Defender of the Empire: Cadet #1 (23 page)

             
As for Rylynn, her skin no longer appeared to have an inferno under it. Sweat still dampened her skin, but she no longer felt feverish.

             
YOU CAN RELEASE HER NOW. HER ENERGY LEVELS ARE NORMAL AGAIN. Scrae told him after another moment.

             
You are kidding right?
Marius thought to the Spectral.
The levels are still too high for a human.

             
SHE IS SPECIAL. Luna said.              

             
Marius shook his head wondering what Rylynn was and when he could sneak away to talk to Sam. Carefully he settled Rylynn on the padded floor.

             
Eventually Rylynn opened her eyes. At first her gray eyes were fogged by confusion. But not for long. “How did you do that?” She asked in a raspy voice. Despite her weak tone she glared at him. “And don’t you dare ask what I’m talking about because you know. Tell me.”

             
Marius sighed. Why were woman so demanding? “Let’s get you some water first.” He said as he helped her to sit up against the wall.

***

              I had him and I was determined to get my answers. What had he done that had saved me from the firestorm that had threatened my life? That was just one of many questions. But he was right. I needed water. I drank greedily of the first and second glass he gave me before sipping at the third. “So?” I prompted.

             
Marius was thoughtfully silent for a long moment. “Where to start?” He eventually asked.

             
“The beginning is typically a good place.” I suggested.

             
Marius laughed. “Then I guess the problem then lies in
which
beginning?” Before I could even begin to ask what he meant by that he continued. “I am a Spectral Shade, Rylynn. And I am on a mission right now.”

             
I frowned. “What kind of mission would see you in the Legion Fleet Academy?” I asked.

             
He smiled sadly. “A witness to the death of Mara Dane.” I felt Scrae sob. “She was a mouse Shade who was murdered on the Imperial Space Station.” I felt my eyes grow large in recognition. The mousy brown haired woman now had a name.

             
I met his green eyes steadily “I am your witness.” I said softly.

             
“Yes.” He nodded. “You are the only witness we have ever had to these murders. You see, someone has been hunting Spectral Shades for years now. We only know because we found the bodies sometime after the Shade went MIA. All had died the same way and none of the Spectrals have ever returned home. If you hadn’t thrown that crowbar at the light we wouldn’t have found Mara yet.”

             
I was quiet for a moment absorbing that. If I hadn’t thrown Bertha the Crowbar that poor woman would have rotted alone with no one the wiser. Nor would Marius be here now. “You found my DNA. That is how you found me.” Marius nodded and I remembered my conversation with Kylesst.

You mean when I get blamed for it because my DNA is found on the scene?
I had asked.

             
YOU WILL NEED TO BE CAREFUL, BUT KNOW IF THERE IS ANY BLAME IT WILL NOT STAY AT YOUR FEET FOR LONG….THE WOMAN’S OWN WILL COME TO INVESTIGATE AND THEY WILL SEE THE TRUTH…
Well they had come… and they did not appear to blame me.

             
“You never blamed me?” I asked.

             
“No. None of the scant evidence that we have pointed toward you being the killer. Only that you were there. And if I ever had any suspicions that you might be responsible, the Spectrals removed them. They also told me who is truly responsible.”

             
WE DID. Scrae validated.

             
I felt my heart quicken. I wasn’t the only one who knew the truth… “Then why is he still free?” I asked frowning. I had heard that Admiral Knight was one of the judges.

             
Marius raked agitated fingers through his hair. “Why indeed. I’ll tell you why: lack of physical evidence linking him to the crime. We don’t have any of his DNA or any other evidence placing him there. And without that the courts won’t hear a word. He is an admiral of the Legion Fleet after all.”

             
I sagged. “So they don’t count a Spectral’s word as evidence?”

             
Marius shook his head. “Nope. Welcome to the frustrations of the Shade Order.” He muttered. His green eyes blazed with anger.

             
“So you are here looking for evidence against him?”

             
Marius nodded “and keep an eye out for you. Figured he would be after you once he knew your name.” he said with a questioning glance.

             
I shuddered. “You’re not wrong. He did confront me just before I first met you.”

I saw Marius’s eyes widen
slightly. “It is obvious he didn’t kill you. What happened?”

I
swallowed remembering the tense interview. “I managed to make him believe that I thought what I had seen was part of the test. One that I failed but no one had called me on it and I was afraid that if I said anything that they would kick me out of the Academy. He told me that I had told him and we would keep the matter between us.” I smiled slightly at Marius. “I only nodded.” Appreciation filled his gaze and he met my smile with that mischievous boy grin that I had started to associate with him, along with his old eyes. “How old are you?” I asked suddenly. “I doubt you would have been given such a mission at the age of fifteen cycles. And you know a lot about weapons.”

With a chuckle Marius leaned back against the wall next to me. “As one of my
Spectral gifts I can change my appearance. Usually I appear to be thirty-seven cycles.”

I tilted my head and eyed him, wondering how unobservant he thought me. He reminded me of Kylesst and Scrae. They wouldn’t lie, but you had to watch how they said things. If you didn’t you could assume things and they would get away with keeping something from you without you knowing.
They still kept things from me, but I knew it. I could feel Scrae’s discomfort and smiled. Marius caught the smile and raised an eyebrow in inquiry. “You said ‘appear to be’. You ‘appear’ to be fifteen right now, but we both know you are older than that. I would also say you are older than thirty-seven since you said ‘appear’. So answer the question Marius: How old are you?” I hesitated a moment before asking. “That is your name, right?”

