Manbiyan Dissension

By Gary C. Reynolds

Fleet Admiral Mikus Padmon, a skilled commander and war hero in his early fifties, is known as a risk taker and a stickler for rules and proper protocol, although he himself often breaks them. A man responsible for winning two wars for the Galactic League, he’s recently been reassigned to the academy as a sort of punishment. But when Manbiya petitions for entry into the Galactic League, usually only a formality, the Vercorians protest and Padmon has been called back into active service to lead the mediation. Behind the scenes, a plan is underway for the alien race of Vercorians to resume the invasion plans of the Manbiyan system initiated years ago. The Vercorians believe Manbiyan is a part of their empire and they intend to keep it. Padmon must use all of his skills if he stands any chance of holding off the Vercorians who have partnered with a race of reptilians known as the Ratarans. A fierce war unlike anything previously known is on the verge of commencing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Sep 17, 2017
• ISBN: 9781483475592

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MANBIYAN

DISSENSION

GARY C. REYNOLDS

Copyright © 2017 Gary C. Reynolds.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-7309-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-7308-6 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 7/25/2017

To a great friend,

Melissa Eschbaugh,

without whose encouragement,

advice, and support this book

never would have seen publication

AUTHOR’S NOTE

T he events in this novel deal with an approaching war unlike anything previously known on planet Earth, for this is not a war between countries or even planets but between entire planetary systems. These events take place in the present Earth year of AD 2517, or, more accurately, according to the universally recognized dating system of the Galactic League, 1025 of the Néosén Era. As Earth is now a member state within the League, only the more appropriate dating system will be used from hence forth. In truth, Earth is only a minor state on the fringes of the Galactic League, and while it might seem as if it’s a small entity swallowed up within the immense governing structure of the League, nothing could be further from reality. In fact, all 287 members within the League are equal members of the central governing body, known as the Senate. This economic and political union also has a massive space fleet made up of all its member states. While it is mostly relegated to patrolling the borders, the space fleet has seen combat from time to time. Even though all members are required to sign a nonaggression pact upon joining, this does not mean that no wars have been fought, for there is also a charter that states, If a member state is attacked by an outside force, all other member states are required to render aid in defense, including but not limited to offensive measures.

The most recent of these wars was against an alien race found in the outer frontier of League space: the Ratarans. Their origin can be found in a trinary solar system called the Epron System, or, as it is more commonly referred to in recent times, the Expanse. Two twin worlds orbit this trinary system: Vrachodis and the slightly larger Zounkla. Beyond these two planets lies a vast asteroid field. Originally, the Expanse only referred to this section of space.

While some of the larger asteroids have a thin atmosphere, the majority are lifeless rocks. They all share one commonality, though: they are all rich in a variety of valuable minerals. Thus, they are heavily mined by the Ratarans. The Ratarans are a reptilian race that have the distinction of five horns on each side of the head. The horns start directly behind the ears and continuously become larger as they go up the head, until the third horn, which is the largest, and then they progressively become smaller. The Ratarans also have smaller spikes going from the forehead down to the nape of the neck. Their eyes are oblong, and they have massive brows that protrude upward into a point. Their pupils are solid black, and their ears resemble flat slits. Each Rataran has a frill that runs down from the back of its head and lies flat on either side of its shoulders. While Ratarans rarely display their frills completely open, in moments of extreme anger, they instinctively can. Vrachodis, the Ratarans’ home world, has an environment suited to their physique. A rocky planet with mountain ranges, it is heavily populated, with little of the planet remaining undeveloped. The Ratarans have constructed vast factories throughout the planet in order to refine the raw ore obtained from their mining operations.

The other race that inhabits this system is the Savronians. Also reptilian, they have the distinction of a large crest that runs from the top of the head all the way down to the back of the neck. They also have smaller crests of different sizes throughout the top of their heads. As with their distant cousins, the Ratarans, these features are smaller and less prominent in the females of the species. Their pupils are bright orange, and their skin is a bright green highlighted by a pale blue, in contrast to the brownish-orange skin of their distant relatives from Vrachodis. Zounkla, in contrast to its dry, arid twin planet, is enveloped by a layer of water vapor within its stratosphere. This has the effect of filtering out most of their star’s harmful radiation while creating a greenhouse effect on the planet’s surface. Lush jungles cover the majority of the planet; there are only a few major cities on the planet, all surrounded by huge retaining walls built to keep the ever-encroaching jungles from overtaking the cities. The rest of the planet is undeveloped jungle.

