Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles 1: Wizard Defiant Read Free Page B

field. It was a nice day, but the field was empty. The last of the cadets who had failed their simulation had departed earlier in the afternoon. The TAC officers had rewarded the winning cadets with a twenty-kilometer road march. Such was the life of a wizard scout cadet.
    Richard knocked on the frame of the commandant’s door. The door was already open, but no one who wanted to keep their head on their shoulder’s ever entered the commandant’s office without an invitation. The Commandant was Wizard Scout Thomas R. Jacobs. Wizard scouts had no official rank other than wizard scout. But everyone in the Academy, and even the Interstellar Fleet staff, knew where Wizard Scout Thomas R. Jacobs stood in the military command structure. He was allegedly the oldest living wizard scout at ninety-three years of age. He had been on active duty for almost seventy years. Considering many wizard scouts did not obtain more than five years of active service, the commandant’s age alone demanded respect. However, his near deity status among wizard scouts came from his battle record during the fifty-two year-long Teton war. After the defeat of the Tetonian Empire, he had been assigned to his current position as commandant of the Intergalactic Wizard Scout Academy.
    “Enter,” said the Commandant.
    Richard marched into the office and hit a stiff brace two paces in front of the small field desk. He did not salute. Wizard scouts rarely saluted. The commandant’s office was Spartan to say the least. The Commandant did not believe in fluff or comfort. Besides the commandant’s desk and chair, the only other furniture in the room was a high-carbon, plastic chair located in front of the desk. Out the corner of his left eye, Richard noticed TAC Officer Gaston Myers standing at parade rest against the wall.
    “Sir! Cadet 832 reporting as ordered, sir!”
    The Commandant looked up from the computer display embedded in his desk long enough to acknowledge Richard’s existence. Like all wizard scouts, he appeared the same age as the day he’d gotten his DNA baseline taken. Richard guessed the commandant’s apparent physical age was in the late twenties. Mid-twenties to early thirties were pretty typical physical ages for wizard scouts. But with an actual age of ninety-three, Richard knew the Commandant was nearing the end of his life span. A wizard scout’s self-healing could maintain youthful looks, but it couldn’t stave off eventual death. Richard had a feeling the Commandant would remain at his post until his last breath unless he was removed from office by the higher ups. But, with the commandant’s war record and political friends, Richard doubted that would ever occur.
    “Take a seat, 832,” said the Commandant. He had a short, gruff voice. Instead of being intimidating, it gave the impression of someone who took care of business quickly and fairly.
    Richard sat down while keeping a stiff brace. He could feel the eyes of his TAC officer drilling into his back. Richard knew he would hear about even the slightest departure from proper military protocol later. Assuming, of course, he was fortunate enough to leave this office still a wizard scout cadet. Richard wasn’t sure he would be.
    “Let’s set the rules, 832,” said the Commandant. “This is an inquiry. It’s not a court martial, so we will do away with any legal, mumbo jumbo. However, you may stop answering questions at any time and request legal counsel should you desire. My only other rules are that you answer honestly. Also, I want you to forget for the time being you are a wizard scout cadet. That means I don’t want to hear two ‘sirs’ when you address me, and I want you to relax in that chair. Your back is so stiff I could bounce a plasma round off it.”
    “Yes, sir,” Richard said forcing himself to drop the first ‘sir’. He tried relaxing his back a little, but he failed miserably. His half-hearted attempt to relax was even more uncomfortable than his