THE RING ACADEMY: The Disappearance, Part 1
The Threat
Imogene Sol figured there were five reasons to keep her mouth shut. First, there was Sirkuhl Glyn, the most powerful officer at The Ring Academy, who could make her life hell. While he respected her rank, both as First-Class Cadet in her final year and her first place ranking on the leaderboard, he didn’t like her. Second, there was the matter of the missing students disappearance which was far more problematic to Imogene than she wanted to acknowledge. Third, there was the fact she was aging out soon and needed to keep her head down for placement. Fourth, there was her team to consider, though, maybe, they should have been the first reason. Finally, there was First-Class cadet Malcolm Kade standing next to her, at attention, her greatest competition; she just wanted to punch his gorgeous face.
“Cadet Sol? Why am I still waiting for your answer?” Sirkuhl Glyn turned away from the wide window overlooking the campus and returned to his desk. He stood in front of the oversized chair but didn’t sit. Instead, the tall thin Felleen dressed in gray and decorated with silver shoulder knots leaned his wide hands on top of the desk and leveled the sights of his large black eyes on her. His ample mouth was thin with annoyance and his red tinted skin darker than usual. Usually unnerving, Imogene was accustomed to annoying and facing him across this desk during her tenure at The Academy. Her appearances were because she often circumvented the usual protocols to maintain her edge, but never in a way that broke the rules. She knew Glyn disliked her all the more because she was a female head-of-the-class.
“Sir. I wasn’t aware you wanted an answer.”
“I ask questions for my health?”
“I thought it was rhetorical.”
He made a noise that snuffed through his flat nose, his nostrils flaring and sat. “It isn’t.”
Kade hid his face by ducking his chin to his chest, but not before Imogene saw his gleaming white smile.
She gritted her teeth.
“Can you repeat the question, sir?”
“I’ll rephrase. Care to enlighten me on your role in the fiasco during Morning Protocol? It has been intimated you were responsible.”
“I wasn’t there, sir,” she answered. It wasn’t a lie, exactly. While she hadn’t been at protocol, she might have helped plan the pyrotechnic distraction during the morning announcements. Technically, however, that wasn’t his question. Missing Morning Protocol was less of an issue than what she had been doing: breaking into his office AI. She glanced at the shiny steel mechanism and suppressed a smile having gotten what she needed. “What happened?”
“You missed Protocol?”
Kade’s head snapped up, his light brown eyes expanded and his black brows arched over them with surprise.
Imogene pressed her teeth together tighter, irritated because he was probably faking his shock. Her fellow cadet knew that a student didn’t miss Protocol. It was a punishable offense, but considering there was a second missing student and Imogene was the last to see her, missing protocol had been the only way to access Glyn’s files for information that might help her find clues.
She worked at keeping her face impassive. “Yes, sir. I wasn’t feeling well this morning, and I overslept.” She glanced at Kade whose eyebrows shifted over his eyes. He didn’t believe her which was wise of him, though she guessed he already knew. It was surprising that Sirkuhl Glyn believed her, but then what evidence did he have that she caused the ruckus? Kade must have suspected it, maybe overheard their plans, and then ran to their commanding officer. It had to be the only reason he was standing in the office with her now.
“And you, Kade?” Glyn turned on Malcolm. “Your name came up with hers.”
Imogene glanced at Kade again sure her surprise was written on her own features. He was standing stone still and straight like the Baskin Monolith at the center of campus. His face was unreadable. Her stomach tightened around her confusion and she looked away, stared out the window behind Sirkuhl Glyn. The beauty of the day was golden in the light of the twin suns: Makesh and Argos. Their light a strange contrast to the dangerous darkness that infiltrated the school in the last several weeks.
Her gaze slid to Malcolm again. A part of it? That didn’t make any sense. He was staring straight ahead, stoic and steady. His perfect face carved like artwork. With a broad forehead, under short black hair cut just right for a cadet, and proportional round eyes, translucent brown, framed by thick black brows, now impassive, he answered the Sirkuhl’s questions. His smooth, brown skin stretched over full but sharp cheekbones that tapered to a masculine jaw shaved clean, but hinted at new growth. His nose was full from the bridge to the ala drew her eyes to a generous mouth - a kissable mouth.
Imogene snapped her gaze away, annoyed for the direction of her thoughts. No. No. No. She wanted to shake her head. Focus, Imogene.
“I am unclear about your meaning, Sir.” Malcolm’s voice was deep, rich and it irritated her that she noticed.
“Don’t be coy with me,” Glyn snapped accompanied by a click in the back of his throat which was normal for his species when they became riled. The Felleen were notorious for their mood swings but the involuntary vocal tell made combat so much easier, not that she was about to fight her commanding officer.
“Sir? I was at Morning Protocol with my section as per usual.”
Glyn took a deep breath and with his elbows on the desktop, he leaned forward and placed his face into his steepled hands followed by the whoosh of his sigh. “Kade, do you have any information regarding this morning’s activities?”
“No, sir. I prepared and moved my section following proper procedure. Halo Baleen provided check off, sir.”
“I will check with Baleen. Kade, you are dismissed. Sol, you aren’t.”
Kade stamped his right heel against the floor before turning and exiting the office.
Imogene remained still, her hands folded one over the other behind her back.
“You will face consequences for missing Protocol.”
“Yes, sir.”
He held up his three-fingered hand. “And, my investigation of this morning’s incident is far from complete. If I find you had something to do with it, Sol, the consequences will be a dishonorable discharge and imprisonment in the mines of Carnos. And do I have to remind you, that is where everyone thinks you’re going to end up anyway as the progeny of your wayward parents? I’ve gone to bat for you keeping you here under sponsorship. Do you understand?” He laced his fingers together in front of his expansive mouth.
Imogene suppressed her anger. His threat would violate her rights as a citizen of the solar system, but she didn’t contradict him. His influence in the Federation was enough not to test him, and his recommendation was critical for a good placement after graduation. However, throwing her dead parents at her like that, reminding her she relied on the goodwill of strangers was low. She clenched her jaw and answered him. “Yes, sir.”
“And with the trials impending, it could make or break your career. Is my meaning clear?”
“Sir?”
“You have a lot more to lose now, don’t you? A stellar performance in the graduation trials all but secures you a prime placement. Lose the trials, and who takes a risk on a pair of traitors’ child?” She heard the Felleen hiss in his words, a speech pattern of his species it appeared he worked to sever. For the moment, however, he relished the opportunity to break her, the sliding ‘s’ sound slithering its way into his words.
Imogene bit her cheek to keep from lashing out. Instead, she focused on the pinch of the skin between her teeth and maintained her focus on the view outside the window over his shoulder.
Sirkuhl Glyn smiled a knowing condescending smile, his sharp teeth suddenly more sinister. “Afternoon stable clean up duty for the next week. Report today. You’re dismissed.”
Imogene stomped her right foot, turned and exited the office door. She paused a moment after closing the door, eyes closed and took a deep breath. She moved to leave and looked up. Standing with his back against the wall across the hall, his hands shoved into his pockets and his booted feet crossed at the ankle, Malcolm Kade waited.
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