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- Two days before the final exam -
UR RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT: COLTON RESIDENCE
“Akasha! Welcome.” Captain Arin Colton smiled broadly at the Newearl standing on his doorstep. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Well, you
did invite me,” Akasha replied, stooping slightly as she stepped through the front door.
“Yes, I did. Actually, there’s something I wanted to give you. One moment.” He walked to the end of the hall and returned carrying a large metal case. Together, the two moved into the living room, where he set the case down on the coffee table. “With your final exam coming up, I thought you could use it.”
“Gee whiz,
Dad, you shouldn’t have!” Akasha exclaimed with obvious comedic exaggeration.
Colton jabbed a threatening finger in her direction. “Hey, I’m not your father. Don’t even joke about that,” he warned, the smile never leaving his face.
Akasha chuckled. Taking a seat on the couch, she unhooked the two latches sealing the case and looked inside, then caught her breath. “Oh… oh,
wow.”
There was no sarcasm in her statement. Lying neatly in the case were the two halves of a brand-new Lambda Hellfret. The double saber gleamed with polished brilliance, a testament to the craftsmanship that went into making it. Its blade, not yet charged with photon energy, still looked sharp enough to cut diamonds.
“You’re just
giving this to me? But you’ve done so much for me already! No, I… I can’t. It’s too much, I couldn’t possibly—“
“I insist. I want you to have it. And since I outrank you,
Trainee, I can make that an order if I have to.”
She smiled. “Thank you, Captain. It’s beautiful.”
“It’s more than that. This weapon was custom made, one of a kind. It also has a very unique feature. Normally, with a double saber, the energy core won’t activate until after you’ve locked the two halves in place, but this model is special. With the press of a button you can switch it to ‘twin daggers mode’ so the halves can power up independently.” He pointed to the button in question. “I got the idea after you fought that battlebot a couple weeks ago.”
“Oh, you heard about that, huh?”
“Yes, from the Headmaster. She’s impressed with the way you handled yourself, and so am I. You’ve come a long way since I found you at Aether Labs seven months ago. It’s been a long road, but in two days you’ll take your final exam. If you pass you’ll be a full-fledged ARKS soldier like me, with all the responsibilities and privileges that entails… But no matter what happens, just know that I’m proud of you. I’ll see you when you get back.”
* * * * * * * * *
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- One day before the final exam -
ARKS TRAINING ACADEMY: MAIN AUDITORIUM
“Hurry up, we’re gonna be late!”
“Relax, would ya? The Headmaster isn’t even here yet.”
Akasha and Kira strolled into the packed auditorium, trying—but failing—to appear casual about it. They were, after all, the last trainees to arrive. In front of them, four columns of a hundred recruits each stood waiting for the Headmaster of the Academy to make her entrance. It was an imposing sight.
They settled into one of the back rows of the fourth column, hoping to remain inconspicuous. It was only then that they noticed the man standing next to them wearing the smug, self-satisfied grin. A man, it so happened, they were already acquainted with. "Well, well, if it isn't the little spitfire from the other day!" Ivan turned to Akasha as Kira scowled. “Oh, hey, Akasha.”
“Wait, you know this joker?” Kira demanded of Akasha.
“Not really, no. I only talked to him that day we fought the battlebot,” she replied, then added hesitantly, “aaaaand a couple times after that.”
Kira narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “Well, just be careful. I don’t like him.”
Ivan cleared his throat. “I can hear you, you know.”
“Good!” Kira retorted. “And by the way, I don’t appreciate being called names.”
“What, you mean ‘spitfire’? Look, I just call it like I see it.”
Kira nudged Akasha. “Hey, back me up here.”
“Welllll...”
“Kasha!”
“You
are prone to outbursts,” the Newearl conceded with a shrug.
Ivan smirked at Kira. “See? Even your giant friend here agrees with me.”
“Hey!” exclaimed Akasha, not entirely sure if she’d been insulted.
“Come on. At least the ‘spitfire’ thing was open to debate, but are you really going to tell me you're not ridiculously tall?”
“Well, no, but—“
Her response was cut short when the side door to the auditorium opened. Thinking it was the Headmaster, the four columns of recruits instantly snapped to attention. An aging man in a plain gray uniform entered and leisurely strolled towards the podium at the center of the stage.
“Is that the Headmaster?” Akasha whispered.
Before Kira could reply, Ivan whispered back, “No, the Headmaster is a Caseal.”