Of the millions of asteroids located in the Expanse, some of the outer asteroids have been claimed by the neighboring system. The people of that system, the Brandri, fought with the Ratarans for centuries over where the recognized borders of their two systems began and ended. For the most part, the Ratarans were victorious in these border disputes. However, tensions continued to exist, as each accused the other of piracy in the other’s territory. In the galactic year of 1020, something happened that would forever change the Ratarans’ position as the dominant force in this region of space. The Brandri, who had previously petitioned entry into the Galactic League, were formally granted full member status. During a routine mining expedition, a Rataran and Brandri dispute over an asteroid they both claimed erupted into a full-scale war. Unlike previous incidents settled in a matter of days by victorious Rataran military campaigns, this time, the Brandri were able to elicit the aid of their fellow Galactic League member worlds, resulting in what would be known as the first Rataran-League War. A total of two wars were fought, with the last war resulting in a decisive victory for the Galactic League’s forces in the Battle of Recktar. The battle ended with the defeat of Rataran forces, giving them little choice but to agree to a complete and unconditional surrender. In the terms of the capitulation, the Ratarans agreed to end all hostilities with the outer worlds within the Galactic League that border the Rataran Expanse. Whether peace remains long lasting in that sector of space, only time will tell.

Many heroes emerged from those two wars, but one man stood out among the many: Fleet Admiral Mikus Padmon. A highly skilled commander in his early fifties, he is known as a risk taker and a stickler for rules and proper protocol, although he himself often breaks them. He has received every accommodation an officer serving in the space corps can obtain. The admiral is a distant and aloof man but one whom friend and foe alike know as one of the most formidable beings in the known galaxy. His prowess in battle, tenacity, and courage have made him a celebrated war hero in virtually every corner of the allied territory. He is admired by many of his peers, worshipped as a hero by the masses throughout the League, feared by lower-ranking officers, and hated by his enemies, but in truth, he has no real close friends. A career officer, he has given his all to the space corps, believing that socializing is both a sign of weakness and inappropriate in a commanding officer. His most recent victory in the Rataran Expanse came at a high price. Afterward, he was tired and needed a rest. But it was not to be. At the close of the Battle of Recktar, the admiral returned to space corps headquarters to parades and much fanfare. As time wore on and everyone began to forget the war and return to his or her prewar life, he was notified that because the League now had peace, his services would be better served in the academy. There, he could pass along his knowledge to the next generation of space corps commanders. In truth, he was reassigned because some in the government envied the admiral, and others detested him because of his continued defiance of their authority and insistence on doing things his own way. While during times of war, Admiral Padmon was given a lot of leeway, now, during peace, the government does not find him as indispensable and wishes to teach him who is really in charge.

The aggressors of the coming war are an alien race known as the Vercorians. These technologically advanced people are from a distant corner of the universe on the other side of the galaxy, far from Earth. The Vercorian Empire contains thousands of orbital space stations and hundreds of thousands of space vehicles. The vehicles are of all types, both private and military, traveling from one point to another throughout their controlled space. Their empress rules from the imperial capital on Vercor, their planet of origin, although the Vercorian Empire consists of no fewer than three star systems, containing a total of eleven planets and fifteen moons, of which only four are uninhabitable. This highly advanced race with innumerable megalopolises found on every inhabited world within their borders places the sciences above all else. After the sciences, the military is second in importance to the Vercorians.

In between these two large factions of space lies a tiny system consisting of three planets circling a small star. The second planet, known as Manbiya, which is the only planet that supports life, has a rich history stemming from its primitive beginnings all the way back to its prehistoric age. Three distinct races evolved on this planet: the Nashcans; the Manbiyans, for whom both the planet and system have been named; and the Oultainians.

