The cacophony of light and sound accompanying the drummer’s appearance made Marda jump. The Lodran rose up through the stage, beating on his drums, his rhythm rising to a chaotic pace. Even Marda had a hard time keeping up with the rhythm. Suddenly, all three of them went silent and held their instruments out in front like an honor guard.

  Not sure what to expect, Marda felt a hush fall over the crowd. A haunting melody enveloped the hall. Marda looked around, and caught the smile on Blazer’s face; he recognized the tune. A hoot from behind drew her attention as Bichard strode into the auditorium, playing his extruded resin strings. Marda lost herself in the melody as it rose from a quiet, serene calm to a fever pitch which stirred her soul.

  Blazer nudged Marda and she leaned in close. “It’s his life.”

  “What?”

  “The song. – it’s Bichard’s life story, each upbeat and downbeat are something that’s happened to him. He’s been writing and adding to it ever since we were kids.”

  As Bichard reached the stage the rest of the band joined in, and the music exploded across the room.

  “Never heard this part before,” Blazer explained, “but damn it’s good.”

  Chris leaned in close to the couple. “It’s about his surgery and finding the band,” she explained. “This part,” she went on as the song reached a crescendo that almost lifted Marda from her seat, “is about how the music is helping him break free of the queens.”

  “It’s similar to his escape from the queens bit, but faster,” Blazer commented.

  “And now he’s playing the queen’s theme backwards,” Marda added, having only heard the very first part of the song before.

  “Exactly,” Chris smiled. “They no longer control my Bichard!”

  Marda couldn’t believe the power of the performance. Even the spirit orbs around the hall had joined in, vibrating along with the rhythm. The band jumped from one song to the next. Some were instrumentals they’d composed, while others were popular around the Confederation. the songs together in a giant mosaic of music ranging from those that lulled the crowd into self-reflection intermixed with love sonnets and then loud dancing beats.

  A motion behind Marda made her turn and see Gavit jump to his feet. To her surprise, he put out his hand to Chris. Chris shook her head at first but Gavit motioned towards Bichard up on the stage as he twitched his antennae up. A reluctant smile on her face, Chris took Gavit’s hand and the pair danced their way into the aisle.

  Blazer took Marda’s hand and guided her out to dance as well. Marda laughed and danced along as more cadets flooded the aisles and the open pit in front of the stage.

  “Hey!” Chris cried out, drawing the eyes of all around. Lindil had stridden up to steal Gavit away.

  Gavit wasn’t pleased by the exchange. News of Gavit and Lindil’s rendezvous two tridecs earlier was still the stuff of academy gossip. Chris dove back towards Gavit and the two women began a sort of tug of war over him. Finally, Gavit broke away from the pair and leapt for the sea of bodies further forward. He danced his way across the auditorium with more men and women than Marda cared to count. She didn’t fail to notice however that his eyeline kept drifting towards Chris as she shared an equal number of dance partners.

  By the time the concert concluded, Marda was exhausted. A look around the auditorium showed that she wasn’t alone.

  Chris led the weary cadets in a much-deserved standing ovation. She rushed onto the stage and wrapped her arms around Bichard before the clapping subsided. Bursting with pride at Bichard, she gave him a kiss between his massive glassy eyes. Marda couldn’t help but smile at the scene. Bichard’s aura lit up the stage. She looked up at Blazer as he clapped and hollered and took his hand. “He’s free. Bichard’s freed himself of the queens.”

  Blazer met her eyes for a moment then turned back. “Then, maybe he’ll finally get some real sleep.”

  UCSB DATE: 1002.389

  Bridge, Gorvian Corvette 1036, PerseusSystem (GF)

  Nostrils flaring with pride, Ship Lord Kemshick looked across the bridge on fas strike corvette. Sleeping for now, fas latest offspring lay at fas feet. Only a tridec old and fae had just begun to walk. The spirit of the great warrior Lord Gondral had implanted forced the infant to grow faster than any other offspring the Ship Lord had produced. Three new ship name plaques hung on the wall as well; each one taken closer to the Galactic Federation’s home systems. Most important of all, the full blood heir to the Great Lord Gondral, Lord Gondish, dominated the bridge; towering over Kemshick despite standing on the level below.

