Of Hearts And Stars (Classic Editon) (The Cadet Starship Chronicles) (9 page)

Corrigin thought that this girl he had met in the library was the cutest girl he'd ever seen. Yet, he found himself very afraid for her Captain. Apparently he was slacking off, and will face a grim fate for doing so, Corrigin thought. Perhaps then it'd be best if he excused himself and reported back to algebra.

“
It's been nice meeting you Reveille.” he said, standing up.

“
My friends call me Revy.” she said, and stood as well.

Corrigin smiled “Alright Revy! I have to go now, I hope we meet again!”

“
Likewise!” she said and returned the smile as she waved goodbye.

-
26
-

A few days later during science class, Corrigin wandered off to the bathroom. He had been staring out of the window while pondering whether his own obscurity, coupled with the completion of his classwork, justified cutting class. Just as he came to the conclusion that it was a moot point; the bathroom door burst open. Corrigin looked away from the window and saw several upperclassmen dragging a boy in. He recognized the kid from his Political Philosophy class. That's lame, he thought, they're probably bullying him because of his weight. Recalling the conversation that he had with Revy, he decided that he needed to say something. It was time to leave an impact.

Corrigin called out in a loud voice “Hey! Get off him!”

The lead bully looked around for just a second before resuming the business of pummeling this innocent cadet. It was happening again like it always did; Corrigin was a ghost who couldn't do anything. The stocky cadet let out a cry that brought Corrigin back to his senses however. It was like Revy said; he had to break into this world.

“
I said leave him alone!” Corrigin shouted and strode forward to tap the lead bully on the shoulder.

That did it, because the lead bully dropped his prey and turned to face Corrigin. Likewise the other bullies were all staring at him as well now, sizing him up. He was finally being perceived, but not entirely sure that it was a good thing after all. Corrigin didn't have enough time to say 'oh crap' before rough hands seized him and slammed him against the bathroom wall. He saw the lead bully cock back his fist, and shut his eyes tight. This'll be a slaughter, he thought, and nearly laughed.

“
I have to pee.” said a voice from behind the bullies.

“
Shut up and go in the stall loser!” the lead bully yelled.

“
I have to pee, and you're blocking the urinal I want to use. Do you understand?” the voice repeated in a patient tone.

The lead bully let go of Corrigin, who slumped to the floor with a thud. There was a look of rage on the bully's face as he spun around. Yet the rage quickly diminished and turned into a look of surprise mingled with fear. Corrigin opened his eyes to see who the voice belonged to, and saw that standing there, in front of the bullies, was an upperclassman just like him. His tousled blackish-brown hair touched his brow, which framed a pair of fierce dark brown eyes. A grin was on his face as if he had just heard a funny joke, and his hands were in his pockets, like he was simply hanging out.

The lead bully couldn't afford to back down. His reputation was at stake after all. He pointed a finger at the intruding upperclassman and yelled “It's Swift! TEAR HIM APART!”

The other two bullies sprang forward and the first caught an elbow to the gut, followed by a backhand as Swift took his hands from his pockets, and then a left jab to the face. He fell backwards, holding his stomach and mouth. Swift gave the other a punch in the shoulder area of his chest, sending him reeling. Swift took this opportunity to grab the back of his uniform and thrash him against a sink before heaving him into a stall, where he fell rear first into a toilet bowl. All that remained now was him and the lead bully.

“
I won't forget this!” he threatened.

Swift gestured as if conjuring a spell and said “Your rage gives me magical powers.”

“
Outta my way!” the lead bully shouted at Swift, who wasn't really in the way. However as he passed by, Swift jumped at him which caused the lead bully to slip and go scrambling out of the bathroom door. Swift turned his attention back to the two remaining bullies.

“
You probably shouldn't run with guys like that. I mean, what did you think would happen?” he asked.

They grumbled and swore while getting up, but both apologized before leaving.

Swift then went to Corrigin and asked “You okay man?”

“
Yeah dude, thanks to you!” Corrigin said with much gratitude.

Swift smiled and scratched the back of his head “Don't even worry about it.” he said.

“
Hey, wait a minute. Didn't you have to... ya know? Use the bathroom?”

Swift cocked his head “Eh?” he asked.

“
That's why you fought those bullies. Like twenty seconds ago.” said Corrigin.

“
Oh! Nah. I just said that messin' around.”

Corrigin gave him a sideways look “So you just hang out in bathrooms?”

Swift hands made a slight gesture “No no! I was walking by the hallway when this kid came running up to me. He told me that someone was getting beaten up by bullies in the bathroom, and I said I'd check it out.”

“
Oh...I'm sorry that you had to fight because of me.”

Swift shook his head “Nope. Those guys are troublemakers. If it wasn't you, it'd had been someone else getting whupped. It's actually a good thing I was able to put them in their place.”

Corrigin took a closer look at Swift's uniform, which actually wasn't a uniform at all. This guy wore a white t-shirt with a black leather jacket and some blue jean shorts. On the flap of his breast pocket were three pins. One, a pair of gold wings, Corrigin immediately recognized as being those of an Elite

Student Captain. The next pin was a number one, and the pin following that was a stylized cross with the letters L and C on either side of it. Corrigin had a hunch who this guy might be due to his conversation with Revy, the girl he'd met in the library the other day.

“
Do you know Reveille James?” he asked.

Swift raised his eyebrows “Do I? Revy is a member of my crew.” he said.