Little is known of the mountainous Oultainian people. How they live and interact with each other, their history, and their way of life have all been lost in the mists of time. The Oultainians have become so intermingled with the Nashcan and Manbiyan peoples that the true Oultainian people no longer exist. Even though the people living in the isolated and hard-to-reach mountaintops speak an Oultain dialect, recent DNA testing has conclusively proven that they are descendants of a combination of the other two races. The Oultainian kingdom was conquered and divided by the Manbiyans and Nashcans. Nothing is known of the ruling king at this time. More than likely, Oultain was made up of many loosely united kingdoms, making it easy to conquer.

The next race, the Manbiyans, sprang up in the central southern hemisphere of the largest land mass, known as Pantur. They live in the valleys and surrounding forests to the north of the Oultainian Mountains. They are mostly hunters, having developed a weapon capable of firing a sharp wooden spear over long distances. They came to be known as the Reds for the red streamers they would tie to their antlers. Originally, they used the streamers as a form of intimidation, as the streamers would flap behind them as they ran toward an enemy, yelling out their war cries. In time, though, the streamers became banners and, finally, their national flag, which has become a symbol of racial pride and unity. While little is known about their early history, they seem to have had no structured hierarchy. However, this changed once they united into a kingdom. Ironically, though, it was not until they conquered the Oultainians and absorbed them into their society that they truly began to evolve as a race. They developed a written language, became skilled in metallurgy and masonry, and developed a calendar system still in use today. While the true Oultainian calendar is lost, it is known to both the Manbiyans and Nashcans that the conquest fell on the ninety-eighth year of that particular age; thus, that date marks the basis of the dating system from that point forward.

The third race, the Nashcans, are an amphibious people who live south of the Oultainian Mountains in the coastal areas of the largest land mass. They also inhabit the vast archipelagos throughout the southern hemisphere of the planet, as well as several aquatic cities. Originally, in ancient times, the Nashcans lived under the sea. It is uncertain when they began to migrate to the land above the ocean. There are numerous underwater cities, most of which are still inhabited today. Some of these cities are so ancient that they predate any historical records. It can be deduced, though, that even during the Nashcans’ so-called primitive era, they were far in advance of any other race found in this part of the galaxy. While they had a written language predating the Manbiyans by more than a century, their original language has been lost today, as it is undecipherable. However, it is known that during the time of their unification into a monarchy, they had been living in their current locations on the surface for generations, which was some 630 years ago. While they relied mostly on the ocean, as fish was the main staple in their diet, they also cultivated farmers. Not surprisingly, they were a people who were at one with the sea, developing ocean-bearing vessels as they went out exploring. Even their name, Nashcan, is believed to be Oultainian in origin, meaning the sea people. The earliest historical accounts of the Nashcan people tell of times when they were divided into houses, or clans. The Uniting Father, Wytluser I, was able to unify his people after a series of wars that have come to be known as the House Wars. The Nashcans were a people far in advance of the Manbiyans during ancient times, but due mostly to the constant warfare with the Manbiyans, they reached a period of time when they stagnated as a society for several centuries of their history. A series of inept rulers has also been attributed to the period of decay within their culture—so much so that when the Vercorians occupied the planet, the Nashcans hailed them as liberators. Thus, within the Nashcan nation, the Vercorians never encountered any form of resistance, which was prevalent among the Manbiyans. From the time of the Vercorian occupation up to the present day, the Nashcan people have regained much of their past glory and once again begun entering into a golden age.

The Manbiyan Republic and the small kingdom of Nashca, as stated previously, have waged innumerable wars against one another for centuries for various reasons unimportant to anyone else in this vast galaxy. They now exist in a constant state of war with each other, which, during moments of high tension, results in full-out war. In times of so-called peace, which are more like cessations of hostilities, they remain in a state of heightened readiness for war.

