Ghost Hour (Book Two of the Rogue Academy Trilogy), page 16
As they both returned to the downed building, instructing all cadets to report to Dewitt, Nadine hoped she wouldn’t hear anyone calling for help. She didn’t want to disobey Sergeant Placket…but she would if she had to. She wasn’t going to let one of her own down. Not if she could help it.
20
RITZA ACADEMY
LIEGEDEN, EMPORIA
FEDERATED SUNS
15 APRIL 3150
2055 HOURS
It took longer than expected to get everyone back to the Dewitt building. And, despite the sergeant’s orders, Nadine and Lyric did pull two more cadets from the collapsed building. Nadine justified it to herself by saying that the cadets were on the outside edges and needed just a little help. But stumbling over broken bits of wall and almost impaling themselves on jutting rods of rebar convinced them both it was time to take shelter for the night.
About ten tents were already set up behind Dewitt. Lantern lights hung outside of three of them. The rest had lights flickering within. A cadet, Henry Cobb, met them at the door with a noteputer in hand. “Roux, Hayton. Good. You’re alive.”
Lyric punched him lightly on the arm. “You’re awfully calm for having survived your first bombing.”
He shrugged. “I’ve already done my panicking. Do you have quarters assigned?”
“No.” Nadine glanced at Lyric, who shook her head. “At least, not that we know of.”
“Right. Looks like you get one of the tents. You may get another bunkmate, but I think you might be the last of the cadets to wander in. They have borrowed sleeping bags, lanterns, and a few protein bars.” He pointed at the nearest tent with a lantern on the outside. “That one is yours.”
Lyric leaned in, voice low. “Try to keep it to just us. We’ve got more planning to do.”
Henry nodded.
“We also need to report to Sergeant Placket,” Nadine said.
“Report in for me. I’ll get our backpacks from where I stashed them.” Lyric squeezed Nadine’s hand, then headed to the other side of Dewitt and disappeared into the dark.
Nadine felt her feet dragging as she headed to Dewitt’s common room. The makeshift infirmary had settled into a troubled calm. Makeshift beds were attended to by cadets and a few adults. The presence of Lady Marie Clements (Politics and Leadership) and Sir John Cole (Physics) made it feel as if things were going to be all right in the end. They were two of Nadine’s favorite professors. Neither of them were MechWarriors, but nobles in their own right.
Both attended to the injured while Noah looked like he’d passed out as he looked over reports and supplies. As she watched, a dust-covered private she didn’t know woke him up. She saw the apology on the man’s face as he spoke. Noah rubbed his face, gave his body a shake, and stood. He directed the man to the empty part of the large room.
Sergeant Crusett and Pascal came in carrying a stretcher with Sir Felix, unconscious and pale, on it. Envy struck as she watched Pascal and Sir John meet gazes and silently greet each other as father and son. That familial bond was palpable to her orphaned eyes.
Her envy turned into relief as Jasper and Elias came in, carrying another sergeant, a woman, whose face was half bandaged. Behind them were Kristen, Gemma, and Giselle. Kristen and Giselle looked steely-eyed and grim-mouthed. Kristen limped, leaning on Giselle’s arm. Gemma had tears leaking down her face. She rubbed at them with angry twists of her fists, leaving smears of dirt across her cheeks.
Nadine didn’t move until Jasper had been relieved of his burden. He watched Noah with some surprise, then nodded to himself before he turned and saw Nadine. The two of them smiled at each other from across the room with a relief they both felt. Nadine pointed to the stairs that went up to his dorm room. He nodded and turned that way.
Nadine hurried through the room and met her brother at the base of the stairs, hugging him tight. “I was afraid…”
Jasper shrugged. “Yeah. Me, too.”
“What happened?”
He looked at the floor. “Dame Emma knocked the missile off target. Not much, but enough to save some of us. I don’t think we’d be here if she hadn’t sacrificed herself. I was in the ’Mech bay. She and I were talking before…before…” He tried to blink back tears and failed. “She was going to let me go back to ’Mech training.”
She hugged him again, feeling his face wet against her neck. “I’m sorry. I know you admired her.”
