Axira Episode One by Odette C. Bell Page A

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though.
    “ You know, I don’t know much about you, other than the fact
you used to be a marathon runner and you are like the only friend I
have here,” Elle admitted.
    Friend? That word threw me.
    It was wrong. Patently wrong. I was not her friend. I had
just met her, and to-date our interactions had revolved around me
saving her.
    Before I could point out the error in her reasoning, we
arrived in the combat hall, and Ma’tovan bellowed at every cadet to
shut up.
    I had to be careful. Of course I had to be careful. While
every other cadet in this hall would try their hardest to impress
Ma’tovan, I couldn’t possibly try my hardest. My hardest would
involve a subspace blade and the ability to jump from point to
point, let alone display strength far, far above anything a human
could produce, even when assisted with armor.
    I needed to calculate exactly how much effort to put in. I
could not afford another mistake like yesterday; I was starting to
realize that running for four hours in high humidity at the pace
I’d managed to achieve was startling.
    No more startling anyone today, I concluded
firmly.
    "What do you think this will involve?" Elle leaned towards
me, trying to keep her voice low.
    It wasn't low enough. The lieutenant spotted her and growled
in our direction. "I see we have some more volunteers. Cadet Singh
and Em, please come to the front of the class."
    Elle groaned.
    It seemed the more I allowed this human to hang out with me,
the more I was drawn into her troubles. As we approached the
lieutenant, I made a firm determination this time to abandon her
once we were finished here.
    "The galaxy is changing,” the lieutenant turned from us to
growl at the assembled cadets, “It's not the same place it was five
years ago. Our battles and enemies have changed. And they continue
to change, racing towards a future we can't allow them to create.
We – the Coalition – are the only force that stands in the way of
the Barbarians, the Kore, the spacers, you name it. Every scumbag
in the Milky Way who rejects our principles, tramples on freedom,
and oppresses the weak."
    I didn't move. Not even a twitch. At the mention of my race –
the spacers – I stiffened my face as if I'd passed it through
concrete.
    "There was a time when we could churn out recruits who could
get by with simple combat skills. That time isn't now. The reality
is, once you get out there,” he pointed one stiff finger up to the
ceiling, indicating space beyond, “You will be expected to fight.
It may not happen in your first week, or your first month, or even
your first year, but your ship or your planet or your station will
be attacked. Maybe it will be the Barbarians, maybe it will be Kore
assassins, maybe it will be some enemy we haven't even met yet, but
unless you learn now,” he pointed his stiff finger at the ground,
“Here, today, you won't be able to rise to the
challenge."
    The assembled cadets puffed their chests out, clearly
thinking that they were up for the challenge.
    Elle, however, knotted her hands together and let her
shoulders hunch in.
    I was now more sure than ever that she wasn't suited to be
here. As much as I didn't agree with the patriotic tone of the
lieutenant's speech, the content was accurate. The Milky Way
certainly was changing. And he was right: in the past five years
the Coalition had faced more enemies than it had in the past
20.
    My master had referred to it as the quickening. A time when
history seems pushed through a funnel, pushed toward some future
like a boulder gathering speed.
    He would never tell me what that future was, but I knew it
would involve him in some insidious, murderous capacity.
    "Today, we're going to learn simple combat techniques. I
expect you to master them by the time we leave this class,” he
stated flatly, “Because tomorrow, we move on to harder stuff. And
the next day, harder stuff again. If you can't keep up, you will be
left behind." The lieutenant's gaze darted to