The internal affairs of such a remote planet in an unimportant corner of the universe would have most likely continued to go unnoticed if not for the exception of recent events. The Manbiyan Republic applied for admittance into the Galactic League some months earlier of this same year. Manbiya’s application for membership was highly favored by a majority of representatives from the League. Its entrance seemed assured. However, the Vercorians once again claim this system as part of their empire, which caused a delay in acceptance by the Galactic League. The Vercorian Empire saw this as an outright invasion by the League, as a means of annexing one of their planets by way of treaties unrecognized by their government. To make matters more complicated, the Nashcan king is distantly related to the Vercorian empress. The resulting high tensions among the four parties involved have led to talks of a diplomatic nature being conducted on a base of the outermost planet of that system. This planet is recognized as Asquenive by Manbiya but known as Abderia by Vercor and Nashca. It itself is a hot topic of debate, as this small, cold, lifeless rock is also in dispute. Manbiya, Nashca, and Vercor all claim it as theirs, while the Galactic League recognizes it as an independent planet. Thus, it is the perfect location where the four parties can come to discuss their differences. Surprisingly, all parties concerned have agreed to send their respective representatives in order to discuss all topics they find themselves in disagreement on, in the hopes of finding solutions beneficial to them all.

PROLOGUE

T he Desdemona was traveling at its top speed toward Asquenive. She was an older ship that had been decommissioned more than ten years earlier and now only functioned as a training vessel at the academy. Named after the fifth moon in orbit of Uranus, even though old and obsolete, she had an imposing presence. While the ship was now considered small compared to the newer top-of-the-line battleships, she was still impressive to see with all her running lights and illuminated view ports, which gave the appearance of a massive flying city cruising the vacuum of space.

Admiral Padmon stood erect with his hands folded behind his back as he looked out of the view port from the captain’s cabin aboard the Desdemona.

Standing directly behind him was Holi. The thought that she was by his side gave him comfort, although he would never have admitted that, least of all to himself. She was one of two people he had grown attached to. She had become indispensable to him, a true confidant in every sense. The thing that made this relationship unconventional was the fact that Holi was not a real person but a program-generated hologram.

As the admiral watched the distant stars pass by as his ship speedily crossed the void of space, the sight caused an almost hypnotic effect. His mind lost in thought, he thought back to some twenty years earlier, when the space corps came up with a new and revolutionary program. All commanding officers were assigned a holographic aide, the idea being that for security purposes, a hologram would not be able to be compromised. However, after a year, some began to protest the program, claiming that after a certain amount of time, the holograms would become sentient. He mused to himself just how right they were, for Holi was more a real person than most people he came in contact with. After several years of legal action and negative press, the program was officially canceled, and all the holographic aides were to be deactivated. Holi had become essential to him, so he refused to comply. His defiance brought on much negative press, and he was under enormous pressure to comply with the deactivation order, but he remained defiant, even hiding her matrix crystal with the help of Captain Walkip. Even though keeping Holi was not exactly illegal, it was highly controversial. He wondered if any legal action would be taken against him by those who despised him, but after the first Rataran War and his many victories, the issue seemed pretty much forgotten, and those who were still aware of Holi simply looked the other way.

Captain Derk Walkip was his only other close acquaintance. On his current mission, the peace talks on Asquenive, he was without the captain. Derk had accompanied him on every mission from the moment he’d become a junior admiral. Whatever ship Derk was in command of became the flagship of the fleet. It was a prestigious honor he bestowed on the one officer he knew he could always trust and count on in any situation. He hated how others would talk behind Derk’s and his backs about the reasons they were so close. He had heard all the rumors: the captain had supposedly saved his life back when they were both junior officers, or they might be related. He valued his privacy, and he wished others would do the same. The truth about their childhood and early adolescence was something that neither he nor Derk would ever discuss, not even privately among themselves. After all, it had been another lifetime, and it needed to stay buried and lost in time.

As a flash of light from a distant comet caught his attention, he was brought back to the current events. For now, he found himself not on a top-of-the-line battleship but on an out-of-date, antiquated ship that had been deactivated from service more than a decade early and manned by cadets, no less. This was what fate had dealt him. The situation he now found himself in had started no more than a week prior. Who would have thought just a few days ago, when he was saying goodbye to Derk, that he would find himself in his current situation?