He spoke into her shoulder. “They shoved us into a storeroom before the detonation. Where were you?”
“My dorm room. Where else?” Nadine sighed and let him go as he pulled away to look at her. “I was lucky. My room is…was…on the back part of the building. The front of it was destroyed. All of it is destroyed now. The building’s collapsed. So many dead.”
“And injured. And the hospital’s gone.” Jasper looked around at the makeshift infirmary. “Noah’s found his strength. He always volunteered at the hospital, but I don’t think he ever expected to be in charge of one.” He looked back at her. “Where are you staying? Do you need to crash in my room?”
“No. I’m good. I’ve got a tent outside. In fact, I’m gonna meet with some people. Talk to them about what Baron Vogel said to us in that video. I’ve got an idea I want to bounce off you. If you’re willing to listen.” Nadine saw Lyric reappear from the back hallway. “I’ll understand if you don’t.”
Jasper hesitated, searched her face, then nodded. “I’ll come. I promise to listen. That’s the least I can do.” He crossed his arms tight. “It’s not like we’re going to have regular classes anytime soon. I don’t know if the Ritza Academy can recover from this.”
She put a hand on his shoulder. “Of course it can. As long as the Ritza family stands, Emporia stands. And we can rebuild. You’ll be back in a ’Mech sooner than you know.”
“From your lips to the universe’s ears.”
Nadine, Lyric, James, Henry, Jasper, Delany, and Elias all crowded into the tent Lyric and she had been assigned to. It was cramped but cozy. Nadine played the last part of Baron Vogel’s words to Guardsman Edan for the crowd.
All of them looked at each other when the recording stopped. There was a question in the air. Nadine knew what it was—how could they obey Baron Vogel’s orders to fight the enemy at every turn when they’d just lost so much?
“How did you get this?” Delany asked.
“Delivered to me by Guardsman Edan. All of you know…most of you know about my shortwave radio…ah…hobby. I talk with people all over the area. They tell me things. Guardsman Edan is one of those people.” Nadine glossed over the fact that she had an organized spy ring. She didn’t know who else was listening. “But right now, based on how Baron Vogel looked directly at the camera as he spoke, I believe he was giving me—us, all of us—orders. Fight the enemy any way we can.” She paused. “Baron Vogel has known about my shortwave radio from the beginning. It’s what we used during the interdiction.”
Henry tilted his head. “And you have another idea like the spaceport and the Vengalil estate missions?”
Nadine nodded.
“Let’s hear it,” Elias said, looking as tired as she felt. “It’s late, and it’s been a bad day.”
Nadine glanced at Jasper, then Lyric. “I overheard something in the hospital. The enemy has been bouncing around the planet in their DropShips to strategic areas, disgorging soldiers, then taking off again. They’ve been burning through Emporia’s supplies to do it. We need to stop that. To make it too hard, too dangerous to use that method of attack. You heard Lord Zachary. Make Emporia too much trouble for them to stick around.”
Delany asked, “Are you going to go after the fuel supplies? Burn them?”
“Huh. No,” Nadine said. “I hadn’t thought of that. But it’s a good idea. Maybe something in conjunction with my main idea.” She hesitated. “I’m gonna say something, and it’s going to sound bad, but hear me out.”
Lyric made a “come on already” gesture as the rest of the cadets exchanged worried glances.
“I want to take out one of their DropShips.” Nadine looked at their stunned faces. “I’m serious. I don’t have an exact plan, but since DropShips have continued to come and go…I think we can steal a commercial DropShip and crash it into one of the Kuritan DropShips.”
“Do the Accords of War mean anything to you?” Delany asked, her voice low. “I mean, you’ve heard of it, right?”
Nadine nodded. “Yes.”
“Civilian DropShips have been off-limits for decades. To use one as a weapon could be considered a war crime. Not only that, it would endanger civilian refugees. As far as we know, they haven’t attacked any civilian DropShip. That might change.”
“Maybe,” Nadine allowed. “But if it gets the Seventh Ghost Regiment off our planet, I’m willing to take that punishment. They just bombed us—all of us. Military and civilian alike. From my experience on Hoff, once the bombing starts, it’s not going to stop unless we make it stop.”
