Scorpions (Star Runners Book 4) Read online

  Just like Divokost Junction.

  I wonder if the Zahlian Empire have derelict places like this forgotten station, he thought. Their territory dwarfed Legion Space, so he figured they had to have many neglected areas like Divokost Junction.

  He shook his head and focused on the inbound vessel. It changed course, moving across their viewport.

  “Guess we’ll find out soon enough,” he said, kicking at Bear once more. “Let’s go, man.”

  “What?” he asked, grumbling.

  “Ship’s coming in and heading for the terminal.”

  “The terminal?” Bear smiled, rubbing his forehead with his fingers. “You act like this Stink Station has only one.”

  “Does it matter?” Austin moved the satchel over his shoulder. “Let’s go.”

  They hurried toward the terminal. A series of blinking lights surrounded the hatch. A robotic voice instructed them to keep clear of the opening. The three of them took a step back, watching the oval hatch in silence.

  The lights ceased blinking, glowing bright and bathing the corridor in blue. Metal bolts popped and screeched. Gas released with a snap followed by a slow, hissing sound like air discharging from a tire. Austin gripped the strap on his satchel, wondering what waited for them on the other side.

  “I’ve never heard an airlock sound like that,” Bear said.

  “No one has,” Skylar said and glanced at them, a mischievous look in her eye. “No one born in the last fifty years, anyway.”

  Austin smiled and looked back at the hatch. It shuddered once, and then, with the sound of shrieking metal, it opened like the lens on a camera. He took a step back, expecting a flood of passengers to bring life into the quiet station.

  He frowned. A lone figure strolled down the ramp. He wore a tight-fitting black flight suit with no insignia or rank. His polished boots reflected light like the surface of a pond and pounded against the steel deck. He carried no bag or briefcase or even a sidearm.

  As he marched forward in a fluid motion, Austin looked at the man. He had a crewcut with brown hair, cropped close enough to see his scalp on the sides but a little longer on top. A few white hairs were sprinkled throughout a neat mustache. Faint lines crept from the corners of his light, colorless eyes as he looked at each one of them. When his face turned toward Bear, Austin saw a black tattoo of a sword on the side of the man’s neck. He stopped five feet in front of them, clicking his heels on the deck. The sound echoed down the empty corridor.

  They all stood in silence, staring at one another.

  Austin swallowed and glanced over the man’s shoulder.

  “I’m the only one,” the man said, his voice loud, confident. “Are you Stone, Kincaid, and Keller?”

  They exchanged glances. Remembering the sight of the Phantoms on Earth who had come to kill him, Austin wondered idly if this man was an assassin sent to target Star Runners. If that was the case, all three of them were unarmed in a space station in the middle of nowhere.

  “Well?” the man asked, still standing at attention.

  Austin cleared his throat. “Yes, sir.”

  The man stared at Austin for a heartbeat before nodding once. “I am Major Cayo Wilkos, but you will call me ‘Major’ or ‘Sir.’ You now belong to me. Your new assignment begins the moment we board this shuttle. Before we leave, we need to get some things straight. First, I hate disrespect and will not tolerate it in my command. Some of you have had leniency in the past given your accomplishments. That means jack here. I don’t care what you’ve done or what you think you deserve. We’re all starting at zero here. That means you ask questions if you’ve got them. I don’t give a damn for a Star Runner who is too scared to ask a question. Worse, I’ll eat you alive if you’re too full of pride to ask when you aren’t sure. You aren’t perfect. You never have been.” He took a long stride forward, his eyes taking in each of them for a long, awkward moment. “But, you are leaving here to become the closest to perfection you’ll ever be. Questions?”

  Austin locked eyes with the man, saw a face that had seen a great deal. “No, sir.”

  “Good.” Wilkos nodded and took a step out of the way, extending his hand toward the passenger loading bridge. “Board the shuttle. We leave immediately.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  The trip dragged. Even with the curvature drive, the ride surpassed one hour. Austin sighed. No planetary bodies revealed themselves out his porthole. He had glanced around the shuttle’s cabin when he first stepped in and guessed more than a dozen other men and women were on board, all wearing civilian clothes.