The man in the gray uniform tapped the microphone attached to the podium twice, then spoke. His voice was amplified by the speakers set up around the room. “Testing, testing… Trainees, please direct your attention to the podium. The Headmaster will be entering shortly.”
The recruits somehow managed to stand up even straighter as the man ambled back in the direction he’d come from.
Akasha fidgeted, feeling anxious. “So what’s the Headmaster like? I’ve never met her.”
“Neither have I,” said Kira, “but I’ve heard rumors. They say she’s a war hero or something, that she survived the Fifth Fleet Massacre.”
“I heard she took down the N.I.L. terror group single-handedly,” mentioned Ivan.
“No one asked for your input,” Kira growled, glaring daggers at him.
Behind them, the main doors creaked open. A single pair of approaching footsteps echoed through the chamber. The contingent of trainees remained facing forward, collectively holding their breaths.
Only Akasha, who was a head taller than most of the other trainees, dared to look. The woman walking down the center aisle had fair skin, lustrous red hair, and dark, intelligent eyes. She wore a lightly-armored red and white tunic with black leggings and military-grade boots. The flowery coat draped over her shoulders billowed behind her like a cape as she moved. She looked fairly young, perhaps only a few years older than Akasha and her group. But looks can be deceiving. For CASTs, who don’t age physically, age is often difficult to determine.
As the Headmaster reached the front of the auditorium, the rest of the trainees finally got a good look at her. “
She's a CAST?” Kira whispered to Akasha. “If it weren't for her ears, I wouldn't be able to tell!”
“Yes, I
am a CAST,” said the Headmaster, responding directly to Kira. “And my hearing is quite good.”
Kira flushed red with embarrassment. “I-I'm sorry, ma'am.”
“Don't worry about it.” The Caseal smiled, never breaking stride. She ascended the steps to the stage and stood behind the podium.
“Good afternoon,” she began, addressing the entire assembled body. “For those who don’t know me, I am Colonel Aki Zero One, but you can call me Colonel Aki. First of all, I want to personally congratulate all of you on making it this far. You’re good recruits and it has been my honor looking after you.
“I assume you all know why you’re here today. You’ve been training, practicing, and studying six months for it, after all. Tomorrow is the day you finally get to show off the results of those efforts. In preparation for that, today I will be outlining the content of your final exam.
“This exam will take the form of a field mission. You will be divided into four groups; each group will be sent to a different planet of interest: Naberius, Amduscia, Lillipa, and our newest discovery, the water planet Vopar.” As she spoke, a holographic representation of each planet materialized in the air over her head. “Each group will be subdivided into teams of twelve, with each team consisting of three four-person squads. This is a typical ARKS formation and we thought it suitable for your first field mission. Within each squad there will be three trainees, plus one instructor who will serve as your squad leader. You will follow their orders, as well as the orders from ARKS Control, at all times. Is that understood?”
When no one objected, Aki continued, “Good. Now then, I will read off your group and squad assignments…” First she called names for group Alpha, who were being sent to Naberius. Next she called names for group Beta, who were being sent to Amduscia. After that she called names for group Gamma, who were off to Lillipa. Finally she came to group Delta. Since Akasha and her friends hadn’t been called yet, that meant they were headed to Vopar. “...Gulf Squad: Akasha, Kira Vorholtz, and Ivan Malloch. Your instructor will be Lieutenant Asimov TR-7. Next, Banther Squad…”
“Looks like we’ll be seeing a little more of each other after all,” Ivan whispered as the Headmaster continued reading names.
Akasha rubbed her chin. “Hm, and Azzy’s our instructor. What do you suppose are the odds of that?”
“I’d be surprised if odds had anything to do with it, personally.”
Kira crossed her arms. “Yeah, well, just make sure you don’t slow us down,” she grumbled in his direction.
“Sure thing, Spitfire.”
“Don’t call me that!” Kira hissed.
Up at the podium, Aki had just finished issuing exam assignments. She gazed out at the sea of faces below her. Some were stoic, some were eager, but all of them looked
ready. “Report to your assigned docking bays tomorrow morning at 0800 sharp. You will receive further instructions from your squad leader at that time. That’s all I have to say for now, except good luck and be sure to get a good night’s sleep. You’re going to need it.”