Delany shook her head. “I don’t know. The bombing is bad. But, to destroy a DropShip?”
Jasper gazed up at the lantern above them. “Sounds a little like what Dame Emma did to the missile. She crashed herself into it, making it explode before it had reached its target.” He looked down then at Nadine. “But she was piloting the ’Mech. How are we going to pilot a DropShip into the enemy without them shooting us out of the sky?”
Grateful that Jasper didn’t immediately announce that her plan was reckless and outrageous—which it was—Nadine nodded slowly. “I know a bit about piloting a DropShip and I have some ideas, but I don’t have an exact plan, yet. This is currently just an idea. One I think could make a big impact on the enemy. One that might get them to leave us alone. If they lose as much as we have.”
“I’ve been around the spaceport and DropShips all my life,” Henry said. “There’s some merit to what you want to do, but you can’t autopilot one ship into another. Too many safety mechanisms in place. You’d have to plot a course near it and then do something to break that.”
“I have an idea about that, too,” Nadine said. “But that isn’t part of this conversation. You and I need to talk about it, the technical bits, tomorrow. Okay?”
The younger teenager shrugged. “Good by me.”
Silence grew. Nadine was surprised that no one outright told her no. The fact that most of the academy was rubble might have helped her with that. The tent was filled with an undercurrent of grief and anger.
Elias cleared his throat. “You’d need a distraction. If you’re going to steal a DropShip, you need the enemy focused elsewhere. I mean, last I heard, we had control of the spaceport, but I don’t know if that’s still true. In any case, I don’t think anyone’s just going to let a bunch of cadets in without proper orders—no matter who we are or who controls the spaceport.”
“Good point. One that I hadn’t thought through. Yet. I will. And, I’ll add in a distraction. The question is, are you all willing to help me?” Nadine looked at their faces one by one.
When she got to Jasper, he spoke up. “I’m willing to help as long as you have a solid plan. Also, I’m not sure you can count on ’Mechs to help you. There are only two here, and I don’t know how badly damaged the Valkyrie is.”
As if his words summoned them. All of them heard the stomping steps of ’Mechs in the night. Bright lights lit up the tents. Those who had been sleeping awoke to the terror of the unknown. The cadets within the tents half-destroyed them getting out to discover what new pain was about to rain down on them.
As the group in Nadine and Lyric’s tent tumbled out, they counted four ’Mechs playing bright search lights over the tents. Frightened, confused cadets milled about as the lights picked them out and shone against the Dewitt building. No one knew what the ’Mechs were doing or who they would fire on first.
Jasper and Delany both yelled for the cadets to get to the building, to get under cover, and to wake everyone. To prepare for an assault. Nadine wondered why they hadn’t set up a perimeter, or even a watch. The enemy had to know that they were vulnerable.
She stared up at the behemoths, baring her teeth in a savage grin. She would not die cowering. She would fight them to the last. As she looked for a weapon, something—anything—to attack with, knowing it was futile, the search lights winked out, leaving her blinking with the afterglow blocking her eyesight in great splotches of light.
“It’s the patrol!” Elias yelled. “The patrol! They’re our ’Mechs. They weren’t captured or destroyed.”
Jasper asked the question all of them wondered. “Where the hell have they been?”
21
RITZA ACADEMY
LIEGEDEN, EMPORIA
FEDERATED SUNS
16 APRIL 3150
0030 HOURS
The ’Mechs stationed themselves around Dewitt in a protective barrier. Lady Sana Vengalil and Cadets Mia Dencourt, Hugh Salter, and Tilda Bohemain got out. The ’Mechs were left in an “at ready” state to allow them to fire up at a moment’s notice. All of the patrol looked terrible, with hollow eyes and drawn mouths. None of them said anything as they gathered and followed Lady Sana into the Dewitt building.
Jasper made certain to stay near Lady Sana as she reported in to what was left of the academy’s professors and cadre. At this point, it appeared Sir Felix would be in charge once he regained consciousness. In the meantime, Sir John and Lady Marie were sharing the burden.
