Joe Devlin: And the Renegades’ Toil (Space Academy Series Book 5) Page 4

  “Yes, my brother, always so thoughtful to review anything of importance. You must keep an eye on him.”

  “Yes, my Supreme Leader,” replied the First Officer. “And for the transmission?” he added.

  “Send it to my stateroom. I want to hear it in private.”

  “As you wish, my Supreme Leader,” replied the First Officer, clicking his heels in attention to her order.

  5

  YOUR ENEMY IS MINE TOO!

  “Well, it wasn’t quite a tackle,” denied Joe as he helped straighten the Boy God back upright. “But how did you ever find me?”

  Sadar Tourian pulled his hood back over his head to hide his face. “Not a hug either, Cadet Joe Devlin—and find you—you say! That was the easy part. You mean, how did I travel to Bandor and get past its defenses?”

  “Yeah, that too,” replied Joe.

  “Cadet Joe Devlin, that’s a long story for another time,” replied Sadar.

  “And that is?” asked Joe, still wanting to know how a boy traveled so far alone.

  “If you insist, Cadet Joe Devlin,” said Sadar.

  “It’s a must because you shouldn’t even be here. It doesn’t make any sense. I mean, it’s not that I’m not happy to see ya, but you crossed the system . . . no, systems! How?”

  “Fair enough, Cadet Joe Devlin, but only the gist,” said Sadar. “We just don’t have time for long conversations.”

  “Well at least you understand that over someone else I know,” said Joe.

  “What?” asked Sadar.

  “Never mind, continue with your story,” said Joe. Augie was keeping quiet and Joe did not want to antagonize him.

  Sadar looked around to make sure no one else was within listening distance before he continued. “I acquired a Grax ship, or more accurately, I was stuffed into one while the space station your family and friends sabotaged blew up around me.”

  Joe chuckled at the thought of what happened on the space station. It was not supposed to be funny. What Joe did was right out mad and had seemed more of a dream than something he had actually been part of until Sadar started to talk about it.

  “Real humorous, Cadet Joe Devlin,” snapped Sadar.

  Joe did not like the boy calling him by his full name and rank. It just sounded formal and weird at the same time. “Okay—well—yes, not so, but you could have come with me,” said Joe. “And Sadar, please call me Joe. After what we went through together with the Grax, I think it’s only right.”

  “Sure, Joe!” replied Sadar. “But you see, I never planned to come to Bandor, but the situation dictated it.”

  “The situation?” asked Joe.

  “Yes. Do you remember what I said before we parted ways? But hold that thought, since we have unwanted ears around us,” replied Sadar.

  Yes, Joe remembered, but he did not have the medallion, so he changed the focus back to his previous inquiry. “So how did you get past the ISF?” asked Joe.

  “Turned out to be easier than you’d think, with a cloaked Grax ship,” said Sadar. “Of course, after I figured out how to fly. I totally didn’t know how to do that, you know. It’s a good thing it’s harder to hit things in space when you’re learning.”

  “Plus, finding me?” said Joe.

  “Compared to me learning how to fly, finding you across galaxies—wasn’t that hard, you know, when I think about it,” said Sadar. “Though the landing part still needs a lot of work. I expected it would take some time to find you in your home city, but nope. There you are, in the center of the path while everyone else was walking around you. You might as well have a beacon on your head.”

  “Funny,” said Joe.

  “Did anyone ever tell you that you need to be more careful of who’s following you, especially with your reputation among the Grax?” added Sadar.

  “Now you sound like Augie,” replied Joe.

  “Who?” asked Sadar.

  “Me,” replied Augie out loud.

  “Whoa, what was that?” asked Sadar.

  “Sorry, that’s only my AI, Augie, who’s supposed to be internal, right Augie?”

  Augie did not reply in protest.

  “Augie can have a little attitude . . . unless I program it out of him,” said Joe before adding, “Hint, hint!”

  “Can that thing be trusted?” asked Sadar.

  “Wait a minute,” replied Joe. “Yes, we’re friends! But I still don’t know why you are here. Let’s get back to how you got past the Bandor’s defenses.” Joe liked the boy, but he tended to take his time to get to the point.