He found himself lost in thought again, back to that night at the Ludos.

PART I

THE GALACTIC LEAGUE

CHAPTER 1

OUR FORGOTTEN HERO

S ome months after the Battle of Recktar, back at Kadoria, the capital of the Galactic League and one of the original founding worlds, Admiral Padmon and Captain Walkip were sitting at a table in an officers’ club called the Ludos.

Captain Walkip, who was dressed casually in a loose-fitting silk shirt and slacks, was holding a drink and taking periodic sips. Admiral Padmon, who was wearing his military uniform, had not ordered anything and was noticeably uncomfortable. His uniform consisted of black slacks with a blue stripe running down each side along the outer seam. His dress shirt, which was held together by snaps along the left side under his arm, was the same shade of blue as the stripes on his pants. The collar and the two pockets on the front of the shirt were black. As he was off duty, he had removed his rank insignia, as was customary on the home world.

Captain Walkip, noticing his friend’s discomfort, leaned over and said, Relax, Admiral. Why don’t you order something and try to unwind a bit? You know this is our last night together for six months.

The admiral, who was feeling irritable, quickly replied, Derk, you know how I feel about coming to these kinds of places. Commanding officers should not be seen associating with junior officers. There are even cadets in here.

The captain took his last gulp and then held up the glass. He looked across the room until he saw their server and then yelled, Could I have another, please? He then turned back to the admiral and, feeling a little hurt by the admiral’s excuse for not wanting to spend their last night out together, angrily said, I suppose you’d rather be in your quarters with that thing of yours?

The admiral’s face hardened. The captain’s last statement angered him. Let’s not forget that I am your commanding officer, on duty or off. Just because I tolerate your friendship, I will in no way permit your insubordination, Captain! And don’t you think you have had enough to drink? You will be on duty in seven hours.

The admiral quickly stood and began to walk away but stopped right behind Captain Walkip, realizing it would be a long time until he saw his friend again. With his back still to the captain, he softly said, Derk, be careful. Remember, I won’t be there to watch your back. Even though the war is over, a Rataran peace treaty is meaningless. I’m sure you recall that they’ve attacked us twice before during their so-called time of peace.

He again began to walk off and once again stopped. See you in six months, Derk. He then walked toward the club’s main hall, which led to the street. Just as he was approaching the door, two young women came running into the club while giggling and hit the admiral with the door. They were wearing knee-high skirts with thick, ruffled undergarments, which was fashionable.

The girl who had opened the door was named Linna Rafshou. She was thin and had shoulder-length black hair. She looked the admiral in the eyes and said in an embarrassed tone, I’m sorry, sir. Didn’t mean to hit you with the door.

The admiral grabbed hold of his wrist and rubbed it to ease the throbbing pain. He then gave the two girls a cold look and angrily yelled, You two stupid, inconsiderate girls, coming in here like a couple of wild animals! Pair of idiots, the two of you!

The second girl, Gridonia Zordos, who wore a low-cut light green top that matched her skirt, had long, flowing golden-brown hair. She spoke up angrily. Listen here, you. She said she was sorry. Anyway, why didn’t you watch where you were going? You’re just as much to blame.

The admiral, now furious, as he was unaccustomed to being spoken back to, forcibly pushed his way between the girls, knocking them both against the wall of the entrance hall. I do not have to stand here and waste my time with either of you two imbeciles.

Gridonia was about to follow him outside in order to continue the argument, but Linna grabbed her arm and said, Gri, just let him go. It’s not worth going after him.

Gridonia quickly spun around to face Linna angrily. He needs to be taught that he doesn’t own the galaxy.

Linna looked through the open door at the admiral walking up to his sleek auto, which resembled the shape of a bullet.

The anger continued to swell up in Gri; she hated pushy guys like that officer. She bit her lower lip and tried to force the anger back down. Guys like that should be taught a lesson, she said. She watched as the pompous man got in his fancy car. The driver’s-side door eased into place. She heard the whirl and whine of the car’s powerful engine. The car then levitated and hovered about a foot off the ground before roaring off.