“New Exeter was bombed. Cluster bombing from the destruction. Colonel Decker said as much before they hit.” Lady Sana’s voice was soft and level. Like she was too tired to feel any emotion behind her words. “We were in contact with the spaceport and New Exeter. They had just minutes to get out. I don’t think they did.”
Sir John handed Lady Sana something to drink. “They who?”
“Count Ritza. Baron Vogel. Colonel Decker. Everyone in charge. Some might be alive, but I don’t see how. There was no sign of it for the brief time we were there.” Her hands shook. “I was hoping we had fared better.”
Lady Marie handed Lady Sana a noteputer. “We did. Thanks to Dame Emma.”
Over her shoulder, Jasper saw the recording of Dame Emma’s final actions. Kristen had set the noteputer’s screen to record. He’d had the foresight to make sure others knew of her bravery and sacrifice. Seeing it again made his heart ache, but he did not regret his last words to her.
Handing the noteputer back without comment, Lady Sana asked, “Amma? Nadeem?”
Jasper interrupted before either adult could say something. “We haven’t found Amma yet. The attack came too late in the day to do a full recovery search.” He refused to tell her that, according to Sir Nadeem, she’d been in the hospital. Also, he wasn’t lying. They hadn’t done a full search. Lady Sana’s daughter could still be alive.
“And Sir Nadeem?” Her voice was the dead calm of someone who already knew the terrible answer to the question they’d just asked, but needed to ask it anyway.
“I’m sorry, milady. He…I was with him at the end. His last words were, “Tell my wife I love her.”” Jasper swallowed hard, even as the weight of a burden he hadn’t realized he’d been carrying lifted.
Lady Sana bowed her head. Lady Marie put an arm around her and led her away to grieve in a more private spot. Sir John looked at Jasper and the knot of cadets behind him. “It’s late. Go to bed. Please.” He sounded so tired and so worn as his eyes looked over and beyond Jasper that there was no way he could disobey the professor to his face.
Jasper turned and saw Delany, Elias, Hugh, and Tilda standing there. He gestured toward the stairs to the dorm rooms. He didn’t know where Mia was. He suspected she’d already gone to her room. “C’mon. Let’s go.” Over his shoulder, he kept track of Sir John. When he was out of earshot, he added. “My room. We’ve got to talk.”
Jasper paused when he got to his door and remembered Noah. His roommate needed sleep. He put a finger to his lips. “Can’t wake Noah.”
Hugh gestured with his head down the hallway. As they followed him in the near dark, Jasper saw the cracks in the walls and felt the breeze from the far end of the building. Dewitt may have survived the bombing, but all was not well.
Everyone piled into Hugh’s room. As a senior, he had it to himself. For now. Jasper suspected every singleton was about to get a new roommate—unless the plan to split up the academy that Crusett mentioned was actually going to happen.
Hugh hung the lantern he’d been given on one of the wardrobes. He had not subbed out his extra bed for a couch. He gestured for people to sit on either bed as he and Tilda took the desk chairs. “Right, Roux. What do you want to know?” He didn’t quite smile at Jasper’s double-blink. “The Roux siblings are always in the know, are always asking questions, are always in the middle of things. Are always doing something. Ask away.”
Delany smirked at Jasper. He flushed. “I resemble that remark. Lady Sana said New Exeter was bombed. How do you know?”
“We got the call from the spaceport. Got ordered to get away from the academy—that was already warned—so that the ’Mechs would be safe. They saw the missile headed to the academy before they saw the cluster bombs headed to New Exeter.” Hugh clasped his hands before him.
Tilda took up the story. “Lady Sana ordered us to New Exeter. We had to see what happened. I mean, it hadn’t happened when she said it, but we were far enough away that it would’ve happened by the time we got there. It fulfilled the order and her—our—need for information. Comms and services would be down after the bombing. All of us knew that. But when we got to the outskirts…”
Tilda fell quiet.
“Are Count and Countess Ritza dead?” Jasper asked. “Baron Vogel? Their staffs? Are they all dead?”
Hugh nodded. “There was nothing but a hole where the Communications building had been. The only reason we knew it was once the comms building was its coordinates. So much of New Exeter is just gone. As bad as the academy. What little we’ve seen of it.”
