Star Runners (24 page)

Austin considered bringing up the kiss in his quarters. He still remembered the cherry taste of her lip gloss. "It's a little overwhelming, don't you think?"

"I thought it would be different. I ... well." She touched her bottom lip with her index finger and looked at the floor. "I almost didn't come here at all."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean the night the president called us all to his office and gave us this choice. I really, really wanted to go home, Austin. I miss my parents. I miss everything about Florida." She turned away and stood next to a sim pod. "I don't want to be weird, but I only came up here because you were."

His chest fluttered and he took in a deep breath. What would this be like without her here? He tried to imagine life on Tarton's Junction without Skylar. He couldn't do it.

"Hey," he said, touching her shoulder, "I know I've been a little one-sided since we got here. I miss home, too. It's just taking me some time to adjust. This is a little out of the ordinary, don't you think? I'm really glad you're here. I don't know what I'd do if you had left me to take this trip with Bear."

Turning around, she smiled. "Thanks for saying that." Her expression changed. "That night in your quarters ..."

"You don't have to say anything."

"I want to. Listen, I was just scared. Seeing that destruction, those people dying, I didn't know what to do."

Austin nodded. "It's okay."

Skylar shook her head. "Anyway, so how did it feel to be out there with the captain and see real damaged ships coming in? Everyone was talking about it."

He stared at the wall, remembering the sparkling freighter with the blackened hull. "Just another reminder this is all real. As if I needed that, right?"

She took a step toward him. "You are the best pilot here. Don't forget that. Even the instructors know that. You shot down Scorpion and from what I've heard she's the real deal."

Austin snorted. "We're all sim rats up until this point, remember? I don't think anything I've done so far is something to be proud of."

Skylar's jaw dropped. "There you go again. What is it with you? Nothing's ever good enough. You're always trying to prove something to someone. Maybe it's your father, I don't know."

“I’m not trying to prove anything.”

She reached and caressed his hand. She lowered her voice. "You don't have to prove anything to anyone except yourself. I know if your father was here, he would be proud of you."

Austin's eyes watered before the intercom sounded.

"
Tizona squadron recruits, report to the range for sidearm training."

The message repeated.

Blinking a few times, Austin looked at Skylar. "Thanks for everything. I guess we better get going."

*****

"I'll take us out of the station, Rock," Scorpion said. "Once we're clear, I want you to take us to Point Falcon and back. Just a quick run."

Austin took a deep breath and rested his hands on the controls. So this is it; his first day of flying for real.

Scorpion launched the Trident and left the hangar doors behind them.

"Giving you control in three, two, one. You got it."

The lights in his cockpit increased in intensity. He gripped the stick and sat up in his seat. "Roger, Scorpion."

"Use your HUD to find Point Falcon."

Austin looked around the cockpit, found Point Falcon to his right, and pushed the stick. The Trident darted to the right so quickly he overshot and compensated by pulling back.

"Easy, Rock. Just like the sims."

"I'm sorry. It's a little more sensitive than I expected."

"No. You're just hyped up because it’s your first flight. This is just like the sims, but out here, you make a mistake and you die."

Austin rolled his eyes. "Oh, that helps."

She laughed in his ear. "Alright, Rock, Point Falcon's dead ahead. I want us there in thirty seconds."

"You got it."

He pushed the throttle with his right hand, smiling as he remembered pressing the plus key on his keyboard back home to do the same thing. Debris flashed off the deflector shield. He jumped back. His targeting computer showed Point Falcon's range dropping. They were going to make it in eight seconds.

"The fighter really is faster than I expected," Austin said, adjusting the course back and forth to get a feel for the stick.

"She'll do things you wouldn't believe," Scorpion said, the sound of pride welling up in her voice. "She'll claw you out of scraps you shouldn't be in, take you home when you’ve made a mistake even when you don't deserve it. She'll take a pounding the worst existence can toss at you, and let you tell the story the next day. Don't forget it, Rock. This baby deserves your respect."

Austin gazed out at the wings and then took in the cockpit. He was flying the Trident in space.

"This is actually happening," he breathed.

Scorpion exhaled, causing brief static over the feed. "It sure is. Check range to target."

Austin blinked. "Right. Sorry."

