Echoes of Harmony

Space Station Vertyn

Stariek Orbit

27 February 3303

Skylar came back to reality with a sudden intake of breath. His eyes flicked open to reveal the dull gray ceiling of the training room. A quick touch confirmed he was still lying on a lounge chair specifically designed for use during the simulations. Sweat soaked through his standard issue uniform: a black jumpsuit with the Hyperion emblem, a Y with a triangle at each intersection, just under his left clavicle.

No matter how many times he was blown up, the experience never got easier. Like he was being raked over coals with lasers tearing through every centimeter of his body for hours. He supposed that was intentional. If they were tortured after every failure, they would be less likely to make reckless decisions which led to mistakes. Of course, that never stopped Skylar.

To his right lay Lina Guezal, a black haired, olive skinned girl wearing the same uniform. Freckles dotted her cheeks. Beyond her was a single window—the only one in the room—revealing the inky blackness of space. On his left sat Keith Hill, a scrawny boy a few years younger than Skylar. Dirty blond hair matted his forehead above a sleek virtual reality headset that sat connected by thin cables to a bay of electronics on the wall. In between the lounge chairs sat two tables just over a meter tall. Hyperion issued datapad tablets—one for each of the cadets—lay atop them.

Skylar pushed himself to his feet and started towards a rack of towels when the presence of an additional person in the room stopped him in his tracks. Standing near the door was an older man, his face creased by wrinkles. His hair, once only gray in a few spots, was now nearly completely white. It was cut short in a nod to a Caesar style. His black uniform was crisp, consisting of a double-breasted jacket that came nearly down to his knees and a pair of slacks.

“You disobeyed orders, cadet.” General Augusta Zorn, commandant of Vertyn, folded his arms as he stared directly at Skylar. If he hadn’t grown used to the gesture over the last six years, it might have intimidated him. “When we give you an order, you follow it, no matter the consequences. Or is that too complicated to get through your small brain?”

“I attempted to follow orders, sir.” Skylar felt heat rise into his face and took a deep breath in and out his nose. He tightly squeezed one hand into a fist, feeling his knuckles flex, before releasing it. “I would have been able to complete the mission if I wasn’t going in alone. If I just had a little more time…”

“Would you have liked that more time before or after getting blown up?” Zorn sneered. “As far as going in alone, it wouldn’t have mattered whether the other squadrons were with you. By my calculations, there were precisely eighty-two enemy fighters compared to your nine. Even if we used your inflated ego as a shield, there was no path to victory.”

“And how were that many fighters inside the small body of that skirmisher, sir?” Skylar asked, attempting to sound innocent and knowing at once he failed.

“It is a common tactic of pirates such as the Druthagar to convert the interior holds of their ships into hangars.” Zorn cocked an eyebrow and smirked at Skylar. “Your classes should have taught you that.”

“By my calculations, sir,” Skylar said, clasping his hands together to keep them from shaking, “an Iron-class frigate would only have the volume for a maximum of seventy-three fighters. That is, if they were sat wingtip to tip and much of the interior space was converted to hangar. It would also leave little to no space for maneuvering inside the hangar bay. Taking into account the space necessary to house and feed that many pilots for any extended period of time, that would bring the total down to sixty. If, as you say, there were eighty-two fighters, plus the fifteen we destroyed and the eighteen destroyed by the other two squadrons, that brings the total to one hundred and fifteen. Nearly double the amount that could fit. Where did those fighters come from?”

“Perhaps you weren’t paying as close attention as you thought you were.” Zorn added a disappointed shake of his head. “Regardless, you refused to follow orders. That is considered treason, Cadet Reid, and is punishable by death. Though I am sure you are well aware of the fact. And you were planning to involve Cadet Guezal and Cadet Hill in your illegal activities, is that correct?”

Skylar kept his mouth firmly clamped shut. The general was trying to get a rise out of him, trying to get him to do something he’d regret. He wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

“I asked you a question, Reid,” Zorn hissed. He stepped closer until he was nearly chest to chest with Skylar. Skylar was not going to let the man’s height intimidate him. “And you’re not leaving until I get an answer.”

