The Ninth: Invasion (3 page)

Tyra sighed and stood.  Cain saluted and quickly dashed off.  It was odd to see the rotund young man move in with such haste.  Probably off to settle any outstanding debts he had on the station.  The rest of the troopers in the squad gave up on eating and dispersed to pack all their worldly possessions and say their farewells.  While everyone was taken by surprise by the sudden reassignment, it struck Brent odd that Ronald was acting the most peculiar of the squad.  Tyra he understood; being called home by her father the Governor no doubt came as a shock to her, but Ronald?  He couldn’t figure out why things were bothering him so deeply.  Brent shook off thoughts of Ronald and focused on the job at hand.

Brent and several of the others made their way back to their bunks.  Some trooper none of them had seen before was already packing Cain’s things for him.  Brent smiled to himself as he wondered what kind of wager the trooper was working off.  While the others fussed with their possessions, Brent inspected his nearly empty locker.  It didn’t take him long to pack.  He didn’t really have any possessions beyond his uniforms.  He had only been on the academy a short while and hadn’t even settled in any one place really.  He smiled to himself as he thought about the exams and trials that kept him busy.

It hardly took any time to set his affairs in order.  He decided to spend the rest of his last three hours walking around the academy one last time.  He hadn’t been on the academy long, but Brent had gotten used to it being his home.  It was a strange feeling to be leaving it so abruptly.  He had visited the training rooms and snuck a glance at the other troopers, already busy with their daily training.  When time grew short, he made his way back to the division.  To his surprise, he found the entire place empty.  Not one member of the division was in sight.

The rows of bunks belonging to Tyra’s squad were empty and neatly made, awaiting the new recruits to take their places.  He figured the squad must have already made their way to the waiting ship.  The large common room outside the bunks was oddly silent without the normal commotion of their division.  He noticed a tall figure waiting for him near the entryway.  To his surprise, he recognized him as Master Weaver Davis.  Brent wondered what the trainer for all the young Weavers was doing just waiting for him.

“All set to go?” Davis asked.

“I think so.  Don’t really have anything to forget.  All my friends are on the ship, and I’ve got my spare uniforms.”

“I see.  Well you’d best get a move on; your division is waiting to say goodbye.”

“Thank you for all your help.”  Brent bowed to the Master Weaver.

He realized after he finished he had instinctively bowed like the tripods without even thinking.  Trying to hide his embarrassment, he quickly walked past the Master Weaver.

“One last thing,” Davis said before he had gotten far.  “I’ve got a going away present for you.”

Davis handed him a small box wrapped in a dull colored paper.

“What is it?” Brent asked, studying the box.

“A surprise.  Open it on your trip.”

He nodded and thanked the Master Weaver again before heading to the docking port – making sure not to bow again.  To his surprise the entire SW was arranged around the entrance to the ship.

“About time,” a trooper grumbled.  “We’ve been waiting
forever
.”

“You expected something different from him?” another asked jokingly.  “Got to make a grand exit.”

“That’s enough.”  Valerie reprimanded her division.  “Show some respect.”

The entire division snapped to attention.

“I had just gotten used to the idea of having you with us on the next trial.”  Valerie offered her hand to Brent.  “Suppose it’s back to square one for us.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that.”  He shook her hand.  “Check your pad.”

Slowly, she pulled out her pad.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“Our replacements.  I went ahead and made a new squad.  I hope you don’t mind.”

She shook her head.

“Don’t worry, Valerie, you’ll go far,” Brent said with a smile.  “Don’t let what happened to Tyra bother you.  No one will disobey a strong woman like you.”

Speechless, Valerie saluted him.  The rest of the division mirrored her salute.  Without thinking, he bowed like the tripod to them and entered the ship.  As the doorway sealed behind him, Brent couldn’t help chuckle as he wondered who would be the next would-be killer he’d befriend.

The troopers sat anxiously in the transport, wondering where exactly they were being taken.  Tyra and Ronald seemed to know, but weren’t talking about it.  That made the rest even more anxious.

“Since we’ve got some time before we depart,” Erin said, breaking the silence, “I’ve got a question for you.”  Erin turned around in her chair to face Dante.

“What is it?” Dante asked warily.

The rest of the squad waiting on the ship turned to listen.

“Why do you always call Brent, sir?” Erin asked.  “You never call anyone else ma’am or sir.  At first I thought that was just how you referred to Weavers.  But you call Angela, well, Angela.  What gives?”

“Is that true?” Owen asked.  “I hadn’t noticed.”

“A deaf person would have noticed,” Rhea said.

“Oh, calm down.”  Humphrey chuckled to himself.  “You’re probably just mad he doesn’t call you ma’am.”

“Quiet, both of you.”  Kindra leaned toward Dante.  “I’m actually interested in hearing the answer to this.”

“Me too!” Marie added.

“So this is how you spend your days, analyzing my speech patterns?” Dante asked in exasperation.

“Too late for that; can’t wiggle out of it now,” Angela said as if it was fact.  “Everyone’s interest is peaked.”

“Fine.  I noticed him for the first time shortly after we landed on the station.  He . . . had an odd manner to him.”

They waited, but Dante didn’t say any more.

“Oh, a story!” Cain said with a delighted grin.  “I
love
stories.  What was odd about his manner?” Cain pressed Dante to continue.

“Everyone else was with their friends,” he reluctantly continued as he stared down Cain.  “They were anxious about the exams and were using each other for support.  He, on the other hand, was alone; he seemed to be studying the place more than anything.  There was a calm, calculating nature to his gaze.”

“I don’t remember it that way,” Hiroko countered.  “He seemed clueless to me.  Hadn’t even activated his pad.”

“Don’t interrupt, continue please.”  Angela nudged this time.