"Alright, bring us around Falcon in a wide sweep before heading back to Tarton's Junction. Remember, there's no gravity. The Trident could spin 'round on a pin if you wanted her to, but we want to take a nice arching turn back. Make it smooth as you can."

"Roger."

He adjusted the throttle and eased the thrusters into a banking turn. It reminded him of his father teaching him to drive around a winding road. Ease the steering wheel into the turn, make it smooth. Nice and easy. "Slow is your friend," he always said.

The Trident banked smoothly and circled Point Falcon. He remained perfectly inside the track on his HUD as the Trident adjusted back toward the station. The targeting computer switched from Point Falcon to Tarton's Junction.

"Well done, Rock. Get us home in twenty."

Austin eased forward on the throttle, smiling the whole way.

*****

Scorpion slapped him on the shoulder as they walked away from the Trident. "That was quite an improvement there at the end."

Austin grinned. "Thanks. You know, it was surprising at first. I don't know what I expected, but the fighter responded quicker than I thought it would. I guess I thought there would be resistance."

Scorpion shook her head. "There's no resistance in the void. It takes some getting used to, but you recovered after that jolt at first. It's a lot different flying in atmo, but that's a lesson for another day. You did good, Austin. You’ll make a great Star Runner."

His cheeks warmed. She rarely used his real name since class started. "Thank you."

Nubern marched up carrying a clipboard. "How did he do out there?"

"Fine, sir. Better than fine, actually."

"Good." He looked at Austin. "Lieutenant Zyan rarely gives out compliments, son, so I'll take that as a good sign. You ready for the next bit of news?"

"Yes, sir." Austin stood at attention.

Nubern laughed. "At ease, recruit. In a few weeks, the rest of the Lobera squadron is arriving at Tarton's Junction. They are mostly second year recruits and all are about to get their wings. It's a tradition here that the second years take on the recruits in a competition before wings and assignments are given out."

"Competition, sir?"

"Yes. A simulated mission will take place in the sim pods. I've already heard Lobera's Commander Nicholas Karn has been calling it 'Lobera's seasoned force against Tizona's greenie weenies.' And just for that comment, I expect you all to win." He looked at Scorpion. "Dismissed, lieutenant."

Nubern walked toward the other recruits and gave them the news.

Austin knew he wasn't ready to face the best. On top of that, this competition would be against Josh's squadron. Josh always beat him in the past when they squared off, which was exactly why Austin hated doing it. He couldn't win and this would be in front of the entire station.

Scorpion tapped Austin on the shoulder. "Hey, you awake?"

Austin nodded, his mouth dry. "When is this competition?"

"Not for a while. Don't worry about it. It's still a few months away."

"Oh." He suddenly thought of home. "I need to go take care of a few things. Do you mind?"

She looked at him with her black eyes. "Not at all. Dismissed."

He went back to his room to write Mom and Kadyn, remembering he could not write about any specifics. They wouldn’t believe him if he did.

"So do you even know how to speak English?"

Scorpion grinned, but the professionalism soon took over.

"You really do have to learn this," she said, almost pleading as they strolled down the hall after class. "The stunner is a favorite weapon of the Tyral Pirates and definitely Dax Rodon. Since he took over, the stunner incapacitates our ships before most even know they are under attack and they are easily boarded and taken. You’ve seen it firsthand. The stunner disables all of the ship’s systems."

Austin nodded. "But you still haven't answered my question."

Scorpion sighed. "That's what we have these for," she said, pointing to the translator in her ear. "I don't need to learn how to speak your Earth languages."

"
Earth languages.
You say it with such disdain."

She pushed him across the hall. "Get to lunch."

Austin lingered in the hallway a moment and watched her leave. She nodded at other pilots and recruits as she neared a corner. She turned around slightly, and Austin moved his gaze to avert her eyes.

He sighed and strolled into the mess hall buzzing with activity. The nebulae glowed a deeper red and purple, washing across the tables and floor like a dye. He grabbed lunch and sat down with Bear and Skylar.

"What's up," he said sitting down to eat something that looked like meatloaf on a pita bread.

"How did your sidearm training go?" Bear asked, his mouth full and overflowing with flakes of bread.

Austin shook his head. "That was yesterday. The gun range is no problem. Reminds me of the video games we played as a kid. Today was Tech Three. Fun stuff."