  “I’m getting to that!” said Sadar. He motioned Joe to walk with him away from the gathering eyes. Several vendors had returned after temporarily leaving due to the ruckus of their circus stunt. These scoundrels were easily scared away until they were sure that the situation would be advantageous for them. Now it seemed that Joe and Sadar’s ages seemed to be getting unwanted attention.

  “Never thought I could get their attention,” said Joe. Besides, they were not the type of people who wanted to talk to the authorities, but that also stirred fears for Joe. He did not want to come up missing.

  “You think they recognize us?” said Sadar.

  None of the Bandorians, besides a few closes to Joe, knew what Sadar looked like. Joe had only told a handful of people of the Boy God’s existence—Brock, Johnson, his dad, Emilie, James, and Angel—so unless they leaked it, no one else knew that the Tourian God was a living one, let alone as living one.

  “I don’t know,” said Joe. “You—probably no. And as to me, well, my picture really hasn’t been on the news, just the Devlin name. My dad was a hero in the Tourian War. Whenever I do something crazy; they post a picture of my father instead, or it becomes gossip about me. Mostly due to my status as a cadet. I don’t think the ISF wants people knowing a cadet is causing issues!”

  “Thanks,” said Sadar sarcastically, “Remember your hero father did defeat my people!”

  The chuckle started low in Joe but increased to laughter.

  “What’s so funny again?” asked Sadar.

  “I guess we’re friends after all,” replied Joe. “Your sarcasm reminds me of how Angel and I joke around. Our planets’ history is against each other, but they are now coming together once again. Remember, we did stay at the same hotel!”

  “Yes, the same hotel,” said Sadar laughing. “The Grax had the worse room service and accommodations. Why didn’t we ever file a complaint?”

  “Well, we blew it up instead!”

  “Yes, you are forgiven,” said Sadar with a smile.

  As they walked, Joe put his arm around Sadar’s shoulder in friendship, but to also to satisfy any onlooker that there was no trouble among them.

  Joe’s father had kept Sadar’s name and title a secret from the ISF, mostly until he knew what to do with the Black Medallion. So, for now, the boy’s identity seemed safe among the crowd, but Joe was not too sure about himself.

  Once the entire crowd had melted back into the stream of pedestrians flowing past, Joe and Sadar moved to a new part of the alley, void of satellite coverage, before they continued their conversation.

  “The Grax have reconnaissance ships that can avoid your sensors. Though it’s been a slow process of learning how to use it fully. I’m getting better,” said Sadar.

  “Joe, we need to report this to the ISF,” said Augie.

  “No, we’re not doing that, are you crazy?” replied Joe.

  “What was that?” asked Sadar. “Calling me crazy now?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Augie is speaking to me again.”

  “I didn’t hear him,” said Sadar.

  “No, it was internal, just to me,” said Joe.

  “Can I trust it?” said Sadar.

  “Yes,” replied Joe. “He follows my commands. Well, mostly.”

  Joe was not used to his personal AI, but Augie had found the boy among the crowded street, something Joe had missed. Augie also made sure that no cameras were observing them in t
he alley. Again, something Joe could not have done by himself without detailed plans of the camera system. What seemed difficult for a person, Augie was able to complete with little effort.

  Joe sensed Sadar’s apprehension on Augie. “Relax, Sadar. I’m still getting used to the AI myself. The inside versus outside voice still messes with me. I had no clue you were going to be here. Please—trust Augie and me! Anyway, I thought you were off to save your people?”

  “I’m trying. That’s why I’m here,” said Sadar. “You know we Tourians don’t like technology.”

  “I can’t get rid of Augie,” replied Joe. “You’re going to have to get used to it around me.

  “No, I mean ships or anything with technology,” replied Sadar. “It’s against my beliefs.” Sadar had taken an enormous risk of traveling to Bandor to find Joe. Now he was in a back alley waiting to see if he had made the right choice while his people rotted in Huldra’s mines under the Grax rule.