  The sole full blood progeny of High Lord Gondral, wrought by self-impregnation, Lord Gondish had not achieved the size of fas siremare. Fae still stood twice the size of the average Gorvian. Ship Lord Kemshick couldn’t believe fas’ luck. To have such a high official aboard ship was the best of fortune. Lord Gondish’s mission was not an inspection of the corvette. Fas mission included the retrieval of the latest Gorvian pups the crew had birthed.

  Though only the progeny at Kemshick’s feet bore the mark of High Lord Gondral, Lord Gondish would take the other five pups as well. Once they’d returned to the home world, High Lord Gondral’s own handpicked instructors would train them to assume their proper place in the Gorvian hierarchy.

  Gondish remained beside the command dais, the bridge too cramped for fam to stand comfortably. The position still afforded the High Lord a good view of the whole chamber. Gondish’s primary focus however was on the trophies along the back wall. The blood splatters and the stink of Dondick entrails from a number of federation races staining the floor and consoles brought a smile to Gondish’s face. The bridge was one of only two spaces on the ship that the sixty metra tall Gondish could stand. The other, the cargo bay, had fas’ shuttle docked to it, where the imperial guard awaited there.

  “We will be saddened to see you go Lord Gondish. Your presence here alone has been the greatest of honors,” Ship Lord Kemshick commented.

  Gondish made eye contact with the various bridge officers. Each was of a different Gorvian line, mammalian, reptilian, insectoid, even amphibious. “As soon as the latest pup is deemed ready to leave next cycle we will be off. Though I admit, I like to be this far into an enemy’s territory. The fact that you have made it this far and acquired so many trophies does the Gorvian proud.” Gondish motioned towards the bits of hull trophies on the wall behind them. “Continue your great work. Bring honor to yourselves and the Gorvian. Soon my siremare will show the Gorvian their true path.”

  All the Gorvian on the bridge sat up a bit prouder in the seats as Gondish concluded, even the progeny at Ship Lord Kemshick’s feet.

  A stirring from the console of the insectoid sensor officer drew Gondish’s and the Ship Lord’s attention. The Ship Lord looked down on his subordinate. Moe chittered excitedly at mor console before turning about to face the Ship Lord. “Ship Lord. I show two contacts emerging from an asteroid on the other side of the planet. I make them to be two Dondick fighters of the Galactic Federation.”

  Ship Lord Kemshick was shocked, unable to believe the report. This system, though deep in Galactic Federation territory was supposed to be empty. There were no worlds here capable of supporting life. Only a handful of gas giants and super gas giants orbited the local star. The single jump point in and out of the system circled the local sun at a dangerously close distance. It was so close that tanker ships and gas miners would never dare use it. “Show me the contacts!”

  The main screen lit up with the holographic image of two fighter-sized contacts rocketing away from an asteroid on the opposite side of the hot gas giant they were stationed over. All eyes turned to the screen. Gondish turned on Ship Lord Kemshick, rage filling fas’ five eyes. “What is the meaning of this?”

  Ship Lord Kemshick did fas best not to falter under the larger Gorvian’s gaze and turned back to the sensor operator. “Give me a full scan. Tell me where those Dondick craft came from.”

  Gondish looked at the sensor operator then back at the screen; mor and Gondish’s brain tails twitching in tune. The sensor operator, though terrified and chittering rapidly, seemed possessed of a new fervor as moe analyzed the sensor data flowing in. “I have something Lords. There is a small installation on that asteroid.”

  Gondish looked on, curiosity piqued. “Describe it.”

  “The sensor shadow is unclear, but it appears to be a listening post built into the side of an asteroid. It isn’t radiating but thermal reflection from the local star is giving us an image.”

  Gondish studied the blurry image, scratching at fas face, while several other Gorvian scratched their own as well. “Contact my troops! Tell them to ready my pack!”

  Ship Lord Kemshick stepped back towards the hatch, drawing Gondish’s attention. “But Lord Gondish. You should not endanger yourself so. We can easily dispatch these two.”