Skylar felt his arms and legs starting to go numb from the adrenaline running through him. His breathing increased despite his best efforts to keep it in check. With how hard and fast it was beating, it was a miracle his heart didn’t pound straight out of his chest.

He chanced a glance at Lina, who looked at him nervously but otherwise hid her emotions well. Keith, on the other hand, was trying to shrink into his lounge chair. Skylar was sure he would have done the same at that age.

“I was behaving as I have been trained to,” he finally answered after what felt like an eternity but couldn’t have been more than a few seconds.

“You’ve been trained to commit illegal activities?” Spittle flew from the general’s mouth and onto Skylar’s face. He barely resisted the temptation to step back and wipe it away. “To fly into the heart of danger and risk your life?”

“If I die, I die, sir.” Skylar stressed the last word and resisted the urge to push Zorn away. Hopefully, he wouldn’t notice Skylar dancing around the first question. “You’re the ones that taught us we’re expendable, that we have thousands of replacements just waiting to take our place.”

“We achieve victory no matter the cost,” Zorn said, pushing Skylar into the lounge chair. His arm shot out to stabilize himself against the plush fabric. “We don’t take unnecessary risks and waste lives and resources. The Hyperion Navy is a strategic, elite force, not one that relies on simply throwing cannon fodder at a problem until it resolves itself. What you did was stupid and reckless. Ask either of the cadets what they think. Ask them if they would have continued on with the mission if it weren’t for your prodding. I guarantee they will say they would have followed the orders they were given.”

“That’s because I’m better than them, sir.” Skylar smirked at the general, a sudden burst of confidence radiating through him. “No offense to either, especially Lina, but I have the best scores in our cohort.”

“They also haven’t been blown up as many times as you have.” Zorn smirked back, a twisted mimicry of Skylar’s.

“That’s learning, sir,” Skylar whispered, casting his eyes to the floor.

“It’s damn irresponsible and has no place in our military.” Zorn’s voice filled the room as he turned and walked to the center of it, his hands clasped behind his back. “Now, back to the point of this conversation. When we give you an order, you are to follow it without question. No matter how much you disagree. No matter how much it hurts your pride. When orders aren’t followed, people die, as you so kindly demonstrated to everyone in this room.”

Zorn gestured with a sweep of his arm between Lina and Keith. Lina stared daggers at Zorn while Keith continued trying to turn invisible. Skylar, however, stood, taking a deep breath to assuage the anger still rising in him.

“And if those orders specifically put someone else in danger? If you ordered me to kill Lina, or Keith, should I follow it? If you ask me, not following that order would save lives rather than the opposite.”

“If I ordered you to kill a fellow cadet or any other soldier in the field,” Zorn replied, stepping forward and jabbing Skylar in the chest, “you better believe I have a damn good reason for it. Or did you want to follow the footsteps of your father to the grave?”

Silence reigned in the room. Only Skylar’s heavy breathing could be heard above the whirring fans in the electronics behind Keith. How dare he bring up his dead father now? His hand curled into a ball once more, and he tensed his arm to take a swing at Zorn.

<Calm,> Lina said in a message through her CAM directly to Skylar. <Don’t do anything you’ll regret. Just like that day we met.>

Skylar took a deep breath through his nose. His chest expanded with the intake of air, and he unclenched his fist. Lina was right. He shouldn’t let the general get to him so easily. After so many years, he should have been used to the treatment already. Every time, though, Zorn found a new way to get under Skylar’s skin.

“Of course not, sir.”

“Good. I’d recommend you keep that in mind moving forward. I’m not here to have my orders disobeyed by insubordinate, little brats.”

“I may be insubordinate, but that doesn’t negate the fact I’m the best cadet here.” Skylar looked at the ground, nearly tucking his chin into his chest. “I may break a few rules every now and then, but the process helps me learn and test my limits. After all, I’m worth the trouble.”