* * * * * * * * *
- 1500 hours local time, exam day -
PLANET VOPAR: UNNAMED ISLAND CHAIN, SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
Three campships circled over the landing zone in tight formation. As they approached their destination, the pilot of each craft made an announcement over the intercom. In the rear cabin, final orders were issued and gear checks were performed. A forced calm fell over those inside. They had been training six months for this moment. Ready or not, it was time to go.
Four streaks of luminous bluish-white from each ship, twelve in total, shot through the atmosphere like falling stars. They impacted the surface and dissolved, leaving twelve soldiers kneeling on the beach dressed in full combat gear. Their job done, the campships banked west and sped away. They would be returning to space until the completion of the exam.
On the surface, the soldiers stood up and prepared to move out. They’d only taken three steps when their radios crackled. “Squads Gulf, Banther, and Aginis, this is ARKS Control,” a woman’s voice informed them. “Welcome to Vopar. We will be monitoring your situation from orbit. Today’s forecast calls for clear skies and sunny weather. Hope you remembered your suntan lotion. Enjoy your day at the beach.”
“Copy that, Control,” Asimov responded. “Commencing mission now.”
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Vopar was a world steeped in natural beauty. A vast azure ocean dotted with island chains stretched out in all directions as far as the ARKS could see. Their feet sank lightly into the pristine alabaster sand as they walked. Overhead, sapphire skies adorned with wispy clouds hung just out of reach.
Kira used one hand to shield her eyes from the brilliant sun as she gazed out at the tropical paradise in front of her. "Oh,
mannnn...," she groaned, "I knew I should’ve brought my swimsuit!"
“We're not here to play around, Kira,” Asimov chided her. “Not that I’d mind seeing you in it,” he added with a playful grin.
* * * * * * * * *
They hiked a quarter of a kilometer from the landing zone to an area of level, grassy land surrounded by a cluster of palm trees on one side and open ocean on the other. All three squads convened in a roughly circulation formation for a quick briefing. Asimov, as the highest-ranking instructor present, took charge of explaining the mission parameters.
“We’re going to be doing some good old-fashioned exploration and mapping, plain and simple. Aginis Squad, it’ll be your duty to map out the area and relay that information to ARKS Control. Banther Squad, you will be taking notes on any artificial structures we find. We know there’s a native population on Vopar and Command wants to learn more about them. Gulf Squad—that means you, Akasha, Kira, and Ivan—will be in charge of cataloguing the local flora and fauna. When visiting a planet, it helps to know what sort of wildlife you’re dealing with. Our eventual goal is to reach that spot over… there!” He pointed to a hazy speck on the horizon.
“What is it?” someone from another squad asked.
“Take a look,” replied Asimov, passing him a pair of binoculars.
The man raised the instrument to his eyes and peered through them. A broad, dome-shaped structure sat atop the ocean far in the distance. It was supported by a ring of curved pylons and capped by something resembling a crown. Inexplicably shooting up through the center of the structure was a massive pillar of water that stretched high into the sky, where it eventually tapered off. “Seems to be some kind of… huge building out there,” he said. “But I thought this planet was mostly unexplored. So where did it come from?”
“Built by the natives, we think. One of the many questions about this planet the ARKS hope to solve in the coming months. Our mission here is more of a cursory examination. We’ll leave the in-depth analysis to the eggheads back home.” After the chuckling died down, Asimov said, “Okay people, let’s move out!”
* * * * * * * * *
The next three hours passed by quickly. The nine trainees and their three instructors hiked over an endless series of sandy beaches, flowery fields, and rocky outcroppings. Twice they had to wade through knee-deep water to cross from one island to the next. At least they assumed it was a different island. The water separating the various islets was often so shallow that the soldiers felt as though they were traversing one extremely long stretch of land.
Several times they passed the ruined remains of native architecture—part of a column, bits of a staircase, all carved from marble slabs. Some were adorned with symbols and markings, which Banther Squad recorded as part of their exam assignment. Occasionally they spotted herds of shell-covered crustaceans—Torbons—scuttling along the beach ahead, probably in search of food or shelter. Now and then they would glimpse a trio of pink fins slicing through the water just offshore. Incredibly, one time they even spotted the fins gliding through the sand, as if burrowing through the ground were no more difficult than swimming through the sea. Akasha and her squadmates took note of everything they could.
