The Secret War - 1st novel in the Shadow Series

Chapter 17 .

Vai

I got my first real look at the Shadow as I looked out the shuttle window. When I had arrived by shuttle the first time, I was screaming from the effects of zek.

The ship was matte black, elegant, spangled with windows. And her golden accents weren't just decorative. The gleaming horns that swept forward from beneath the ship like strange talons could direct the energy normally used for FTL jumps into searing zones of killing aether so destructive, the channels they burned into the surface of a planet could be seen from space with the naked eye. The Shadow was beautiful. It's backdrop a myriad of foreign stars and darkness of space.

It took a crew of 400-800 to operate her, depending on the mission. Most were Exploration Fleet crew and ancillary staff, but there were also 150 or so civilians, travelers, and tradespeople.

The Shadow drifted out of sight as the planet came into view and became larger as we grew closer. It looked more like Mars than Earth. There were pockets of blue instead of mostly blue.

"I am to remind you to take extra care of your manners while visiting Brist," Lieutenant Tanpo said over her shoulder. "If you are uncertain of their customs and what they would deem appropriate, just keep quiet and do nothing. Follow the lead of your teacher. Now I must confirm our landing. Hold on." Then to someone else she said, "This is Lieutenant Tanpo from the G.E.V. Shadow with the students from the G.E.F. school requesting permission to land. Teacher Miller should already be planetside."

"Lieutenant Tanpo from the G.E.V. Shadow," a male voice came on with a heavy accent. "It is confirmed that Teacher Miller is planetside and the G.E.F. students have special permission to land. Please land at Seriplom Station 1 Dock 53."

"Confirmed," Lieutenant Tanpo said. "Seriplom. Station 1. Dock 53. Landing now."

Lieutenant Tanpo was silent as the vibrations from the shuttle changed and we entered the planet's atmosphere. The vibrations changed again and the scenery outside the window changed to browns and yellows and docks - some with various ships I hadn't seen the likes of before, some empty and two with G.E.F. shuttles. We landed at a dock next to one of the other G.E.F. shuttles.

Lieutenant Tanpo stood and opened the shuttle door. "Have a safe trip," she said. "I'll just be here. Refueling. Wishing I could see Slpsis too."

Warpaint exited first. I wondered if he was already connected to my father back on the Shadow - if my father already saw and heard everything happening around me. I assumed he was.

I exited second and Owen followed me. There was a strange smell in the air. Something like dust and mint. Teacher Miller was there to great us. She looked at Warpaint, before looking at me and Owen, but she didn't say anything about the mechatronic's presence.

"Vai and Owen," she said.

We both nodded.

"Good. Rebecca and Hani have already arrived and...ah, yes. That should be Shel and Minmin's shuttle coming in now. You're the last of the students for the day. I've been here since morning."

I looked up to see another G.E.F. shuttle docking near our shuttle.

"You can go meet Rebecca and Hani at the pavillion there." Teacher Miller pointed away from the docks to a structure that looked like a canvas over wooden polls. It didn't look like much of a pavillion to me, but that's what she had called it.

Owen and I walked over and met the two human girls in person. They were on the same ship, but it didn't look like they were close. They weren't talking with each other when we arrived and they stood apart from each other. It didn't seem like there was any animosity between them, just that they weren't friends.