“I could tell right away he was a Weaver,” Dante continued as prompted, having given up on avoiding the issue.  “He was probing constantly.  But it was strange.  He wasn’t looking for information or an advantage; there was gentleness about it.”

“Wait, you felt him use his Weaver abilities on the first day?” Cassandra asked, obviously startled.  “That’s impossible!”

“I don’t know if it’s impossible or not, but I felt it then, and I’ve felt it ever since.”

“How can you feel it?” Angela asked with a raised eyebrow.  “You’re not a Weaver,” she added bluntly.

“True, I’m not a Weaver, but I did live with one.  For a long,
long
time.”  Dante paused for a moment, and seemed lost in thought.  Realizing everyone was still staring, he cleared his throat and continued.  “In the end, I learned to spot Weavers and feel their influence.  And I never said he altered emotions.  He just seems to check them.  See what I’m feeling, then step back without taking action.  It’s like he’s checking my emotional pulse or something.  I suppose he treats everyone that way, although he seems particularly interested in you,” Dante said, pointing at Cassandra.

“Me? Why?”

“Don’t have to be a Weaver to figure that one out,” Cain said with a grin.  “He likes you,
obviously
.  I’d dare say he has since he first saw you.”

“Now it’s your turn.”  Dante turned to face Cain.  “I told my story, now you tell us yours.”

“What story is that?” Cain asked in surprise.

“Tell us how Brent and Cassandra first met,” Liz pleaded shyly.  “Please.”

“Probably not what Dante meant, but I am curious about that myself.”  Erin leaned back.  “He could have any girl on the academy wrapped around his finger, what made red cheeks here get his attention?  Besides the obvious.”

“Don’t you dare, Cain,” Cassandra said threateningly as she eyed Erin.

“Sorry, first rule of showmanship,” he said with a wide grin.  “Give the audience what they want.  First time I met Brent he was standing in the middle of the bunks.  He was looking them over very carefully; he didn’t even notice my approach.  I patted him on the back in greetings.  I thought he was just another recruit.  The guy fell over, looked painful.”

“What does this have to do with Cassandra?” Owen asked.

“Relax, I’m getting to it.  Don’t rush a good story.  Anyway, as I helped him up, I realized who he was.  The amazing recruit who’d blown through the exams.  As we got to talking I noticed Cassandra sneaking up behind him.  She was in full armor – she never took off her armor back then.  So there she was, a big white bulbous thing, gingerly walking up behind Brent.  It was all I could do not to bust a gut laughing.”

“Why was she doing that?” Doug asked.

“Cassandra liked to scare the new recruits,” Kindra answered.  “It was one of her favorite hobbies.”

“Who’s telling this story?”

“Sorry Cain, please continue.”

“Thank you.  Where was I?  Oh yes.  She was sneaking up behind Brent, getting ready to pounce.  He was asking about us being called the FF when she jumped at him.  Yelled out ‘Fighting Freaks’ and everything.  It was a riot.”

“How did Brent react?” Penny asked.

“He didn’t,” Cain said with a shrug.  “He simply turned around and studied Cassandra.  I’d seen the toughest recruits jump out of their skin at that gag, but he didn’t even flinch.  As I was introducing her, I made a crack about her skin, and she got mad.  Tried to jump me.  I managed to dodge and pop her helmet off.”

“Seriously?” Kindra asked.

Cassandra hung her head in shame.

“You bet.  I couldn’t help but laugh when it flew off her head.  Cassandra looked like a cornered animal.  She blushed something awful.  I mean apple time.  Then, unexpectedly, Brent reached out his hand and rested it on her forehead.  You should have seen the look on her face.  She bolted out of there faster than you could believe.”  Cain started laughing hysterically.

“Why’d he do that?” Erin asked.

“He was worried about me,” Cassandra answered in a low voice.

“If anything that raises more questions than it answered, but enough on that,” Dante said, done indulging the others.  “Tell us more about yourself.”

“Sorry, second rule of showmanship,” Cain said with a grin.  “Always leave them wanting more.”

“Who’d want to hear about a pompous wind bag like you anyway?” Cassandra was obviously angry with Cain for telling the story.

“He’s the son of another pompous wind bag who runs Core Industries,” Rhea said indifferently.

Cain jumped out of his chair and pointed his finger at Rhea.

“You can make as much fun of me as you like, but don’t you
ever
make fun of my father.”  His playful demeanor had instantly vanished.  “Take that back.”

“I think she hit a nerve,” Humphrey mumbled.

“That’s an understatement,” Angela said with a raised eyebrow as she studied Cain.

“He and the rest of that pathetic corporation are nothing more than dogs that were lucky to get a bone they didn’t deserve.”  Rhea didn’t let up.

“Now, both of you cut it out!”  Dante shouted over them.

“Don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong.”  Cain sneered at Dante.  “Tell me, Rhea,
which
marriage did you come from?”

“How dare you!”  Rhea got up out of her chair, rage covering her face.

“Director Serena’s past isn’t as big a secret as you’d like, is it?  It’s a miracle the Union keeps him on.”

“Don’t you ever dirty the name of my father, or the ITU.”

“If the
Union
had its way I wouldn’t be
able
to call it that.  It’s only thanks to CI that we have the shred of independence we currently enjoy.”

“What you call independence is nothing more than glorified inefficiency.  Out of every five items shipped through the Commonwealth, the lesser corporations soil only one.  If it were up to your CI friends, they’d lose track of the other four as well!”

“Lost freight?  Is that what you call it?  Funny, we call it murder where I come from.  When our traders are attacked, there isn’t some massive fleet to run to their rescue.”

“Even if you still had your fleets, you’d just misuse them.  Just like you did during the three titan revolt.”

“Funny how the Union is always the first to bring that up.  And yet they
never
list their part in that drama.”