The Secret War - 1st novel in the Shadow Series

Chapter 13 .

Vai

Eighty years earlier, the Shadow had been the most lethal ship on either side of the Gathering-K'thaktra war.

Years earlier than that, when I was nine years old, I'd had a toy of it. The most prized possession of my childhood. It had come as a model kit. Four-hundred elaborate pieces that I spent months carefully cauterizing together with a vibroscalpel.

I must have dropped that model a dozen times during my backyard adventures back home on Mars, climbing trees, digging pits, re-enacting spectacular battles I had no knowledge of, but felt sure had taken place. The Shadow flying over K'thaktra cities. Carving my name—for some reason—onto the surfaces of thriving alien worlds.

Vai, until they screamed in terror.

Vai, until they wept for their dead.

Vai, until they begged for surrender.

Obviously, that hadn't really happened, but nine-year-olds excited by reports of the Shadow single-handedly turning the tide of war against the monstrous K'thaktra become possessed by a kind of bloodlust. At least, I did.

Being on board this war legend had been a bit overwhelming at first, once I had got over the fact of how I came on board. It was becoming home. The corridors were becoming a familiar backdrop, especially my short journey to the gym from my quarters and back.

Father hadn't gotten back to our quarters until late. I was in my room, but heard him come in the main door and then retreat into his room. He hadn't even come in to ask how my first day of school was.

Warpaint woke me the next morning for school. Apparently my father had already left for work.

"You must get your daily nutrients," Warpaint said. He lifted the breakfast shake to my lips, but I took it from his hand.

"I know," I said and downed it quickly. The aftertaste wasn't so bad this time. I was sure that was just because I was getting used to it. Maybe in the next week or so the food on the ship would actually taste good.

I woke up early enough that I had time to shower. I wondered briefly if I should call Owen to make sure he was awake. In the end, I didn't. He was 17, same as me. He could take care of himself.

Today everyone would look like their normal selves in school. I wasn't sure if I hoped to see that mysterious girl in school or not. There was probably a good explanation surrounding her mystery, but I kind of wanted the mystery to live on a little longer. It gave me something to think on - something other than Thrissko's betrayal, my father's betrayal, my old friends and the dead friends.

I sat in a chair and changed the shape of my okulus to fit around my eyes and then entered the ansible and the school program.

I wasn't the first one there, but I was one of the first ones there. Where the giant bunny sat the day before, there was a human girl maybe two years younger than me. In front of her, where the anchovy sat the day before, was a boy about my age. The two looked a lot alike and I assumed they were siblings.

I went and sat at the same desk I had sat in the day before. A female Starwatcher with soft cream fur, large floppy ears and green eyes sat next to me where the chocolate bar sat the day before.

"Hello," the chocolate bar's voice said from the little Starwatcher.

"Hello," I said back. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name yesterday. I think you're on the Armstar. Did I remember that right?"