Marius smiled at my uncertainty. “Yes, I didn’t lie, that is my first name. As to your first question I’m
as old as my tongue and a little older than my teeth.”

My eyes narrowed. “Fine
, ancient one. Answer me this: How did you keep the energy from killing me?”

His amusement faded. “I gave it somewhere to go. ‘How’ I don’t know yet.”

“But you will.” I guessed.

He nodded. “Once I do I’ll tell you. Are there any other impossible questions?”

“They are not impossible. You just refuse to answer them.” I said haughtily. “Right now I don’t have anymore.”

“Then I have one for you. Why didn’t you report the murder?”

My shoulders sagged. “I wanted to, but Kylesst warned me not to. Not until I found someone I could trust who wouldn’t report it to the admiral. “

Marius nodded before standing up. “Shall we work together to get him behind bars?” He asked as he pulled me up.

“We are already a team.” I pointed out.

“In that case, catch” and he threw me a staff. “We have an hour to practice before dinner.” And thus the bruising started, not that any would show thanks to the energy still in my system. I was starting to think of myself as a living battery.

Marius didn’t ask me to keep our discussion to myself. He didn’t have to. I had shown myself able to keep a secret as I had said nothing about the Spectrals or Mara Dane’s murder. I only said anything to him because he already knew. More importantly, I felt that I could trust Marius more than I did before. It wasn’t just because the Spectrals vouched for him. I trusted him because my instincts said I could. 

Chapter 18
– Old ‘Friends’

              Admiral Francesca L’Seral set down her tablet deciding that it just wasn’t worth pretending anymore. Everything was fine both onboard the
Terrenza
and at the Academy Branch. She figured it a good thing. It meant that she could just enjoy the performance of the six teams. The only unfortunate thing was she had to wait until the challenge actually started… She sighed and glanced at the other four judges. They were still busy checking their correspondence. Either that or they just were pretending to look at the screens to avoid conversation. Whatever. 

             
Francesca looked at the main screen that showed the arena in all its glory. The dirt training yard had been shaped into a desert plain just before a plateau. An outpost had been built into the cliff side. The earthen walls blended well into their surroundings. Francesca smiled to herself. The cadets were going to have so much fun trying to get to
and
in the outpost to find the ‘hostages’. The place looked abandoned, but some of her own crew were playing the bandits. She grew thoughtful as she wondered how Rylynn and the rest of her team would go about the mission. She assumed that it would be fascinating and probably unexpected. Francesca knew for a fact that ensigns Sven and Edwin were looking forward to crossing wits with Rylynn again. They had to prove, at least to themselves, that a thirteen cycle old girl couldn’t get the best of them in a real fight.

             
Francesca anticipated the coming show.

             
Movement caught her attention and she turned to the man next to her. Captain Wingstar had sat back in his chair, his tablet forgotten in his lap. He was staring off into the distance with a troubled expression. “What is the matter, Captain? Uncomfortable being off your ship?” She softly teased.

             
By his reaction an observer would have thought she had shouted in his ear. His startled wide gray eyes met her gaze. Francesca smiled in amusement. It was rare indeed to see the man so flustered. “Sorry admiral. You startled me from my thoughts.” He admitted sheepishly.

             
“I could guess that. What has you so preoccupied?”

             
Captain Wingstar’s shoulders slumped slightly before he straightened again. That tell and the almost haunted look in his eyes puzzled her. What was going through the good captain’s head? “May I speak freely, ma’am?” he asked.

             
“Of course.”

             
He nodded his thanks before saying “There is much I have to do and yet I am here where I can do none of it.”

             
Francesca shook her head. “You, sir, are a workaholic. Most people would be honored to be asked to judge an Admiral’s Challenge.”

             
“If you consider an order the same as asking…” He muttered.

             
Francesca laughed. The others in the room glanced at them before returning to their tablets. “No one is forced to participate.” She reminded him. Braeden just looked at her. Francesca rolled her eyes. “It’s your own fault, you know. No one sees you unless they order you somewhere. Otherwise you would stay on your ship all the time.”

             
“I am a
captain
. It is my place to be on my ship.” He said solemnly.

             
As if that is what truly bothers you.
She thought. She knew the captain pretty well, well enough to still see the haunted expression in his eyes. His preoccupation was another red flag that something was off. She wondered if he would ever tell. Knowing him, it was a personal issue. He would never stay quiet if he felt the Empire was in danger.  “You
should
be an admiral.” She said instead of asking him to tell her what was going on.

             
“No room at that table.” Braeden pointed out.

             
“Only because you denied the position when there was an opening. Not once but
twice.
” Francesca reminded him.

             
Braeden sighed. “I didn’t feel that I was the right person for the job. I’m still not.”

             
Francesca’s eyes narrowed. “It is the person who does not want power who should have it.”

             
“True, if they had proven to have the skill needed. Which, if I may remind you, both admirals Bieri and D’rz have.”

             
“You are right in that they do wear the Admiral’s Diamond well. However, you deserve it more than either. You have proven yourself a strong leader. Do
I
need to remind
you
of the way you handled the situation in the…”