  “I know this Ship Lord. But I have only wrestled with a Dondick fighter of the Galactic Federation once, and desire to do so again. Sensor Officer, what type are they?”

  “We are getting data now. From their drive emissions they appear to be Corvus-class interceptors.”

  Gondish smiled; the Corvus was a two-seat fighter. Popular craft in the Galactic Federation, the multi-role craft served on many carriers and outposts. “Good. Two prizes per kill then.” Gondish turned back to the Ship Lord. “My troops and I will engage the fighters. You wipe that facility from my universe before it has a chance to warn any we were here. Then find its name and adorn your wall with it.”

  “Of course Lord Gondish, we shall. But please Lord Gondish, fly safe. You will after all take our progeny to High Lord Gondral when you return.”

  Lord Gondish looked down at the pup at the ship lord’s feet as fae stared up at fam. “Yes and these progeny will do my siremare proud.” With that, Gondish turned to leave. The doorway was too low for fam to walk through however, forcing Gondish to kneel down in preparation to crawl through.

  As Gondish prepared to do so, Ship Lord Kemshick rushed down the steps from the raised command chair to look the Gondish in the eyes. “Lord Gondish. I have one last request before you leave to engage in glorious battle.”

  Gondish nodded.

  “I would request that after the battle and before you leave, that you,” Ship Lord Kemshick had trouble finding the words. Never before had fae initiated a breeding contract with a higher-ranking official; it was considered improper. “I have come upon my fertile time. It would be the greatest of honors if you would give me your seed. Should the timing be right for you as well.”

  Gondish regarded the Ship Lord. Gondish was of a similar genetic line as Kemshick; hominid in form, though half fas size. Gondish had planted fas seed in ones like Kemshick before, and it was well known that Gondish preferred the body type. “Adorn your wall with the name of that facility and bring me a piece. Then I will plant my next progeny within your womb.”

  Ship Lord Kemshick knew that time was of the essence. They had to destroy the communications post before it could inform the rest of the Galactic Federation of their presence. Their window of attack was limited however. At the moment, the station’s fixed main antenna pointed towards the nearby sun making it unable to send or receive. The fast orbit of the planet and asteroid however would soon allow it clear the electromagnetic maelstrom around the star. To that end, as soon as Gondish and fas Packer troops left the corvette, they engaged their stream drive to zip around the planet as fast as possible from the opposite direction.

  Their waste heat pouring into ZKEPs and the EM interference caused by the nearby star masking their approach, the corvette skimmed above the atmosphere of the gas giant. As the ship crested the planet’s equator, the corvette’s arachnid-like Gorvian helmsman guided them to within a light-centipulse of the asteroid outpost before dropping out of slipstream.

  Ship Lord Kemshick took a good long look at the outpost. It was composed of prefabricated cylindrical structures with a massive antennae farm and a main dish dwarfing the rest of the facility. Kemshick turned fas attention to the sensor officer, the weapon’s chief beside mor commanding the corvettes numerous turrets to focus their aim on key targets. “Sensor Officer Eschig. Have you located the main reactor?”

  “I have Ship Lord. I am reading a massive thermal signature from deep inside the asteroid. Temperature profile indicates a fusion generator with waste heat venting into the surrounding rock. I am uploading the coordinates to the weapons now.”

  “Good. Weapons Chief, focus the main plasma beam cannon onto that heat source. Carve out their heart. All other batteries, open fire.”

  Coherent light and plasma crossed the gulf, carving away at the main dish and antennae farms before the gunners shifted their fire to the pressurized habitats. The crew grinned as the first pressurized cylinder burst under the onslaught, their sensors and enhanced optics picking out the bodies of the potpost’s crew vening into space. A moment later, the image took on a red hue as the plasma beam cannon making up the whole left side of the corvette fired.

  An uninterrupted stream of plasma linked the corvette to the outpost. The moment the beam met the facility, it annihilated the hangar from which two fighters had launched. It then bored its way through the rocky asteroid towards the fusion reactor.

