Ten Thousand Fleets Chapter 5: 5: The Adversity

Read chapter 5 of Ten Thousand Fleets by DavidNiemitz on NovelPedia.

5: The Adversity Academy Hill, Vidako Imperium Stellarum August 12, 2847 “Easy.” Arc felt an enormous hand on his back, steadying him, and a glance over his shoulder showed him that Pika was there, solid and unmoving as a tree trunk. We’ve hardly known each other for a couple hours, Arc realized. The Alu’kan who shared his bunk didn’t have any real reason to get involved, and yet here he was. Arc resolved to remember it. Cassie, with another girl on each side of her, faced Cadet Van Camp with absolutely no fear. It didn’t surprise Arc—how could she possibly be intimidated by some random cadet, when her father was the emperor of the entire Imperium Stellarum?—but one of the girls at her elbow was clearly terrified. She was an Alu’kan, like Pika, but she must have been half the size, and the way she curled in on herself and wrapped her arms around her torso made her look even smaller. The way Cassie stood next to the girl looked downright protective, Arc realized. “Is there something you need, sir?” Cassie asked. Van Camp’s face twitched, as if he were struggling to suppress a simmering anger. “I wanted to apologize,” he finally said, and the words sounded about as sincere as a truant child who’d been dragged up in front of the class by their teacher. “I shouldn’t have addressed you by your title in front of the other cadets.” His gaze shifted past Cassie, into the crowd of students who’d slowed or stopped to observe what was happening. Arc followed the older boy’s gaze, and saw that the first class cadet who’d taken the girls under her wing earlier in the day, Cadet Ọlatẹru, was watching. She nodded, silently, but didn’t walk away. For just a moment, Arc thought that Cassie was about to let Van Camp have it, anyway: her eyes practically burned with contempt. But instead, she simply nodded. “Apology accepted, sir. Think nothing of it. Was there anything else?” Van Camp and Ọlatẹru exchanged another glance, and then he shook his head. “No. Good evening, cadets.” With that, he turned and strode off into the crowd, toward the dormitories. The moment he was safely away, the Torean girl on Cassie’s other side bounced on her feet and let out a warbling noise halfway between a raspberry and a jeer. Her cerulean crest of feathers bounced in the air. “What a jerk,” she exclaimed. “Are you alright?” Cassie asked, turning to meet Arc’s eyes. “We all saw him push you.” “Yeah, I’m fine,” Arc assured her. “Pika here made sure I didn’t faceplant or anything. Um, Cassie, this is Pika, my bunkmate. Pika, this is -” “Cassie Sabran-Solaris, cadet fourth class,” Cassie said, stepping forward and extending her hand. It was practically consumed in Pika’s enormous grasp, but the big Alu’kan must have been very careful of his own strength, because Cassie didn’t even flinch. “This is Vee Nightjar,” she said, once their hands had parted, and made a motion to indicate the Torean girl. “And Rain Makani. We’re all in the same dorm room. Girls, this is Arc Sandhurst—we met on the elevator down.” “Hello, boys!” Vee flitted over to Pika first, and then Arc, offering her hand briefly to each of them. When Arc’s turn came, he was astounded at how delicate the girl felt. He wasn’t strong by any means—in fact, the only physical exercise he’d ever done was the kind that was forced upon every student from primary school through secondary. But he was absolutely positive that if he’d simply squeezed, he could have broken every bone in her fingers as easily as snapping a twig. The Alu’kan girl, on the other hand, didn’t approach any closer, didn’t offer her hand, and in fact hadn’t even raised her eyes. When she spoke, Arc had to lean forward to be certain he caught her words. “Hello.” At Arc’s side, Pika stirred. “An interesting name,” he rumbled. “Ole'Alu doesn’t have the human ‘r’ sound. You’re of mixed descent, I’d guess? Born off the ringworlds?” Rather than answer, Rain hid behind Cassie. The motion was furtive, frightened, and one glance at Pika’s face was enoug