  During the trip, Austin found it difficult to sit still, his mind racing about this new assignment. Technically, the Legion Navy could do whatever they wanted with him. He signed their papers, devoting the next five years of his life to the service. But nothing about his recent transfer had been like anything he had experienced since leaving Earth and joining the Legion. On his first trip from Atlantis and off Earth, he had Jonathan Nubern at his side to guide him each step of the way.

  Nubern.

  Major Nubern was now in charge of recruitment efforts in Quadrant Eight. The Legion still needed more Star Runners even though tension between the Zahl and Legion had decreased since the death of their war faction leader, Sector Regent Knox Tulin. Between patrolling the border and maintaining order within Legion Space, all while keeping a loose eye on the Fringe and Primal Space, it seemed the Star Runners would never be at a loss for things to do.

  Austin stared out the window, watching the stars. He wasn’t even sure he technically was a Star Runner anymore. To carry out his last mission to steal the Wraith, he had been declared legally dead, and the Legion changed his official status. Lieutenant Austin Stone was dead. He was glad Nubern had taken the time to inform Mom of the situation. He always knew life would take him far from his mom. It already seemed like another lifetime when he sat and stared at the Christmas tree with her during his last holiday at home. He hadn’t known it would be the final visit at the time, but when does one ever know such things?

  Shaking his head, Austin glanced around the cabin. Skylar had taken a seat on the other side of the aisle again. Her eyes were focused on the tablet. Knowing her, she was probably reading up on combat tactics or the latest news within the Legion Navy.

  He turned to Bear, whose mouth gaped open and head was tilted back on the seat like he was drugged. Austin raised his hand to nudge his friend awake, but hesitated. Bear probably deserved some sleep. Who knew when he would get another chance?

  Austin slept fine when he could fall asleep. The nightmares had passed. Instead, he regularly dreamed of Ryker and their time on Oma. These dreams always left him with a lingering sadness when he woke up. His time with Ryker had gone too fast. The days went by in a blur. He remembered his Math teacher in high school saying the four years of high school would be the fastest in his life, passing by like he stood in a wind tunnel. He thought Mr. Heath was crazy when he said it. Now, it seemed very wise.

  “We are now approaching our destination,” a calm voice hissed over the intercom. “Prepare for landing in ten.”

  Peering out of the porthole, he saw light beaming off his window from a star in the distance. Still no planetary bodies, but at least there was something.

  “See anything?” Bear grumbled, his voice transitioning into a yawn.

  “Light up ahead. A whole bunch of nothing.”

  He put his hand to his mouth, stifling another yawn. “Thought we saw enough nothing at our last stop.”

  “Seriously.” Austin leaned his head back. “Drink still getting to you?”

  Bear rolled his eyes. “Not sure it was just the drink, but it started the whole thing.”

  “What’s that mean?”

  “Been tired lately.”

  “You getting sick?”

  “No.” He stared at the back of the seat in front of him. “We’d been going nonstop on the Formidable after you, uh, left. Before that … well, still can’t believe I almost got s
nuffed out.”

  Austin looked at him. With all he had been through, he had nearly forgotten Bear’s close encounter with the Wraith. It had been the scrap that claimed the life of Gan Patro.

  He winced at the thought. “You all right, man?”

  “Yeah.” Bear paused a moment, his eyes locking with Austin’s. Slowly, he shook his head.

  Austin nodded. “I understand. Takes a while to get something like that out of your head.”

  Bear stared at him. “You ever get used to it?”

  “No.”

  Adjusting his attention toward the porthole, Bear stared at the stars. “Looks like that’s our stop.”

  Austin turned. A small moon moved into view, a line of blinking white and red lights coming to life on the dark side. Pockmarked with craters of various sizes, the gray surface looked a lot like Earth’s moon. The shuttle veered toward the lights on the moon’s surface. Far in the distance, a green and white planet crept just over the horizon.

  “Reminds me of when I told you I could see Armstrong’s flag.”