  Sadar hoped that, if only the Bandorians knew about his people’s enslavement and common ancestors, like with the Grax sympathizers, they would come to their help. There seemed to always be two opinions in every group, and he was counting on it.

  “Oh, well, Augie is the best of it,” said Joe. “You know it’s wrong, what the Grax have done to your people. I give you my word, since your enemy is mine, too! I just can’t speak for the ISF or the Bandor citizens.”

  With all the fighting that was going on, it was true the Tourians were not really their enemy anymore, but they were not friends either. The Grax had both the Tourians and Bandorians as a common enemy. The problem was that Admiral Pearson did not see it this way. With Joe and Sadar’s friendship, forged against all odds, maybe there was a third approach.

  “Thanks, Joe. Can’t have the AI telling the ISF I’m here for obvious reasons.”

  “Okay, it’s Augie, not AI. You would think for a Tourian God you be able to remember my name by now,” said Augie. “And I didn’t give you my word, did I!”

  “Sorry, he’s a little sarcastic,” said Joe. “Augie!”

  “Fine, just kidding. I can’t do anything to harm Joe. My programmer, Master Machine Specialist Dumar, made sure of it,” replied Augie.

  “Okay, now why don’t you tell me why you’re here,” said Joe.

  6

  WITHOUT CHOICE

  Vi Ryant’s stateroom was perched high above the rear of the flagship’s superstructure, giving her a commanding view of the vessel’s chief structure below. Huldra’s white dwarf’s rays flooded her room with light, its last remaining property since the star’s heat no longer reached the distance of its rays.

  A recording of a newsnet broadcast interrupted Vi Ryant’s view on the forward observing window, which also functioned as an audiovisual screen. The report was over a solar day old, since the scouting ship’s transmission had been delayed to conceal its location while in Bandorian territory. Instead, the ship returned to base to deliver highly classified intelligence reports.

  Vi Ryant’s video screen displayed Bandorian Media Broadcast, Classified. She let out a small sardonic-laugh, since she felt that watching it was a waste of her time. She believed that no valuable intelligence would ever come from a civilian media broadcast, especially one available to every Bandorian citizen.

  The broadcast began . . .

  Good evening, tonight we present a special broadcast . . . THE GRAX AT WAR . . . with a one-on-one interview with ISF Admiral Pearson, the Supreme Commander of war against two worlds. Plus, a bonus feature, Who Really Are the Tourians?

  The video panned to a Bandorian graphic titled Badorian News with Judy Holder, followed by audiovisual extracts of Grax warships firing on the Bandorian command ship, then trailed by the destruction of the Grax Space Station Erebus, before fading to the female newscaster.

  “This is Bandorian News with Judy Holder,” announced the narrator.

  “Good evening, I’m Judy Holder. Tonight we start with the GRAX AT WAR,” she announced. “The rumors of Grax planning to invade Bandor have been confirmed by Admiral Pearson. Now, I want to personally introduce the Admiral with an exclusive interview recorded earlier today.”

  The video transformed into an image of Admiral Pearson seated behind a dark brown wooden desk with the backdrop of a military office. The desk was grand in appearance and was the largest piece of furniture in the room. Conversely, Judy Holder was seated in front of the Admiral’s desk in a chair that looked flimsy and very uncomfortable. It was lower when leveled against the desk’s height and chair, giving the Admiral a commanding presence over Judy, who seemed sunk in the room.

  The prerecorded interview started.

  “Admiral Pearson,” said Judy Holder in an uneasy voice. “Welcome to the Bandorian News Broadcast and thank you for taking the time out of your war schedule to answer questions from the Bandorian citizens.”

  “Well, thank you, Ms. Holder. I’m happy to be here. I do work for the citizens after all,” said Admiral Pearson. He seemed smug, but his comment was serious.

  “Yes, Admiral,” said Judy, her voice changing from a nervous tone to a more confident one. She leaned forward in her chair toward the admiral and cut to the chase. “Admiral, is the ISF ready for war?”

  Before the Admiral could reply, Judy deftly added, “What can you say to the people of Bandor that will give them—some, reassurance that they are safe from another Grax attack?”

