.

“I have a confession,” said Reina. “You’re not the only one who’s nervous. I’ve never flown anything besides a sim before.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine,” said Kira.

“It’s just that our training is so short, you know? The Kamaran fighters study for years. We don’t have that luxury. The learning curve here is steep. At least you have real-world flight experience.”

“Flying a freighter doesn’t compare to what we’ll need to do in combat,” said Kira.

“No, but you’re familiar with a ship’s systems. You’ve got plenty of practice reading all the control panels and keeping track of all that information at once.”

“The ship does a lot of that on its own,” she said. “Or at least mine did. Back on Tarksis I designed a system to automate most of that. And none of those choices were made with an enemy fighter closing in with torpedoes locked on me.”

“That’s right, you’re an engineer,” said Reina. “I’d almost forgotten. That’s going to help more than you know. I really think we’re going to get on well together, Kira.”

Kira didn’t know whether it would help or not, but she appreciated Reina’s effort to cheer her up. She looked out over the flight deck and into the blackness of space beyond. Out here, she’d need all the friends she could get.

***

Kira snapped to attention along with the rest of the cadets when Ja’al arrived promptly at 0630 for orientation. The lessons would progress quickly, and the curriculum was a work in progress. That was one of the joys of being the inaugural class of a new military division—they got to be the guinea pigs for an untested system.

The cadets stood at attention as Ja’al walked down the line. “There’s more to the Storm Squadron than just some fancy flying,” he said. “To be the best, we have to make sure that you have every tool at your disposal to perform your jobs well. And we need to make sure you’re prepared for every possible contingency.”

Fidgeting uncomfortably, Kira held her body at attention. She didn’t want to be the one to break formation and get called out in front of everyone on their first day. The idea that there was more to being a pilot than mastering the controls was no big surprise. But it still didn’t ease her nerves any.

“What else can there be?” came a low baritone from somewhere down the line. Kira resisted the urge to turn her head to glare at the speaker.

Ja’al stood in front of the speaker. “What’s your name, Cadet?”

“Jomanak, sir.”

“Let me ask you a question, Jomanak: What do you think will happen to you if your ship is shot down over hostile enemy territory? What would you do to survive?”

“It’s irrelevant,” said the cadet. “I won’t get shot down.”

Kira thought she heard a muffled giggle coming from Reina’s direction.

“You’re confident,” Ja’al said. “You believe in yourself. And that’s a skill every pilot needs. There’s no room for second guessing in the heat of battle. You have to take in a lot of information and make split-second decisions, all while the Kamaran fighters are assaulting you with everything they have. And they won’t give you a second chance. However, you’re making a fatal mistake: You are underestimating the enemy’s capabilities.”

“I can handle myself.”

“I’m sure you can. And by the time we’ve finished our training, you’ll all be able to handle yourselves. But the Kamaran fighters are the best trained force in the galaxy. Even if you do everything right, you’ll face a formidable foe. And there are no guarantees. That’s why, in addition to your flight training, you’ll need to learn all the other basic skills that would be required for any member of our forces. Hand to hand combat. Survival in extreme environments. How to withstand an enemy interrogation.”

Kira swallowed hard. She was no stranger to fending for herself. But the thought of surviving alone in the wilderness, or being tortured by the enemy, was something she hoped she’d never be unlucky enough to experience.

“The first rule of war,” Ja’al said as he continued down the line, “is that shit happens. So you need to be prepared. Even with superior combat skills, there are no guarantees. How would you handle a mechanical error in mid flight? What will you do when your ship’s systems malfunction? Does anyone here know to repair a malfunctioning targeting computer? What’s the procedure for diagnosing a faulty comm link?”