"Try harder," Griffon said strictly, swinging an old baseball bat at Kinson.
"I am," Kinson groaned.
With each consecutive strike, Kinson struggled to maintain the glowing green shield around himself. It grew fainter and fainter until the energy shattered and the shards dissipated. Griffon pointed the bat at Kinson, holding it right before his face.
"And you're dead," he said smugly.
Kinson pushed the bat aside. "But I lasted 17 hits that time. Yesterday was only 15."
"That's true. You're making progress. Maybe it's time I start hitting for real," Griffon smirked.
Kinson blanched. "What?"
With a chuckle, Griffon twirled the bat about in his hands. "I've only been using like 15 percent of my power.
You're kidding."
"Yep," Griffon's smile widened. "I lied. It's been 10."
"And they say I'm the immature one," Kinson muttered.
"Hold on there," Griffon frowned. "No one said that. We all just thought it."
He rolled his eyes. "Whatever."
They had been practicing like this ever since Kinson returned, several weeks ago. Today, for some reason, Griffon seemed to be in a particularly good mood. Kinson couldn't do anything to him, though, so all that was left was to suffer in silence. As they cooled down and ended the training, Griffon finally shared his news.
"Did you hear about the Outcasts?"
Kinson shrugged. "Not really. Just that the pirates finally announced their faction or something."
"Yeah, that's about all that was covered by the news."
"So why's that good news?" Kinson asked curiously.
Griffon grinned, though it sent shivers down his spine for some reason. "Simple. They announced their support for Earth, essentially swearing fealty to them."
"And?"
"That means they are our enemies. I've been waiting for this for a long time. You're aware Tarken wasn't among the bodies after the attack right?"
Kinson shook his head. He hadn't heard that, but he had hoped.
"That guy is one of the leaders of the Outcasts. They initiated a big purge and got rid of several groups they didn't like who opposed the war. The only one you'd recognize is the Sons of Scarlet. Those guys are officially gone now."
Kinson's expression fell. While he hadn't actually known any of the Sons of Scarlet, his ties with them were deep. He had looked them up, and found they represented those who felt the government's response to the destruction of Mars was inadequate, and were classified as extremists who did anything to gain power to fight the nightmares, should they return. Occasionally, their protests and demonstrations turned violent, leading to them being declared offenders of the peace, and occasionally terrorists.
Kinson suddenly realized Griffon was still talking. "The outer alliance has already declared war on them and sent a star fleet to engage them. It seems the rule of no direct invasions doesn't apply to the Outcasts. Although I can't go with them, I look forward to their success."
"Me too. I'm tired of those guys getting everywhere. I still don't understand how they know so much," Kinson sighed.
Griffon shook his head, exasperated. "It had to do with the war. Both sides wanted this, but couldn't overtly start it. So, they used a third party to light some sparks, which they then fed to become a bonfire. You were quite a few of those sparks yourself."
Really?" Kinson looked at him skeptically.
"Really. Why else do you think they had this place perfectly mapped out? How else could they always escape detention or prison?"
"Oh," Kinson let out his breath. "I guess that makes sense."
"No need to worry about them, now. This place has revamped security, and I've heard they are waiting for the president to get back and approve a remodel. They have to do it anyway because apparently, our escape from the sub-basement compromised the structural integrity of the building."
The two chuckled together, but Kinson's face turned serious once more. "Do you remember when we talked about walking in the deathdream together?"
"Of course," Griffon responded.
"I think I can do it. But not yet. I need to get more power. Maybe at class 5."
"Does that mean what I think it does?" Griffon asked, though his voice implied he already knew the answer.
Kinson nodded. "Yeah. I already talked with Andres, and got permission."
Griffon let out a long breath. "Be careful. Soldiers who die in unnecessary fights can't live to regret their recklessness."
"I know. But it's something I need to do."
"I wish you the best of luck then. Now, school is starting, so you'd best be going."
Kinson nodded and shook the large man's hand. It was a firm, friendly squeeze, and Kinson no longer felt his hand was dwarfed by the veterans.
"Thanks, Griffon. I'll see you tomorrow. Hopefully we can get some real psionic training in!"
"Let's focus on today, for now. Still, my gut's telling me there is plenty of adventure in the coming days. Good luck!"
***
Author's note
I've reached the end of the first part of this story, as well as all I have written. Primarily, I wrote this as a method of practicing and disciplining myself to write, and I have no particular plans to complete the second half. I understand this is a fairly amateur work, but I would really appreciate any feedback on the story as a whole. What was interesting about it? Did you connect with any of the characters? What made the writing long or uninteresting? Any advice from a reader would be wonderful so I can improve my work in the future.
Thanks so much to those who have read this far. I know there aren't many of you, but if there is support and desire for the second half, I wouldn't be opposed to writing it. I've roughly outlined the story, which would include the war with Earth and the nightmares, as well as further exploration of the mysteries of the deathdream and psionic realm.
Once again, thanks for reading, and I wish you all the best. I'll likely start posting another story I've been working on in a bit, if you're interested.