  Kemshick salivated in anticipation., with the eyes of the bridge crew focused on their readouts as the beam reached the fusion core and cut out a pulse later. Ship Lord Kemshick turned to roar at the weapon’s chief. The immediate loss of the kill infuriated fas. Before fae could even take a breath, molten rock erupted from the bored hole. The rock within the asteroid, already heated by the thermal waste of the fusion reactor, had turned molten under the beam's onslaught. Ship Lord Kemshick growled in approval as the fountain of molten rock slammed into the main dish's mount. The structure shattered, breaking the dish free before the rock froze in the darkness.

  “Prepare another volley! Time to recycle the beam cannon?”

  “No need,” the weapons chief replied as an explosion lit up the sensor screen. The molten rock had poured back into the bored shaft. The fusion reactor shattered under the onslaught, exploding in a brilliant flash detonating the asteroid. The outpost disappeared in a flash the asteroid breaking up before them. Chunks rocketed off in all directions before the gas giant’s gravity took hold and pulled the debris into its fiery embrace.

  Ship Lord Kemshick growled in approval but also winced at the near total destruction. The obliteration of the outpost would cost them any prize to mount to the bridge bulkhead. Despite that, the outpost’s inability to send out a signal meant that their mission could continue. “What is the status of Lord Gondish?”

  As if in response, the communications console beeped and Ship Lord Kemshick waved the technician to put the signal on screen. Video taken by one of Lord Gondish’s Packers showed the massive Gorvian as sitting on the back of a Corvus interceptor, the canopy missing. To the eyes of the crew, it almost looked like their massive lord was riding the craft. The prizes held in two of fas four hands showed differently. The crew of the fighter bucked and squirmed against fas grip in their pressure suits. “What news of the outpost Ship Lord Kemshick?”

  “The outpost is destroyed Lord Gondish, but there will be no trophy to adorn my walls. Its destruction was total.”

  “I see. Perhaps this craft here will make a worthy trophy then. Come quickly to retrieve us. I cannot guarantee that your conception meal will last,” Gondish replied, holding up the fighter’s pilot.

  UCSB DATE: 1003.009

  Engineering Observation Dome 4, UCSBA-13, Star System: Classified

  As part of their final annura cadets and teams were given the responsibility to organize their own PT. The Blade Force still engaged in their dawn PT run every cycle, but Blazer left the evening PT up to each of them to decide. Most would hit the gym to lift weights, swim, take another run, or play sports to stay in shape. Arion used an out of the way observation dome near the engineering section of the academy as his own personal weight room. Jutting out like a blister from the outer skin of the academy, its position ensured almost two standard gravities of force. Few cadets visited these domes which gave Arion an added measure of privacy.

  Arion liked to look down through the clear silica-steel dome at the asteroid shell and stars beyond. It reminded him of his childhood. Back then, he would stand on his head and pretend that the ceiling was the floor. Standing here now brought back that sense of innocent wonder; a wonder he felt he’d lost even before the academy.

  In the center of the dome, a spiral stairway linked it to the academy. Off to the side sat an old-style weight bench, a number of free weights hanging off its racks. Arion liked coming down here, just standing there was an exercise in itself. He had become so used to the higher gravity that when he’d return to campus, he would feel even stronger.

  After completing a set of barbell presses, he sat up on the weight bench. At the rate he was progressing he would soon reach the mass limit he used to lift on Anul. No gym on Anul would let me hang that much weight on an old bar like this. They’d insist on a machine or a variable gravity bar. I hate those things. You never get the right visual with them. Arion looked up at the sensors and automatic grapplers built into the ceiling. Engineers had installed them to provide a measure of safety since he worked out without a spotter.

  Toweling off his sweat-soaked brow, he looked down the length of the academy towards the engineering section. The dull red glow emanating from the thermal radiators told him that one or more of the academy’s onboard factories was working at capacity. The upcoming senior exploration excursion would require a great deal of spares.

  The sound of someone descending the spiral staircase drew Arion’s attention. He looked up in time to see Alieha glide into the dome. How did I get so lucky to have her pick me as her boyfriend? Men, women, and even some aliens alike swooned when she strode past and he’d lost count of how many had pursued her.