RITZA ACADEMY
LIEGEDEN, EMPORIA
FEDERATED SUNS
7 APRIL 3150
2200 HOURS
Jasper had no idea how he was going to recruit a lance of cadet MechWarriors to do something insane tonight, but he had an idea of who to approach. Luck of some kind was on his side. As soon as he entered Dewitt, he saw his top two candidates sitting in the common room by themselves: Delany Menard and Claire Vasseur.
Claire’s cool umber skin contrasted against Delany’s tawny beige complexion as they put their heads together and spoke in low undertones that did not carry. Everything in their body language said they were having a private conversation, and everyone needed to stay the hell away.
In his wildest imagination, the two teenagers were discussing a way to save Nadeem and Sania Menard, Delany’s parents and Claire’s Sponsors. This unlikely thought gave him the courage to approach. He walked over and sat down next to them, inviting himself into their intimate circle.
Both girls glared at him. If their eyes had been lasers, he would have been reduced to a black spot on the floor in an instant.
Ignoring this, Jasper leaned forward and kept his voice low. “What if I were to tell you both that there’s a plan in place to rescue Delany’s parents? Would you be interested?”
The glares turned into a shared glance and wordless conversation between the two girls.
Delany narrowed her eyes. “Tell me more.”
He looked around the open room. “There’s an actual plan in place between the infantry cadets, the MechWarrior cadets, and a very limited set of adults. It’s happening tonight. If—”
“I’m in,” Delany said.
Claire touched her arm. “In what?”
“Doesn’t matter. It’s my parents.” Delany gave him an expectant look.
Jasper reached out his hands; both hovered over, but didn’t touch either girl’s arm. “We can talk more, but not here.” He glanced around, then looked directly at Claire. “I need you, both of you, to help. Talk with me in my dorm room?”
Delany gave Claire a pleading look.
Claire nodded. “If this is anything but what you say it is, I’m going to beat you into the ground.”
Jasper pulled his hands back. “I swear on my sister’s name, this is what I say it is and that we need you both. Please.” He stood. “Meet you there.”
Delany rolled her eyes. “We’re coming now. This isn’t high school.”
Technically, it is, he thought, but had the wit not to say.
The three of them headed up to Jasper’s room without speaking. He didn’t understand how they could seem so casual. No one gave them a second glance. Of course, there weren’t a lot of people out and about right now. That was a boon in his favor. Three days into the invasion and already a new routine was starting. He shook his head, remembering the chaos and overwhelming fear of the invasion on Hoff. Why was this one so different?
The door to his dorm room wasn’t locked. Noah glanced up and did a double-take when he saw Jasper come in with Claire and Delany behind. His eyes grew wide. “I know you’re not that interested in girls…but do I need to leave? I can.” He turned off his computer and shoved away from his desk.
Jasper shook his head. “Not interested in boys either. But stay. You were the third cadet I wanted to talk to. It’s important.”
Noah aborted his attempt to escape a situation he didn’t understand and remained in his desk chair. He still looked like someone who was on trial.
Jasper didn’t have the time or words to soothe him. Instead, he gestured around the room to the girls. “Sit wherever.” Everything was clean. Ritza Academy had far too many surprise inspections from the cadre and upperclassmen for the cadets to do anything but keep their dorm rooms neat, clean, and inspection ready. Even in an invasion. Especially in an invasion.
Both Claire and Delany sat on Jasper’s bed. Jasper took his desk chair and clasped his hands together. “So, here’s the deal…”
For the next few minutes, he summarized what had been going on with Nadine and her “treasures,” overhearing the argument about whether to hide the academy ’Mechs or not and being shut out of the conversation, his private talk with the sergeant major—minus the really personal bits—the conversation with Vale and Nadine, and their decision to rescue the captives. He included the Black Box, the untrustworthy merchant, and the likelihood that Emporia would remain on their own until this was done.
The last thing he explained was the message from Silver telling Nadine that at least one of the nobles had been executed. He left it for last because he figured that someone, probably Delany, would have questions for him. He needed to get all the information out on the table before the questions came. Otherwise he’d forget something important.
To Jasper’s surprise, no one spoke as he laid out the situation and the basics of the plan. No one interrupted him. No one demanded answers he didn’t have. The only sign that all of them had been listening was Delany going gray with her lips pressed together so hard they formed a white line, and Claire grabbing her hand for support.
When he’d run out of words, Jasper looked around at the cadets he’d chosen to be his lance. “Any questions?”
Delany was the first to stir. “Okay, we’re supposed to…one, distract the Combine soldiers away from the spaceport hangars using lasers, limited missiles, and practice rounds so the infantry can break out our people and get them to the captured ’Mechs?”
Jasper nodded.
“Two, if we can…destroy the spaceport’s radars, sensor arrays, and communications grids so they can’t follow us back?”
Jasper nodded again.
“Three, as soon as all our people are either in ’Mechs or in transports, run like hell back here to the academy?”
“That’s pretty much the plan. I know it’s simple, but it’s the best we got with what we know. We’ll have surprise on our side.”
Delany and Claire consulted each other with a long look.
“We’re in,” Claire said. “Though, technically, I should be in charge of the lance. I have seniority.”
Jasper shrugged. “Technically, Nadine is in charge. It’s an infantry-centric rescue. We’re just the distraction. She put me in charge of the lance. So, that’s how it’s going to be.” His heart beat fast. This was one of the things he was afraid of: no one would look at him as a good lance commander. Right now, though, he was the one with the plan.