Come on, Gri, Linna said, taking her by the arm. Forget about that creep, and let’s go on in and have some fun. Both girls continued into the club.

A dmiral Padmon entered his quarters, and as the door closed behind him, he said aloud, Light full illumination. The lights came on.

The main room, which was the living area, had two leather couches, with four end tables set at each corner, and a glass table in the center. Behind the second sofa was a dining table with six chairs around it. Beyond that area were three doors that led to the kitchen, bedroom, and study.

Against the wall was a bar. He walked over to it, grabbed a glass and a decanter, and then poured himself a drink. He took a gulp and then entered the study. In the study was a large desk in the center, with a computer on top. He walked over to the desk and set his drink down on it. He then opened a drawer and pulled out a green crystal about three inches in length. He inserted it into a slot in the computer and said, Activate program.

Instantly, the computer lit up and began to hum, and a beam of light emanated from a small projector on the computer. The admiral smiled slightly as the hologram materialized in front of him. He never grew tired of looking at her; the tight fit of her uniform accentuated the curves of her perfect figure, and her eyes flashed emerald green. She had an almost perfect face, angular yet soft, framed in wavy black hair that set off her pale complexion in stark relief. Good evening, Admiral, she said in her usual soft voice.

The admiral sat down in the chair in front of the desk and looked up at the hologram. Holi, sometimes I wonder why I listen to Derk. I should have never gone to that club tonight. I had the most disagreeable encounter with a pair of morons!

The hologram said, Captain Walkip only wished to spend his last night on the home world with you in familiar surroundings. I am under the assumption that you find yourself in this negative state because of his departure and your new assignment at the academy.

The admiral took another gulp of his drink and sat back in the chair. Those ignoramuses in the assembly are trying to punish me for doing things my way! I guess they forgot that I won this war for them. Military commanders win wars with minimal casualties, while politicians lose wars with high casualties. Can’t they see that what I did was for the betterment of this great republic of ours? And how do they repay me for all that I gave them? They ship away the captain on a one-year tour of border control along the Rataran Expanse and put me in this forsaken academy with these inexperienced children. You know how I hate children! I need to feel the open vastness of space beneath my feet, but instead, here I am, planet-bound. There is a part of me that wants to resign, but that would be like surrendering, and that’s one thing I will never do. Besides, what would I do with my life?

The hologram quickly replied, Admiral, you should not indulge in such negativity. Perhaps you should retire for the evening. You will feel better in the morning, after you are fully recharged.

The admiral leaned forward and sighed. Yes, you’re probably right, as always, Holi. Well, good night. I’ll talk to you in the morning. The admiral then turned to the computer and firmly said, End program. The hologram dissolved, and the computer resumed its quiet inactive state. He then got up and walked back to the main room.

He took the final gulp of his drink and set the glass down on the bar. He then walked into the bedroom and, with his right hand, reached for the left side of his dress shirt and began undoing the snaps. He took the shirt off and neatly laid it over a chair by the door. He then closed the door. After a few minutes, he said, Light out. The lights went off, and all was in complete darkness.

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CHAPTER 2

ACADEMY COMMENCEMENT

T he following morning, all of the cadets were assembled in the courtyard of the academy, awaiting the commencement address from the admiral. The cadets were all standing around in small groups, talking among themselves.

The admiral walked up to the podium, dressed in his military uniform, which now consisted of his ranking insignia above his left pocket: a golden rectangle about two and a half inches long and an inch wide. There were five circular sapphires in a row on the bar, which signified the rank of the fleet admiral of Galactic Space Corps.

He was accompanied by his assistant, Brox, who held the rank of full lieutenant, indicated by two golden bars two and a half inches in length but only a quarter of an inch wide, also located above the left pocket. Brox, who was holding a small tablet, was a small, balding middle-aged man. He had been assigned as the personal aide to the commanding officer of the academy for some thirteen years now. He considered himself competent in performing his duties and took satisfaction in his job of helping to mold the future officers of the space corps.

While he had seen his share of commanding officers come and go, he always had an overwhelming feeling of uneasiness when he began to work for a new commander.

