Star Runners: Scorpions

Chapter 10

10

“Well, that looks familiar,” Skylar said.

Standing next to Bear and Skylar in a line of Scorpions, Austin smiled as he gazed through the energy shield protecting the hangar from the void beyond. “Sure does.”

Coming into the orbit of the Scorpions’ Nest and looming like a dagger, floated the Parazonium-class carrier Torch.

“Looks like home,” Skylar said.

He glanced at her. In the past months, the idea of “home” had been coming up on a regular basis. What was “home” now?

Watching Bear and Skylar looking at the incoming carrier, he couldn’t resist smiling. His friends had become his home.

“Attention!”

The Scorpions snapped to attention, their black boots hitting the deck hard. Captain Senza marched in front of them, her fiery red hair tied behind her head. Her eyes swept the line, searching as she always did during roll call for imperfections in their dark uniforms.

During the first months of training, a Star Runner would be forced to run when commanding officers noticed a smudge on their boots or a wrinkle in their uniforms. But Senza found fewer infractions as time went on.

Today, however, Senza seemed to be looking closer. She marched up and down the line twice, her eyes lingering on each of the fifteen Scorpions. Austin swallowed as her eyes bored into him. He kept his eyes forward, remaining still as a statue. After a moment, she moved on.

Satisfied, she squared off and faced them with her hands clasped behind her back. “The Scorpions are yours, Major Wilkos.”

With his boots echoing through the hangar deck, Wilkos strolled in front of the squadron. His scalp was visible through a thin layer of hair, looking as if he’d received a haircut in the last hour.

“At ease, Scorpions,” he said, his voice booming. A thin smile appeared under his mustache. “I’ve been waiting for this day. The day we get to leave our Nest and head into the stars. It reminds me of my last assignment as Captain of the Seventh Tarnex. We were stationed at the corner of Legion Space with the Zahlian Empire on one side and a particularly aggressive sector of the Fringe on the other.”

Shaking his head, he paced in front of the squadron. “I had good men with me on that tour, truly talented Star Runners. I led them to defend the outpost on Tavoy Four against all manner of trash coming in from the Fringe. Saw some honorable Star Runners fall on that tour as well.” He stared at the deck for a moment. “As good as they were, I swear on my honor as a Legion Star Runner that the squadron you stand with now is made up of the best in the galaxy. If you stay sharp and stay focused, there’s nothing in the universe you cannot defeat together. Understood?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Excellent.” He nodded. “Commander Reau of the Torch has been expecting us. He’s instructed his crew not to interact with any members of our squadron for the next two days as he transports us to our next assignment. We will receive the same treatment on his ship as would any Serpents. You’re not to fraternize with the crew in any way, shape, or form. I trust you all to obey this simple command. This is for your safety and your continuing status as black ops Star Runners. Any violations of this directive will be dealt with swiftly. Once we reach our next assignment, we’ll receive our permanent Tridents for the Scorpion squadron.” He cleared his throat. “Any questions?”

“Sir?” Osvaldo “Bull Shark” Wronski raised his hand from the far end of the line. “If I may ask, what’s our assignment?”

Wilkos nodded. “We’re being assigned to a remote world in Quadrant Seven to assess our readiness and conduct exercises in our new Tridents. A reduced squadron—the 54th Tizona—is already land-based on this world and we’ll be in their zone of operations while we complete our readiness assessment. Any other questions? No?” He snapped at Senza, “Load the shuttle and get them onboard.”

Senza took one step. “You heard the major—move!”

The shuttle rested on the Torch’s hangar deck. Red lights shifted to white, signaling it was safe for the crew to enter. The ramp lowered and a collection of familiar smells—oil, fuel, and sweat—shot into the vessel.

“Everybody out!” Senza yelled.

In one movement, the Scorpions adjusted their duffel bags around their backs and marched out. Maintenance crews scattered throughout the hangar bay stopped what they were doing and stared. One woman standing on the back of a Trident, tools still in her hand, gazed in their direction with her jaw hanging open. Two Star Runners wearing Tizona blue stood near the nose of the Trident, their eyes also on the newcomers.

Now I know why Wilkos made his speech, Austin thought. It’s our first time in the fleet, and he wants us to look good.

The Scorpions clicked their heels and came to a stop in five lines of three each. They stood in perfect formation, just as Wilkos had drilled into their heads during the first months in the Scorpions’ Nest.

“Follow me on my mark,” Senza said, turning around. “March!”

They moved off the deck. Stepping into the carrier’s tight corridors, he reintroduced himself to the cramped living space onboard a Legion capital ship. He ducked under two pipes protruding from the wall as Senza led them around a corner, away from the officers’ quarters, and toward the berthing compartments reserved for enlisted crew.

The berthing compartments’ doors dilated and revealed rows of bunks stacked three beds high smelling of mold. Senza marched until she reached the bulkhead.

“Scorpions! Halt!” Senza turned around as the Scorpions stomped their boots. She pointed left. “The five rows from here on are to be ours for the remainder of this voyage. Make yourselves at home. You’re dismissed until dinner.”

The Scorpions stood in unified confusion as Senza dropped her bag on the closest bunk and sat. A moment later, they snapped into action and moved for the bunks. Card games broke out immediately, while others activated their tablets to start reading.

Bear slapped Austin’s shoulder. “No way I’m sleeping on the bottom bunk.”

Before Austin could respond, his friend yanked him toward the nearest trio of beds. Bear tossed his bag on the top bunk and pulled his massive frame onto the bed. Swinging his legs around, he locked his fingers behind his head and stared with a smile at the ceiling.

Austin shook his head and lifted his bag onto the middle bunk.

“Don’t I get a say in this?” Skylar asked.

“You want me on the bottom bunk, I guess?”

“Thought you’d like sleeping on the floor.”

“Sure, Sky.” He slid onto the bottom bunk and exhaled. “How long’s this trip again?”

“Two days,” she said, climbing into the bed above him.

Austin took in a deep breath of the stale, putrid air and closed his eyes. The one good thing about transportation on someone else’s carrier was they were just passengers. For the first time since arriving at the Scorpions’ Nest, he had at least a few hours off to do absolutely nothing.

The voices around him fell away as if moving to a great distance, and he allowed the joyous sensation of an unexpected nap to take hold.