“Worth the trouble?” Zorn let out a sharp laugh, an unnatural sound. “I’d rather have a hundred soldiers worse than you that follow my orders without question.”

“So, what I’m hearing is that I am the best cadet,” Skylar said, allowing a smug grin to come to his face. However, the way the general turned to glare at him immediately wiped it away.

“Just remember,” Zorn hissed, gripping Skylar’s chin between his thumb and forefinger, “that if you continue stepping out of line, I will make sure you can never do so again. Dismissed.”

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Zorn released him with a rough shove, nearly forcing him back into the lounge chair. Before Skylar had a chance to react, the general was out the door. It hissed shut behind him, leaving the three of them behind. Skylar took another deep breath, staring at the empty spot Zorn left.

Flight training did not go anything as he expected it to. In the past, it had always been the same: he led the way, destroyed some enemy fighters, then found some insane way to complete the objective and become the hero. At least, when he didn’t get blown up a few minutes into the simulation because he bit off more than he could chew. Much to the dismay, of course, of the other two who groaned as they began again from the top. This was the first time that General Zorn reprimanded him in the training room, especially in front of the others.

“That was some cool flying, Skylar,” Keith said after several seconds of silence passed. A smile dominated his face, reminding him of Lina when they first arrived at the station. “You gotta teach me those moves.”

“Maybe another time, Keith.” Skylar became acutely aware of the beads of sweat making their way down his forehead and cheeks. They also reminded him of the spit from the general that mixed with it. He took a step closer to the rack of towels, nearly falling as his knees wobbled unexpectedly. His hand shook as he wiped at his forehead with the white cloth. “I just want to relax right now.”

“He’s right, you know.” Lina walked to the towels and grabbed her own. She folded her arms across her chest and stared at him. “You can be pretty reckless sometimes.”

“I admit I take some risks every now and then.”

“Always.” Her tone indicated she had put plenty of thought into it. “It’s just a matter of time before you get killed for real, and I’d prefer if that didn’t happen.”

“It’s just because I want to push myself to be better than I was yesterday.” Skylar ripped his eyes away from hers and took a step toward the window. Stariek, his home for eleven years before being kidnapped by the Hyperions, hung like an enormous marble, as if suspended by a string. After several seconds of silence, he turned to see Lina and Keith both were staring at him. While the former looked stern, the latter sat as if the lounge chair was going to launch him into the air at any moment. “Isn’t it better if I get blown up in a simulation?”

“It’s because you want to show off, and your encouragement the few times we’ve trained together doesn’t help, Keith.” Lina pointed her finger at the younger boy, who tried to shrink into the chair’s fabric. She scoffed and shook her head before turning back to Skylar. A smile touched the corner of her lips despite her obvious efforts to push it away. “How many years have I known you now, Skylar? I’d like to think I know at least a little about how you work by now.”

“Too many, apparently,” Skylar muttered, winking at Keith. The boy laughed loudly before quickly covering his mouth in a futile attempt to hide it. Lina threw her towel at Skylar, finally letting her smile fully break through. He dodged to the side and let the cloth hit the wall with a rustle of fabric.

“You’re such an ass, Skylar.” She chuckled as she picked up the datapads from the tables before distributing them.

“Maybe, but that’s part of my charm. It’s why you love me.” He made a show of giving her a low bow with a flourish.

A low droning sound filled the air, denoting the end of the period. It ran through Skylar’s bones and rattled them. He clenched his teeth against the feeling, though it did no good.

“I’ll never get used to that,” he muttered as he started to the door. Behind him, Keith groaned.

“I have my history test next.” His feet shuffled against the metal floor. “I hate history.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine,” Lina said, ruffling Keith’s hair. “You’re a pretty smart kid.”

“As long as you remember ‘Glory to Hyperia,’” Skylar chimed in, mocking a salute by bringing his right fist to his left clavicle, “there’s no way you can possibly fail. Always seemed to work for me at least.”

“Stop it,” Lina hissed. She slapped him lightly on the arm. “You’re going to fill his head with useless drivel.”