The admiral was a renowned war hero, but that gave Brox little in the way of comfort. As he looked up at the admiral, a man who was larger than life, he thought to himself how unbelievable it was that he was standing adjacent to this great man. That did little to comfort him; in fact, it had the reverse effect on him.

The admiral looked out at the cadets, who were all dressed in solid light gray jumpers. He noticed one group of about five young men surrounding a young woman; they were talking and laughing. He quickly noticed that the young woman was the same person he had had the incident with the night before. He turned to Brox and asked, Who is that girl over there with those five men?

The lieutenant quickly began touching the screen of his tablet. As he scrolled through the list of the cadets’ files, he nervously began babbling as the uneasy feeling of interacting with the admiral overwhelmed him. Yes, sir. Right away, sir. Yes, she does seem to be quite popular with the guys. And I can understand why too—she’s very attractive. Yes, very attractive indeed.

The admiral’s face hardened as he became annoyed, and he said in a firm voice, Lieutenant! I asked you for her name. I do not find her attractive, nor do I care for your opinions on the matter.

Brox began to sweat uncontrollably, driven almost to the point of panic. He looked up at the admiral and quickly replied, Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. I have her name coming up now. Um, yes, she is Cadet Gridonia Zordos.

The admiral softly said as he looked down, Cadet Zordos. Fine. He then looked up at the lieutenant and, speaking in a normal tone, said, Put her name on the list of failed cadets. Have the appropriate form on my desk tomorrow evening for her dismissal from the Galactic Space Corps Academy.

Brox’s arm dropped while still holding on to the pad, and he looked up at the admiral in disbelief. Sir, we can’t just dismiss her from the academy for no reason. You haven’t even looked at her entrance exam. She scored quite high in the top—

The admiral, now red faced and enraged, as he was unaccustomed to being questioned by anyone, especially a low-ranking subordinate, yelled, Lieutenant, do I have to remind you who is in charge here? I did not ask for this post, but I will run it my way. Is that clear? I do not need your advice, recommendations, or opinions. If you cannot follow orders, then I will have no need of you either, and you can submit your request for reassignment along with her dismissal form, and I can replace you with someone more competent.

Brox swallowed hard and stood at attention, nearing a panic attack. Filled with trepidation, he nervously replied, Yes, sir! I am most capable of following your orders, sir. You will have the necessary form for your signature, sir.

The admiral, having calmed down a bit, continued speaking in his normal tone. She is to be assigned guard duty immediately following the commencement address, and when her shift ends in nine hours, she is to be assigned inventory duty of munitions for the entire compound. This she will do unaided, and she will then be assigned maneuvers with the rest of the cadets tomorrow afternoon.

Brox quickly touched a series of icons on his pad as he entered all the relevant information in order to comply with the admiral’s instructions. As he continued typing, he anxiously replied without looking up, with beads of sweat rolling down his face, Yes, sir.

While he continued to have a genuine feeling of admiration for the admiral, he couldn’t shake the nauseating feeling that he and the admiral were not going to be able to work together.

Once the lieutenant had finished typing, he walked up to the podium. While still holding the pad with his right hand, he reached into his pants pocket with his left hand and pulled out a small handkerchief. He wiped his brow as he began to speak to the cadets.

Welcome, cadets. I have the great pleasure of introducing to you your speaker, Fleet Admiral Mikus Padmon, one of our greatest military heroes, who has graciously come to our academy to share some of his knowledge with us. The crowd instantly became quiet as all eyes focused on the admiral.

Brox turned to the admiral and, after putting his tablet under his arm, began to clap. The cadets also began to clap.

As the admiral walked up to the podium and faced the cadets, the clapping ceased, and all became quiet again. He stared out at the crowd for a second and then began to speak in a loud, firm voice.

Cadets, I ask that you all take a look at your fellow men and women standing around you. Some of you are below standards and will be quickly weeded out of this academy. The majority of you will fall into the average category; you will complete your four years in this academy and then go into active duty in the space corps and will remain ordinary throughout your military careers. However, those few of you who are above average, who possess an inner quality of greatness, will form a special elite group, which will be trained by me personally. You will perform special assignments and will graduate ahead of your class.