  Austin turned toward the aisle. Skylar had left her seat and leaned over Bear’s shoulder.

  Austin shook his head. “I didn’t believe it, you know.”

  “Yeah,” she said with a smile, “you did. You used to be so gullible.”

  Bear snorted. “Used to be?”

  “Okay,” Austin said, turning back toward the window.

  The shuttle slowed, hovering over the blank surface. Austin stared down, watching as the vessel dipped into a canyon splitting the rocky surface. He craned his neck, pressing his nose against the window as he tried to get a better look at their destination.

  The shuttle paused, hanging over the canyon’s floor. He wondered if the moon had any lifeforms.

  “Well, I don’t see any green men,” Austin whispered, his eyes sweeping across the canyon.

  “You were expecting green men?” Bear asked.

  Austin looked at him, pulling all expression from his face. “You didn’t read that report?”

  Bear stared at him, then glanced at Skylar. “What report?”

  “Oh, yeah,” Skylar said, taking the prompt. “I was just reading something about that.”

  “You guys are full of it.”

  “All right,” Austin said with a shrug. “Believe what you want, but we need to keep an eye out. Reports of little green men infiltrating Legion bases on the edge of known space have been filling up the briefs we’ve been getting.”

  “I didn’t see any reports on that.” Bear hesitated, blinking as he looked between Austin and Skylar. “You mean like aliens?”

  “Oh, come on.” Austin lowered his gaze. “Worse.”

  Bear paused for a long moment. “I haven’t read anything.”

  “Been drinking too much, I guess.” Skylar tapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. I got your back.”

  Clearing his throat, Bear nudged Austin’s arm. “Anything I should know about?”

  Austin sighed. “No one’s really sure, but they think some of these intruders are seen when starlight hits gasses and forms, you know, a rainbow.”

  “A rainbow?” Bear asked, blinking.

  “And that’s when the trouble starts,” Skylar said, placing her hand over her mouth. “Some people say they wreak havoc with systems and cause problems all over a station.”

  “Have people died?” Bear asked.

  “It’s all been minor so far,” Skylar said, her eyes flicking to Austin’s. “Haven’t they?”

  “Yeah,” Austin said, his voice cracking. “Command’s worried about these lifeforms, though. Not sure if they’re aliens or what, but they are humanoid. And short. They get really touchy when you get near the end of the rainbow … and the pot of gold.”

  Bear exhaled. He punched Austin in the shoulder. “Leprechauns?”

  Skylar and Austin burst into laughter. Bear crossed his arms over his chest and lowered his head. Closing his eyes, Austin laughed. His eyes watered as he slapped his knee. It reminded him of the old days when he and Josh were kids and used to stay up late. It would be three in the morning and they’d be playing video games, laughing so hard it hurt.

  Bear grumbled, looking at both of them. “Seriously, not funny.”

  Still laughing, Austin shook his head. “You really fell for that?”

  “I didn’t believe you.”

  “Yes,” Skylar said, propping her elbow on his shoulder, “you did.”

  She rubbed Bear’s hair. Austin looked back out the window as the shuttle moved forward. It passed into an expanse like a warehouse. The polished floor was smaller than the deck of the Formidable. A line of fuel and maintenance trucks filled his view as the shuttle passed over. Their craft halted and turned as it lowered to the deck.

  And then he saw them.

  Twenty Tridents glistened in a line under the artificial lighting. The wings were folded into the landing position, tucked over the fuselage like a predator’s wings waiting to strike.

  He sighed. “That’s a good sign.”

  “A very good sign,” Skylar said.

  Upon leaving the shuttle, Major Cayo Wilkos snapped his fingers and led them off the deck, passing a group of a dozen enlisted men and women wearing the required gray. Judging by the grease stains on their coveralls and the hair matted to their skulls, Austin knew they were the “grease lykers” on this base … wherever it was located.

  They marched in silence through the winding corridors, their footfalls echoing. The rock walls had chisel marks moving vertically from the ceiling to the steel floor, revealing that the underground base was dug into the moon. Rather than the angular halls on the Formidable, this base weaved through the rocks organically. Little traffic filled the halls other than two people, a tall man and a shorter woman wearing green lab coats, who passed by without even looking at them.