“Isn’t that my job as squad leader?” She hit him harder in the shoulder, causing him to stagger slightly under the blow. He rubbed at the spot to soothe it. “Sorry, only joking.”

The door hissed open to allow them out. A hallway greeted them, spreading to the left and right. Banners bearing the Hyperion emblem adorned the hallways. The black and red threaded by gold broke up the monotony of the otherwise gray interior. Only a few other people walked back and forth, most of them younger than Skylar and Lina, closer to Keith’s age. Each wore the designated jumpsuits denoting them as cadets. Many sported the tell-tale bruises of having been punished by the Hyperions. Skylar took a deep breath to steady himself and clenched and relaxed his fist several times. If there was something, anything he could’ve done to help them…

Keith waved as he walked down the hallway to the left. His shoulders slouched slightly before he disappeared around a corner. Lina and Skylar turned to the right, heading towards the lifts.

“What do we got next?” Skylar asked, more to fill the silence than needing to know, given their schedule had not changed since they were brought to the space station nearly six years ago.

“Hour and a half break,” Lina said with a shake of her head, “then more simulation training. Shouldn’t you have that memorized by now?”

“I’ve never been one to pay much heed to guidelines.” Skylar made a show of rubbing his stomach. “I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty hungry.”

“You’re always hungry,” Lina replied, rolling her eyes with a smile. “But I did wake up too late for breakfast, so I suppose we can make a pit stop at the mess hall. Maybe they’ll actually have something appetizing again.”

“They had real eggs last week.” Skylar shook his head and closed his eyes in disappointment. “If only you hadn’t slept in that day.”

“So you keep reminding me,” Lina replied as they reached an intersection and turned towards the bay of elevators. The one on her left immediately lit up to indicate it would arrive momentarily. “There haven’t been any of those in at least two years, so forgive me if I don’t exactly believe you.”

A window sat at the end of the short hallway for the elevators. Outside was the void of space with countless stars speckling the blackness. Every now and then, a starfighter not unlike the one he had just virtually been in flew past the glass with a short tail of plasma following in its wake. A pang of longing came to his stomach, leaving an emptiness in it.

“When do you think they’ll finally let us in the real thing?” Skylar asked with a nod towards the window. “I’m pretty sure we’ve been through enough simulations.”

“Probably when they know you won’t destroy it,” she teased as the lift door opened. They both stepped into the empty chamber and, after a quick command through their CAMs, the elevator ascended. “You know how they go on about needing all the material they can get for the war effort.”

“Maybe they’ll let us join that.” Skylar stepped off the elevator with a scowl as soon as the door opened, nearly running into a couple of younger children who scattered to make way. Lina followed close behind. The corridor leading to the mess was nearly empty given the fact it was between mealtimes. “The Druthagar are the reason my dad’s dead after all.”

“That doesn’t mean you should be running off into combat before you’re ready.” She frowned and chewed on her bottom lip. “In fact, I don’t really know how I feel about fighting a war in general. Just feels so… unnecessary, you know?”

“So you’ve said.” Skylar sighed and shook his head. Lina’s brother protested the actions of Stariek six years ago when the Hyperions first came. He believed that the planet should have given into the demands of the Empire instead of fighting and losing tens of thousands of soldiers. He died when police opened fire on the crowd of protesters. “Let’s just get something to eat.”

Lina didn’t answer, instead nodding her head as they continued down the hall. A trio of cadets came out of the mess talking animatedly to each other just as Skylar and Lina entered. The door hissed shut behind them.

The mess was a large rectangular room with a serving line at the back. Throughout the middle were several circular tables spread around the room. Some were occupied by groups of twos or three laughing as they ate while the majority sat empty. Skylar scanned the room, recognizing some of them by sight but not well enough to know their names. Any of the others who met his gaze immediately scowled and looked away.

His eyes came to rest on a girl sitting by herself in the corner of the room furthest from the food line. She had brown hair that reached down past her shoulders. Her eyes were downcast, looking at the tray of food that looked practically untouched except by her poking at what was supposed to be mashed potatoes.