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As they walked, Ivan sidled up next to Kira. “I think we got off on the wrong foot before. Things were said, names were called… Maybe I deserved some of it, maybe you did too. My point is, we’re all adults here—or so you claim. I’m sure we can get past any ‘differences of opinion’ we may have. And I just want you to know, when I get promoted I’ll be sure to treat you well. I’ll only make you shine my shoes twice a week. Three times, tops.”
Kira’s mouth hung open in disbelief. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. You think
you’re getting promoted before me? I don’t think so! In fact, not only will I get promoted first, I’m going to smoke you in this exam.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah,
really.”
“Is that so? Care to put a little wager on that?”
“Fine. If you score higher I’ll… buy you lunch.”
“Lunch? That’s it? That’s the best you could come up with?” he scoffed.
Akasha, who’d been quietly listening in on their conversation, finally interjected. “Free lunch? I want in on this too! If Kira and I score higher, you have to buy us
both lunch.”
“Well that hardly seems fair,” complained Ivan. “If you lose you have to pay for my meal, but if I lose I have to pay for both of you.”
“Okay, let’s even the odds. What else do you want?”
“Hmm. If I score higher, I want Spitfire here to… clean my boots.”
“That sounds easy enough,” said Kira.
“…With your tongue,” he added slyly.
“
What?!”
“Maybe that’ll teach you to keep that loud mouth in check. Just be careful, I don’t want your acid tongue dissolving the leather. These boots are expensive, you know.”
“Why you…,” Kira fumed.
“You’re not too chicken to accept, are you? What happened to all that bravado from earlier? Or are you admitting you might not beat me?”
“Oh, we’ll beat you, alright. Kasha and I, we’re the unstoppable, unbeatable duo! Just you wait and see…”
* * * * * * * * *
Another hour passed. The shadows grew longer. The sun, which had been high in the sky when they arrived, was almost kissing the horizon. The ARKS were less than a kilometer from their destination now. The large structure seemed to glow faintly, though no power source was evident.
“You should buy some chewing gum,” Ivan remarked casually, without explanation.
Kira regarded him with confusion. “Chewing gum? What for?”
“It helps build up saliva. You’re going to need it when you’re licking my boots clean.”
“I told you, that’s
not gonna happen!”
“You’ll probably have to give it a second coat, just to get it extra shiny,” he mused, completely ignoring her.
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They’ve done nothing but argue all day, thought Akasha as she walked beside them.
…So why do I feel left out? Eager to change the subject, she decided to ask something she’d been curious about for a while. “So, Ivan, what’s the deal with the talis around your neck? You’re a Hunter; that’s a Force weapon. I just thought it was a little odd—well, interesting, I mean.”
Ivan touched the card-like accessory. Though it was normally used for channeling photon energy, he’d attached a cord to it and strung the cord around his neck, wearing it like a necklace. “Oh, this? It’s, um, a good luck charm, that’s all. Nothing special.”
“Let me see it.” Akasha reached for the talis, intending to unhook it from the cord.
Ivan suddenly jerked away. “Don’t touch it!”
“S-Sorry,” she stammered, “I didn’t mean—“
“No, I’m sorry,” he said, regaining his composure. “I overreacted. It’s just… it’s personal, okay?”
“Yeah, no problem…”
They walked in awkward silence for the remainder of the journey. A few minutes later they reached their goal, the stone structure Asimov had pointed out earlier. All twelve soldiers stood around the base of it and looked up. It was several stories tall and probably ancient. On closer inspection, they saw that it wasn’t much of a dome after all. It was actually a multi-layered tower, each level narrower than the one below it. Water geysers poured from numerous spouts at regular intervals around the edge of the tower, giving the entire structure the appearance of an elaborate, larger-than-life fountain. Whatever this thing was supposed to be, it was certainly impressive to look at.
Asimov activated the radio in his ear piece. “ARKS Control, this is Gulf Squad leader. We are at the rendezvous point and ready for extraction.”
There was no reply, only static.
“I say again, we are ready for extraction. Please acknowledge.”
More static.
Asimov clicked off his radio. “I’m… sure it’s nothing,” he said to the others, not sounding entirely convinced. “We’ll just have to wait here until we hear from them. In the meantime, let’s take a look around the perimeter of this… building. Banther Squad, take as many notes as you can. This may be a good opportunity to earn some extra credit.”
* * * * * * * * *
As night fell, distant storm clouds were gathering on the horizon. No one realized what they meant yet, or what was about to happen.
That would soon change.
TO BE CONTINUED
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