  Wilkos came to a black hatch in the shape of an octagon. He pounded on the surface, the sound booming down the hall. A popping sound shot across the corridor, followed by a screech of metal against metal. Austin winced at the noise, the passengers around him seeming to take a step back.

  The hatch parted, and Austin’s jaw dropped.

  Taking a step forward and standing where the hatch once stood, a tall woman with vibrant red hair stood at attention. With her muscular arms clasped behind her back, the woman’s skin looked like that of a porcelain doll. She locked eyes with Major Wilkos and saluted.

  “Captain Senza!” Wilkos yelled, responding with a crisp salute. “Status report?”

  “Sir!” She lowered her hand. “Scorpions’ Nest is fully operational and ready for your orders, sir.”

  “Is the briefing room prepared?”

  “Sir, yes, sir!”

  Wilkos nodded. “Very well, Captain. Lead these Star Runners inside.”

  Austin glanced at the passengers around him. Although he had assumed he traveled on the shuttle with fellow Star Runners, it hadn’t been confirmed until now.

  “Yes, sir!” She faced them as if seeing the newcomers for the first time. Snapping her heel to the floor, she took a step back and outstretched her left hand. “I am Captain Manami Senza. Proceed inside and take a seat. Briefing begins in two minutes!”

  As they passed through the hatch, a man whispered, “Laying it on a little thick, aren’t they?”

  “Halt! Attention!”

  The group stopped. Austin frowned, keeping his eyes forward. Major Wilkos marched behind him, but Austin didn’t dare turn his head. The situation reminded him of the PT drills at the Tizona Academy when Javin Sharkey spent countless afternoons screaming about discipline and order. Sharkey had trained them well.

  “Something you’d like to say, Lieutenant?” Wilkos hissed.

  “Sir! No, sir!” another team member yelled.

  “Oh! So you’re saying I’m hearing things? Is that it?”

  “Sir … not at—”

  “You think I’m crazy, then? Huh? Speak!”

  “No, sir.
I didn’t say anything, sir.”

  “So, now I’m deaf and mute? Is that what you’re telling me?”

  “Sir, I—”

  “Shut up!” Wilkos stepped to the front of the group, each boot hitting the deck like a thunderclap. “Drop your bags! All of you!”

  Austin did as instructed, allowing his satchel to fall to the floor. He stood at attention.

  “When one of you steps out of line, all of you suffer.” Wilkos glanced at each of them. He turned slowly, marching down the line. “Now, run.”

  The Star Runners glanced at each other, pausing for a moment.

  “Run!”

  Captain Senza stood in front of them, her eyes wild like a rabid animal. “You heard the major! Run, you lykers! Run!”

  The Star Runners turned and jogged down the corridor. Senza followed, barking orders and goading them to run faster. Bear and Skylar moved next to Austin as they ran through the corridors, none of them daring to speak. The line of Star Runners weaved through the boulders, leading to the deck where the shuttle landed, and ran around the perimeter of the hangar.

  They lapped the area six times, Senza screaming the entire way. Sweat ran down Austin’s face. The Star Runners around him gasped for breath. He hadn’t run like this since before his mission to steal the Wraith. His lungs burned like they were filled with fire and smoke. He wasn’t sure how far they had run. Skylar pulled out in front several times but dropped back to stay right at his side. Despite his fatigue, he smiled each time she made her maneuver. She had always been the better runner back at the Academy. It looked like that was still the case.

  On their sixth lap, Bear vomited onto the deck. Green, pulpy liquid trickled down the front of his shirt. Fragments lingered at his mouth, but he wiped them away and continued running.

  With a sudden burst of speed, Senza sprinted ahead of the group. She spun around at the entrance leading back to the corridors and pointed toward Bear.

  “All of you head back to the major—except you!” She grinned. “You go back and clean up your mess.”

  Bear sighed but pulled away from the group.

  They entered the corridors, Senza falling in behind them.