"What, stunners, shrouds and whispers?" Skylar asked.

Austin blinked. "How did you know about that?"

Her jaw dropped and she shook her head. "There's nothing against reading ahead. It's all on our unit reading."

His face reddened. "Oh."

Bear laughed. "It's no big deal, man. We'll get to it."

"It is a big deal," she said. "It could save your life when you're out there."

Bear snorted. "Now you sound like Scorpion. Man, she gets old fast."

"She's not that bad," Austin snapped, but glanced at his food. "But I can see where, uh, she might get old."

Skylar wiped her hands. "Anyway, Austin, you need to study this stuff. You really do. The classes have really been ramping up in the month since Christmas. It's more than grades now. Everything adds to your point total toward graduation. Everyone knows you can fly, but you've got to know your stuff, too."

"Yeah. Okay, give me the cliff notes and I'll study tonight."

Skylar sighed. "A Stunner is a projectile weapon that knocks out a ship's systems. A Shroud jams all sensors and projects the image of what's behind the ship, so you can almost appear invisible. Whispers allow you speak on short range encrypted gamma waves."

"See, that was easy."

"I'm serious. The whisper is standard procedure during search and rescue in enemy territory."

Austin studied her. Over the past month, Skylar had morphed into a studious recruit. She spent all of her time absorbing her studies. Perhaps she has a point.

"I'm sorry. You're right. I need to step it up."

A smile crept onto her face. "It's not so easy for all of us, you know."

A tray crashed to the ground, snatching the attention of everyone in the cafeteria. At the edge of the line, standing with her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open like a terrified child, stood Etti Mar. She stared at the tray and the milk leaking out onto the floor, forming little white rivers on the black floor. Her eyes watered and tears fell down onto her pale white skin, but she didn't make a sound.

"What the…?" asked a large recruit clad in a green Lobera uniform. He towered over her and glared at Etti. "Watch where you're going!"

Austin clenched his teeth. "Who is that?"

Bear grumbled. "It's Nicholas Pavlosky. He’s one of the shining stars of Lobera Squadron and a major jerk."

Etti bent down to collect what was left of her lunch. Her hands trembled. The other Lobera students laughed and sat nearby. No one offered to help.

Austin stood.

"Just stay out of it," Skylar said as he moved away.

He felt the eyes of the mess hall on him as he hurried over to Etti. He knelt down, grabbed a napkin and helped her clean up the floor while everyone else watched.

"Hey sweetie," he said under his breath. "Why don't you come sit with us?"

She looked at him, her chin trembling. "Okay.”

"You Tizona losers stick together, eh?" Pavlosky asked.

Austin glanced at the table of Lobera students, all clad in their hunter green uniforms. He saw Josh with a sick expression on his face as he sat at the end of the table. Josh shook his head.

"You gotta mess with someone in my squadron, you mess with me." Austin glanced at Etti. "You leave her alone. She's way out of your league."

Nicholas stood and stepped in front of Austin. Standing at least six-foot-four with platinum hair and a face like it was carved on an army figure, Nicholas was the poster child of the Lobera Squadron.

"Oh, look at the big balls on this one," Nicholas hissed. "You must be the pride of your squadron."

"He is!" Etti yelled, her voice cracking. "He shot down Scorpion!"

Nicholas laughed and looked back to his table. "You're the Rock? Ha! I thought we were going to have some competition at the end of this."

Nicholas stepped closer, so close Austin smelled hot onions on his breath. "So you schooled Scorpion in a sim, huh? Maybe I'll teach her a few things after hours?"

Without thinking, Austin slammed Etti's tray into Nicholas' gut. It didn't have the effect he wanted. Nicholas countered by backhanding Austin across the face hard enough he saw stars. Austin lowered his shoulder into his Nicholas' torso and the two tumbled to the ground. Dimly, Austin heard the mess hall erupt in cheering.

Austin punched wildly, landing blows across Nicholas' chest and stomach. He tasted blood in his mouth and grunted as Nicholas pulled back his hair. His vision flashed. A fist smashed into his nose.

And suddenly, Austin was free. Although his vision was blurry, he saw Josh yanking Nicholas backward.

Austin didn't hesitate. He lunged forward and slammed a one-two into Nicholas' gut and across his chin.

