A/N: Here's the next chap, it's kinda short though... still on so-called hiatus till after mid-July, so will probably be really slow with updates (sorry!). Please do R&R, I appreciate all the reviews so far and welcome concrit.
Chapter 6
"What in the universeā¦!" The senior cadets had rushed up to the stands, helping all the new cadets up and surveying the damage. The grenade was obviously no ordinary blank, the floor had practically been torn apart, with the upward force of the explosion clearing a neat hole through the roof. Fortunately besides a few minor bruises, no one was hurt.
Jim scrambled up from his protective position over his two friends, peering through the smoke and rubble toward the direction he thought the grenade came from, just in time to see a figure in a black cape disappear around the corner of the gallery. He swung around, scanning the crowd for Drake, spotting him and his crony together with the rest of the Denubes, in a safe spot far from the explosion, apparently enjoying the mayhem.
"Which deucedly idiotic person allowed the use of a GENUINE timed grenade during a DEMONSTRATION session for NEW cadets!" Captain Amelia stormed into the gallery stands, fingering the shell of the grenade in her claws, tapping it occasionally with a rhythmic metallic click. She continued to glare at the senior cadets while they shifted nervously from side to side, shooting sidelong glances at each other, each as clueless as the next. Finally one of the fourth-year cadets stepped forward bravely.
"We ask your forgiveness ma'am. The supplies to the demonstration were prepared and checked last night by all our members and were in perfect order ma'am. It did not occur to us to re-check them this morning before the actual demonstration."
Captain Amelia's eyes flashed with a flicker of doubt, making a quick scan of the grounds before resuming their stern glare, focused on the fourth-year, who was apparently the shooting team captain.
"Mr. Stronski, I expect better of you and your team from now on. You should be well aware that security is of utmost importance when you are in space, and is not to be taken lightly. Sometimes you do not know who is friend or foe, and being unprepared will be your undoing. I will not be penalizing you for this oversight, however you will make sure that this does not happen again. Am I clear?"
The shooting team softly muttered their concurrence with their head down, not wanting to face the wrath of an angry captain. The rest of the sports tour was postponed till further notice and all cadets were sent back to their dormitories to commence their batch discussions early while Academy staff were deployed to scour the grounds for any evidence that might point them to the attacker. The atmosphere was still tense, and everyone still jittery as the cadets made their way silently back to their dormitories.
Everyone was subdued as they sat in a circle in the dormitory, looking at each other, not quite sure where to start. The batch discussion was originally meant for the batches to discuss their drama item to be presented on Day 6, but with the recent events, no one was in the mood to come up with something as cheery as a drama production. Everyone seemed to be eyeing Jim, who would most certainly have been killed had he not jumped out of the way when he did. Fidgeting uncomfortably under the gaze of 14 others, as well as older students in the dormitory who shot him occasional glances, Jim excused himself and headed towards him room, with Jeff and Jade following closely behind.
In the sanctuary of his room, Jim sank into his bed while Jeff and Jade positioned themselves on either side of him. He replayed everything that had happened so far, from the veiled threat from Drake, to the Captain's unusual words. "Security is of the utmostā¦" Perhaps she was just recalling the Treasure Planet voyage when they had traveled for months with a crew of pirates, but why did she bring it up here at the Academy? Furthermore, why was he being targeted, or was he simply always in the wrong place at the wrong time? Jim knew that if his mother ever got wind that he was in danger after being in school for just two days, she would go ballistic and find a way to pull him out, never mind that he had escaped a whole crew of pirates almost on his own the year before.
The three of them sat in companionable silence, Jade, for once, not running through a list of possibilities, knowing that it was probably a futile effort. Morph drifted out of Jim's pocket once more where he had been cowering during the entire grenade episode. But something caught Jim's eye.
"Morph, Morph what is that?" Jim asked as he struggled to reach the piece of paper Morph was holding high above his head. Finally grabbing it, he opened it to find that it was just his first week timetable. As he was about to put it away, Jade stopped him.
"Wait, there's something on the back."
True enough, written in block letters on the back of the schedule which Jim was sure was in his pocket the whole while, were the words, "GIVE IT BACK."