The girl looked up at the precise moment Skylar’s eyes landed on hers. She quickly broke eye contact and kept her gaze firmly on the tray. With what appeared to be a great effort, she brought some of the potatoes to her mouth to chew. Something about her was familiar.

“Let’s get some food.” Lina’s hand gripping his bicep and pulling him forward brought Skylar out of his trance. He nodded his acquiescence, nearly stumbling over his own feet. “Before they run out of the good stuff.”

“Lina, there’s hardly anyone here,” he replied, returning his attention to her with some difficulty. “Either they already ran out or there’s plenty left. And besides, the good stuff is already not much better than the usual.”

“If you say so.” She shrugged before smiling and nudging him gently in the ribs with her elbow. “We can’t all eat luxurious food every day like the Provost’s son.”

“I haven’t been that for a long time,” he muttered, immediately thinking of the day he learned his father was killed. It had been nearly six years, and not a day went by where he didn’t miss him. Not a day went by where he didn’t wish he had apologized for the argument they had in his office.

“I’m sorry,” Lina whispered, leaning in to give him a one armed hug as they approached the serving line. “How about after we eat we get in some extra practice, one-on-one? You could use it.”

“Alright.” Skylar smiled before he could stop himself. “You’re on.”

She smirked at him and let go just as they reached the front. Both of them grabbed a tray from a dispenser. Machines provided them today’s meal of choice: liquefied chicken and mashed potatoes with what was supposed to be gravy. Skylar wrinkled his nose at it and turned to Lina.

“Is this the good stuff?”

“Pretty close.”

She led the way towards a table near one side of the room. When they were halfway there, one of the other cadets stuck his leg out just as Skylar passed. He tripped over it and hit the ground with a thud, barely keeping his tray upright. Some of the food spilled to the ground with a splatter. Pain radiated through his stomach and knee where it hit the ground wrong. Uproarious laughter echoed in the room from various tables.

“Watch yourself, Reid,” the boy who stuck out his leg, Maxwell Dietrich, said, laughing with the others at his table. He had blonde hair carefully parted to one side and blue eyes that seemed to be perpetually glimmering with something bordering on malice.

Skylar stood and glared at him but said nothing. His hands clenched around the tray, knuckles turning white. Blood rushed to his ears and eyes. Quick, shallow breaths stoked a fire inside him. He started toward Maxwell. Lina grabbed him by the arm and pulled him along before he could do anything further. The boys muttered something before breaking out in laughter again.

“You should report their behavior,” Lina hissed as they sat down. She glared in the direction of the others’ table. “They can’t keep getting away with it.”

“Zorn wants it to happen, Lina,” Skylar replied. He pushed some of the gray goop around with his spoon, still feeling the ache from hitting the floor. “If I say anything about it, he’ll know he’s winning. You should have just let me hit one of them.”

“Yeah, and watch my best friend be taken away for something stupid?” Lina scoffed and looked down at her food. She scooped up a large glop of the goo, shoveling it into her mouth. In what felt like record time, she cleared the tray of food. She brushed off her hands above it and looked at Skylar, who was barely halfway to his mouth with his first spoonful. “Come on, you’re going to need to eat faster than that if you want to get in extra simulation training before the scheduled time.”

“Sorry, not all of us feel the need to scarf down our food as fast as possible.” He smiled and took another bite, forcing himself to swallow. Even though Lina was joking, he couldn’t help but feel a pang run through his stomach at the thought of the food his family ate. The synthesized goop was a far cry from that.

With a shudder, he put his spoon down and stood, leaving behind a tray half full of food. “I don’t think I’m that hungry right now anyway. Let’s get that training now.”

Lina hesitated a moment before standing and grabbing both of their trays.

“Alright. Let’s do it, squad leader.”

With a smirk, she led the way over to the tray return before heading for the door. Skylar waited and led the way out and back towards the elevator with a singular thought on his mind: Who was that girl, and why did he feel like he knew her his whole life?

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