  “Well, Ms. Holder,” replied Admiral Pearson in a commanding voice. “I want to thank you for the time to reassure every Bandorian personally. However, I can’t give you any declaration at this time. The Grax are ruthless people with a new fission weapon that could destroy our world. Who knows if they haven’t already miniaturized it for deployment against Bandor? It’s only a matter of time before they will attack us, but what I assure you . . . is that under my leadership, we will be ready for them.”

  A camera drone rapidly moved to a higher elevation, preparing to shift to a new view of the Admiral, while the other drone stayed on Ms. Holder. Once stabilized, the broadcast swapped the camera view back to the Admiral.

  “Admiral Pearson, yes,” said Judy, “The rumors have been spreading about a doomsday weapon. Thank you for confirming it and–yes—your leadership is reassuring, but can you affirm that this fission weapon is truly intended against the Bandorians?” Judy asked, but before she would let the Admiral respond, she added, “Wasn’t the first fission weapon just an experimental device to restore Huldra’s star? And now has the ISF, or you as the commander, forced their hand to use it for harm?”

  Admiral Pearson’s facial expression drew in slightly from the salvo of questions, but he quickly recovered. This was his office, and he was going to control the interview.

  “Yes, Ms. Holder, let me ask you a question,” the admiral said trying to flip the interview with his own narrative. “Did Grax use your so-called experimental fission device as a weapon? Yes—so does that not make it a weapon? Let me give you an example. A bomb is used to destroy targets, yet you might say it could be used equally to make a hole in the ground instead. I don’t think so. Seems to me that our missing soldiers and sailors would disagree with you on your device—if, of course, if . . . they were still here to speak for themselves. But as you know—they are not.”

  “Yes, I see your point,” said Judy Holder. She knew from her protected sources that he was not being truthful. The fission device was not a weapon. Judy knew the point would be lost if she didn’t have proof to present, so she shifted to her next question, knowing the admiral would not answer honestly.

  She paused before shifting in a new direction. “I want to talk about the Tourians if that’s okay?”

  “Yes,” answered Admiral Pearson, “Please ask away.”

  Judy picked up her PDA and looked down before clearing her voice. “Is it true that the Grax have imprisoned the entire Tourian race as forced labor in the mines on the planet Huldra?”

  The Admiral’s face showed a hint of surp
rise to the question, but he covered it with a smirk. “Ms. Holder, now if that was true . . . then they would have done the Bandorians a favor. But like I said earlier, the Grax are planning to attack . . . and from all intelligence, the Tourians are allies of the Grax, not enslaved.” Then he added, “We are at war and things can get confusing for some people.” His last comment seemed to be aimed at her.

  Judy did not back down, for she had done her research and continued with the onslaught of queries. He was hiding something from the last battle with the Grax. There were unconfirmed rumors about the Devlin family being involved and a cover-up. Even about the admiral leaving the bridge of his ship in the middle of the battle.

  “Admiral Pearson, yes, we know we are at war. Thank you for pointing that out.” She sat up more, removing any slouch in her upper body before continuing. “But are we at war with two worlds or just one?”

  “Two worlds, Ms. Holder, that should be obvious,” replied the Admiral in a raised and snappy voice. He was not going to let a reporter control his answers. He was winning the war, not her. He was the hero. For some reason, though, she didn’t acknowledge it. He seemed confused but quickly refocused on his narrative. She was just the channel to inform the Bandorians of who was responsible. They needed to know that he was the hero, and that the enemy was at their doorstep.

  “Ms. Holder—Tourians and Grax are both fighting us. I need more resources, not less, to defeat two enemies. That’s two fronts at once and that takes leadership . . . my leadership. Surely, I have proven myself in the last battle, some would even say courageously.” He added, “and these are not my words.”

  Judy’s face tightened in shock from the admiral’s boldness. The rumors were that he was the opposite, a coward, but she could not prove it and had to change direction again.

  She had several reliable reports asserting that the Tourians had been enslaved and could no longer wage war. “Admiral, if the reports are true about the enslavement of the Tourians and if you require resources to fight a war, shouldn’t the ISF want to ally with the Tourians against the Grax as a common enemy?”