Claire smiled, brief and friendly. “Just poking at you. I wanted to see what you’d say. I’m fine with you leading. You did a good job this afternoon. Your plan worked. We really stomped them hard.” She glanced at Noah, remembering who their opponent had been and how badly they’d beaten him. She shrugged at him. It wasn’t an apology. It was an acknowledgment that he was there and her comment wasn’t meant to hurt him.
Noah crossed his arms, ignoring her gesture. “Are you all crazy? Do you have any idea how many academy rules you’re planning to break? I like the sergeant major, but he’s going to be court-martialed come morning for aiding and abetting this lunacy.”
Jasper felt like he’d been punched in the gut. Noah was the one cadet he hadn’t thought would turn heel and deny him. They’d known each other since orientation and volunteered to room together for the past two years. “Noah?”
His roommate’s voice shook with emotion. “You actually think a couple of green cadets are going to be able to hold their own against hardened Draconis Combine MechWarriors? You all are going to die.”
Delany frowned. “You’re not even willing to try to rescue your Sponsor?”
Noah curled up on the chair, hugging his knees to his chest. “You saw me this afternoon. I messed up bad. I’m not as good as any of you.”
Both girls scowled, their eyes going angry and fierce.
Claire shook her head. “I don’t believe this. Are you a coward? Or just weak?”
Jasper jumped between them, putting his hands out toward the girls. “Let me talk to him. Okay?” He glanced at the clock. “I need both of you in the ’Mech bay by 2325, with a go time of 2345. I’ll be in the Ostsol. Figure out which ’Mechs you want. You’ll probably want to go with something laser heavy, though we’ll have some live ammo. Okay?”
Again they had a wordless conversation in a long look before Delany nodded. “Right. We’ll be there. I’m willing to risk my life to save my family and the rest of the nobles. Lord Zachary and Lady Shannon told us to resist and to fight. I’m going to do exactly that.” This was aimed at Noah, even though she spoke to Jasper.
Claire nodded, supporting Delany. The two of them glared at Noah through Jasper’s body, and he was glad his roommate couldn’t see it. Even though it wasn’t directed at him, that combined glare was enough to make him quake inside. When they wanted to be, teenage girls could be as scary as any of the knights or dames running the school.
As the girls left, closing the door behind them with a soft, definite click, Jasper swore never to do anything that would get Claire Vasseur and Delany Menard pissed at him at the same time. He didn’t think he would survive it.
Jasper rubbed his face and turned to Noah. His roommate was still curled up on the chair, his face buried in his knees. “They’re gone.” He stepped away to give Noah space, then sat on his bed and waited.
When Noah raised his head, he looked like he wanted to cry. At the same time, his mouth was pressed into a determined line. He shook his head. “You shouldn’t do this. It’s going to get all of you killed and the Combine soldiers pissed at us.”
“We have to do something.”
“Yeah. We have to stay alive.”
Jasper looked away. It was as if Noah had scooped out all of his fear and was throwing it back at him. “We need you on this.”
Noah shook his head again. “No. You don’t. I suck as a MechWarrior. You heard Dame Ivy this afternoon. I need to unlearn everything. I can’t lead shit.”
“You won’t be leading. I will.”
“Go with Goodryke then. You’ve already got Claire, and you’ve got a good rapport with Delany. If you liked anyone, I’d say you should get with her.”
Jasper felt himself slide into that emotionless place of battle as he ignored Noah’s deflection. He’d never done it outside of a ’Mech before. “Goodryke isn’t as good as he thinks he is, and he won’t respect my leadership. You will.”
Noah uncurled and turned toward his desk computer. He didn’t turn it on. He just refused to look at Jasper. “You’re good enough, and have high enough marks that the cadre won’t boot your ass from the academy if you go through with this stunt. Even if they wanted to punt you, House Vogel might fight to keep you in. House Menard doesn’t have that kind of clout. I can’t risk this. I have nowhere else to go. I’m not sure a merc company would take me either.”
You’re scared. That’s the long and short of it. Everything you’re saying is an excuse—a bad one—and we both know it. Jasper bit back all of his thoughts. It wouldn’t do to antagonize Noah. It certainly wouldn’t get the cadet to help him. “Look, if you change your mind, meet in the ’Mech bay at 2325.”
“I won’t change my mind.” Noah looked at him over his shoulder. “But I got your back. I’ll cover for you if there’s bed check. I’ll stay up and wait for you all to return. If your plan works, you should get back…seventy minutes there, ten…fifteen minutes on-site, seventy minutes back…is 0230 hours, 0300 at the latest. I can have medics waiting.” He looked away. “I can support you from here, but I can’t go. I’m not good enough, and I can’t risk my sponsorship.”
Part of Jasper wanted to rail at Noah that there would be no sponsorship if all the nobles were dead and the Dragon came for the cadets. It was a matter of when, not if. Except no one knew what the academy would do when the soldiers arrived.
Instead he nodded. “All right. Do what you can, but I have to go. I have to do this. We’re either going to get our sponsors free or we’re going to die trying.”
“It’s that last bit I’m most afraid of.”
Jasper tried to smile. “I’m not going to die. I’m ten meters tall and immortal.”
Noah looked at the floor. “I hope you’re right.”