Corrigin pointed a finger at him “You're the Captain of LaCroix, Leoric Swift!” Gin said with excitement.

Swift hunched and said “Ehh...Swift will do just fine. What's your name?”

Corrigin was a bit embarrassed that an Elite Student Captain saved him, being so plain and practically invisible “Corrigin O'Hare.” he said “Jack of no trades, master of none.”

“
Ahhh I see what you did there.” Swift said and put his hands into his pockets as he walked to the door “Just find something that you'd like to do and give it your all. Can't really fault ya for that; as long as you try.”

Swift nudged the door open with his foot and walked out of the bathroom, leaving Corrigin to collect his thoughts on what to do next.

-
27
-

That night Corrigin thought about the past week. He didn't want to just drift through life as a ghost anymore. To be honest, he wanted to be more like Swift and Revy, and so he made up his mind. He was going to join a Student Crew.

The application process for the Student Crew program consists of a written test followed by a field exam. For the field exam, cadets are placed on a crew with other applicants that have similar scores on their written exams. The applicant crew then faces off against an existing student crew in simulated ship to ship combat, commonly referred to as an exhibition match. Since it is the same type of match as the kind held between Standard and Elite Student Crews, the same rules and scoring system apply.

With determination to pass the test, Corrigin hit the books like a steel hurricane, and for his efforts he scored above average on his written exam. However when it came time for his field exam; disappointment set in. As a requirement for the field exam, the applicant Student Crew must face a D-Rank Student Crew. Due to a database error, an incorrect number of D-Rank Student Crews was entered into the matchmaking pool. Corrigin's applicant Student Crew was the last one formed for the year, and and as a result there were no D-Rank Student Crews left for them to take their field exam against. However, if another applicant Student Crew dropped out or somehow became disqualified, then his crew would be able to take the exam. Given the odds, he would have to wait until next year and apply again. Corrigin's applicant Student Crew sat in the lobby and watched as their spirits sunk lower and lower; the matches going by with no drop outs or disqualifications. To make matters worse, an upperclassman, hell bent on acting the part of a troll, walked into the lobby.

“
What's wrong kids?” he asked “Why so sad?”

Corrigin noticed a silver pair of wings on his uniform collar, and
noted that silver wings meant Student Captain. The Silver Fifty Three next them indicated that this guy was a member of Student Crew number Fifty Three.

“
We might not get to take our field exam this year.” A dark haired girl, another member of the applicant Student Crew, answered.

Captain Fifty Three smirked and said “That's okay. A bunch of baddies like you all never would of passed anyway.”

“
What the hell?” asked an applicant Student Crew member with thick glasses “You don't even know us!”

“
Uhh, shut up Goggles. Your collar is a bit too light weight to be yappin at me like that.” Captain Fifty Three said and popped his collar for emphasis.

Someone spoke up from behind Captain Fifty Three and said “Those don't mean a thing.”

Corrigin looked around the lobby. He thought he recognized that voice from somewhere.

Without looking to see who had spoken, Captain Fifty Three asked “What would you know, noob?”

“
Anyone can buy those at the student store, scrub.” said the familiar voice.

Captain Fifty Three turned to yell at whoever had the nerve to disrespect him like this “Do you know who-” he began to say, but promptly fell silent.

Leoric Swift was walking down the stairway from the upper floor of the lobby, hands in pockets and a wry smile on his face.

Captain Fifty Three frowned “What are you doing here Swift?” he asked him.

“
I'm here to step on you.” Swift declared.

“
What!?”

“
Here I was watching the field exams, seeing tomorrow's talent today, and what do I overhear? Wilson Johnson picking on people.” Swift leaned forward and said in a cold whisper “Makes me wanna break your stuff.”

“
You- you can't!” Wilson cried and took a step back.

“
Oh but I can!” Swift said and took a step forward.

Wilson turned to run, but Swift caught him by the collar and swung him back around.

“
Wilson Johnson, Captain of Student Crew number Fifty Three, I hereby challenge you to a duel!” Swift said as he removed a white glove from his left coat pocket. Just like the days of old, and in true gentlemanly manner, he proceeded to slap Wilson across the face with the white glove “ I demand satisfaction!”

The applicant crew let out a cheer as Swift issued the challenge. Most of the members of the applicant Student Crew, being new cadets as well, had never met Swift, so for a first impression there was something about him that they already liked. However, their first impression of Wilson certainly did not go well for the Captain of Student Crew number Fifty Three. Corrigin did recall the fight in the bathroom from a few days ago; he had seen first hand what Swift is capable of. If he is as good with ships as he is with his fists, then this duel will be awesome, Corrigin thought.

Wilson stopped struggling and slumped his shoulders.

“
What are your terms?” He asked.

“
I wager my ship, LaCroix, against your crew's rank.”

The applicant student crew began to murmur among each other with excitement. In a study guide Corrigin read the following:
Match loss resulted in a drop of rank unless otherwise noted by a governing official. Furthermore, wagers can stack with this rule, resulting in a double drop of rank if a loss incurs and the terms allow.

Since this challenge contained a wager, it fell under this rule. Corrigin had a feeling that crew number Fifty Three must be B-Rank, and with that being the case, his applicant crew might have the chance for an opponent for their field exam.

“
No sweat. I just need an hour or two to assemble my crew...” Wilson said and was immediately met with boos and jeers from the applicant student crew. Apparently they had come to the same conclusion as Corrigin. It was also highly possible that if Wilson were to walk away now, they would not find him again in a reasonable amount of time for their field exam.