He paused for a second as he continued to look at the group in front of him before he continued speaking. Tomorrow afternoon, you will be assigned to space maneuvers. You will fly through the Katari-Ron asteroid field, and you will have targets to fire upon. Those of you who earn the top scores in this exercise will form my elite team. Until tomorrow, I bid you all a good morning.

The admiral walked off the platform as the cadets began to clap loudly again. Lieutenant Brox stepped in front of the podium and once again addressed the cadets. At the far end of the courtyard, you will find the assignment terminals. You will look up your names, last name first, to find what duties you will be assigned to. Good luck in tomorrow’s exercise. Dismissed!

The lieutenant walked off the platform as the cadets began talking among themselves and heading toward the assignment terminals.

Gridonia walked up to one of the terminals, looked up her assignment, and read it aloud to herself in an alarmed voice. A nine-hour guard duty shift starting immediately, to be followed by inventory duty of munitions. When am I supposed to get any rest before tomorrow’s maneuvers?

One of the cadets standing behind her said, They don’t call him Admiral Padmon the Madman for nothing, you know. If you’re on his bad list, he’ll crush you like a Rataran.

Not seeing the humor in her fellow cadet’s statement, Gridonia looked at him without saying a word as the realization of her situation sank in. She then walked off toward the sentry post to report for duty.

A short time later, the admiral walked into his quarters, where his hologram was already activated. Well, Holi, did you like my commencement address?

The hologram replied in her usual tone, You did say to expect surprises. No one authorized this elite team of yours to be formed.

The admiral walked over to his bar and poured himself a drink. He took a gulp, and as a feeling of satisfaction overwhelmed him, a smile appeared on his face. That’s right! The assembly sent Derk to the frontier and me here to show me who is really in charge. Check. Well, I am still doing it my way. Checkmate! They have no choice but to honor my decisions. My elite team will be formed, and from them will come the greatest military commanders of tomorrow.

After he took another gulp of his drink, a smile appeared on his face once again as he mused to himself that he’d always get his way in the end.

His holographic friend, while continuing to seem unemotional, looked at the admiral with a slight display of concern in her eyes.

CHAPTER 3

MANEUVERS AT KATARI-RON

T he battleship Desdemona flew quickly toward the asteroid belt. Admiral Padmon felt the gentle vibration of the ship’s bridge deck under his feet. It was a slight sense, almost like a faint hum he felt on a molecular level. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back and his eyes focused on the expanse of space beyond the bomb-proof enclosure that provided a panoramic view. He turned to Brox. It seems our cadets are eager today, he said.

Brox almost stuttered as he talked, his fear practically exuding an odor from the man’s pores. How Admiral Padmon hated weakness.

The training field was set up with fifty targets throughout the asteroid field. Each target had a red center about a foot square, surrounded by a white border that extended another two feet.

The object of the exercise was to fire at the targets as the fighters flew past them. They would achieve points based on the number of targets hit and the accuracy of the hits, with maximum points awarded for hitting the red section of the target. The speed with which the cadet flew through the course would also be tallied into the score.

Finally, the difficulty level would be taken into account, for there would be two different courses the cadets could take. The first would be the safe course, which would involve flying around the outer edge of the asteroid field. This course would give the cadet access to 90 percent of the targets. The second course would take the cadet through the heart of the asteroid field. This course would be the only possible way to achieve a perfect score, but maneuvering through the field would require a pilot of great skill.

All the cadets’ fighters lined up in space ahead of the asteroid field, awaiting the commencement of the exercise. The fighters were small single-occupant combat vessels, and they had the appearance of wasps ready to inflict their deadly stings in the form of laser cannons and torpedoes.

The Desdemona swung around to a position with an optimum view of the exercises. When the battleship had reached its desired destination, it came to a full stop in space.

The admiral turned to Lieutenant Brox. Let the exercise begin.

The lieutenant looked at a junior officer sitting in front of one of the ship’s control centers. The lieutenant nodded, and the junior officer pressed the appropriate sections on the terminal in front of him.

A torpedo was launched from the Desdemona