"What is going on here?"

Breathing heavily, Austin swayed as he got to his feet.

Nubern stood between the two fighters, his helmet still in his hand. "Don't make me ask again."

"You stay away from me, Rock. You got that?" Nicholas spat through his bleeding mouth.

"You shut up." Nubern stared at Austin and shook his head.

For the first time, Austin noticed another captain with a pockmarked face and scarred left eye standing next to Nubern. The man was Nubern's age and he wore the green of Lobera.

"Since the remainder of the Lobera Squadron arrived today in preparation for the upcoming competition, I was going to take this opportunity to introduce the Tizona and Lobera squadrons," Nubern said. "But it appears you have already met."

Nubern straightened his shoulders. "This is Captain Ty Braddock, one of my long time comrades and CO of the Twenty-Seventh Lobera. It is his second year recruits you all will be facing in the competition next month."

He stepped closer, his eyes boring into Austin's. "You come with me. It's time for some latrine duty. The rest of you eat dinner and go about your studies."

*****

The smell of urine, vomit and sewage burned his nose. Austin scrubbed down the toilet, cursing the hot sauce-loving recruit who bombarded this space some hours before. The acidic stench seared his nose hairs. He tried to breathe through his mouth, but then felt like he was eating whatever had clogged up the toilet. He closed his eyes and imagined he were on a beach ... a foul smelling, garbage-filled beach.

He snorted and leaned back from the toilet.

"This has to stop," Nubern called from behind him. "There must not be any more of this fighting. Do you understand?"

Austin nodded. "Yes, sir. I’m sorry, sir."

Nubern stepped closer. "You cannot afford to lose your temper when you are out there flying. Your comrades will be depending on you, and you on them. How can we act as a unit when one of us might fly off the handle at any moment? Do you think the Tyral Pirates won't resort to saying vicious comments over gamma waves? Hmm? You think they won't try to get in your head and force you to make a mistake? These are the scum of the galaxy, the absolute worst. They do not care for your problems or what you are trying to prove. They have no rulebook, no honor. They will wait for you to make that fatal mistake, and it will be all over."

He grabbed Austin's shoulder. "Look at me, son. Do you not understand? There is more at stake than putting up with a cocky Lobera pilot. You have to learn to take control of your emotions. Hold back and settle this in the competition."

Austin looked down at the filth covering his hands. Black grime penetrated under his finger nails. "I understand, sir."

Nubern softened and smiled. "You are the pride of these recruits. I can see it their eyes. Make sure they continue to have something to be proud of."

He nodded and turned to leave. "Finish up this bathroom and you'll be dismissed.

After another hour of scrubbing toilets, the bathroom looked fit enough to eat on the floor. He washed his hands three times, tossed some water on his face, and walked out into the hallway.

At the far end, Skylar talked with Nicholas. He wore an apron. Captain Braddock must have punished him by forcing kitchen duty. Skylar's skin glistened. Her sports bra and running shorts were damp with sweat. She smiled and laughed at something Nicholas said, but Austin couldn't hear it. Austin felt cold inside, his throat constricted making it difficult to swallow. His heart raced and he turned away to head back to his quarters.

He nearly crashed into Josh.

"What's up, buddy?" Josh asked, his face dripping with sweat. "You finish toilet duty? I just finished sweeping the hangar floor because you wanted to play heavyweight champ in the mess hall."

Austin started at him, but saw no anger in Josh's face. "I'm sorry about that, man. I don't know what happened."

Josh punched him softly on the shoulder. "I owed you one remember? Seems you and I are destined to fight in cafeterias. I'm going to catch all kinds of hell from my squadron for backing you in the mess hall, but that's alright."

“You've always been there for me, man, even when I haven't been the easiest person to be friends with."

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't always been there when you needed a friend. I could have been better."

"I think you're wrong." He shook his head. "Anyway, where you off to?"

Austin pulled at his shirt. "Showers then hitting the books. This competition is only a month away."

"Yeah." Josh gazed off at the wall for a moment. "Going to be weird going up against each other. I'm going to have to come gunning for you after today. Don't want people thinking I've switched to you Tizona fairies."

Austin sighed. "Say what you have to. I hope I didn't cause you any trouble."

"Like I said; forget it. I'll catch you later."

"Alright, buddy."