The Defiants, part one

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say.

It was something Skye had been thinking about lately. A lot.

She sat on the roof of the tallest building at the base, staring at the glorious stars. Without all the light pollution, they could shine the way they were meant to.

She came up here almost every night, often unable to fall asleep. Especially these days.

Since being shot up with whatever concoction the nurses had given her at the compound a few months ago, most of whom were at the base now, she felt like she could stop a train with her bare hands.

Her senses were also twice as strong and fast, and her reflexes were unparalleled with the other humans. Plus, she healed at least twice as fast as before.

Skye hadn't told anyone about the side effects, though. She was enjoying the sensations and didn't want the others to crush her joy. Well, Chistina and Olsen anyway.

Rubbing her hands together, Skye checked her watch. 1:00 am. Shit. She hadn't intended to stay up there for that long, having to wake up early for her next shift.

And Wanderers had a penchant for hardcore training, so she had to be on her a-game.

Standing, Skye walked to the opposite side of the roof, grabbing the ladder. Then, she decided to do that cool slide-down thing shown on TV and in movies.

She giggled as she slid down, landing on her feet. Nothing hurt, not even her ungloved hands. Damn, she felt like a badass.

She grinned, heading back to the sleeping quarters.

Besides the plethora of guards who patrolled now, the base was quiet late at night, unless she counted all of those having sex because she heard that crystal clear.

And so did every Wanderer there.

Skye tucked her hands into her sweatshirt pocket, inhaling the sweet air. Oh, how she wished she didn't have to sleep. To miss out on this peaceful beauty.

"Out again, I see."

Brow raised, Skye turned, "Always."

Galen crossed his arms, Skye seeing his small smirk thanks to her new night vision. "You're gonna get yourself in trouble one of these days."

She walked toward him, "Oh, I think you'll be there to catch me if I fall."

"You think so?"

Skye smiled, "Yes."

"I suppose you're correct." Galen couldn't hide his laughter. "But I do wish you'd return to your quarters."

"Where do you think I was going?"

"For all I know, outside the perimeter."

She rolled her eyes, "I'm adventurous, not stupid."

He eyed her, clearly fighting to keep a straight face, "Very well, have a restful sleep."

"Goodnight, soldier boy." With that, Skye resumed her walk back to her room. But not without savoring every second of being outside.

Unlocking her room door, Skye exhaled loudly, sitting at the foot of her bed. She still wasn't tired but knew she should at least try to sleep, if only for a few hours.

So she stood and stepped into her tiny bathroom, staring at her reflection.

Despite her dark skin, small freckles peppered her face. Her black hair frizzed more than she preferred, and dark circles rested beneath her amber eyes.

Well, shit, she did need sleep.

Skye quickly got ready for bed, throwing on some sweats before climbing into bed and putting her make-shift eye mask on. Unfortunately, night vision made sleeping much more challenging.

Turning on her white-noise machine, Skye let her mind wander as she relaxed her body, sleep taking her quicker than usual.

***

Soldier boy? That was a new one.

"Did you take the night shift just to watch her?" Jo'dan, one of the trainee Wanderer soldiers, asked, gun in his grip.

Over the last few months, Dae'lon had doubled security measures, many more patrols, and stopped any unauthorized trips outside the base, so every Wander and human fighter was working double now.

Galen glanced at him, lifting his brow, "Does it really matter?"

He shrugged, although his body tensed, "No, just curious."

"It wasn't the only reason."

Jo'dan tilted his head.

In truth, Galen preferred the night shift anyway, although daytime activities didn't bother him. There was just less drama after the sun set over the horizon.

Seeing and talking with Skye was an added bonus.

But soldier boy? Really? He almost rolled his eyes. She could do better than that. It was one of many nicknames she'd given him in the time they had known each other.

"Boy, it's something you probably won't understand until you're my age." Galen grinned, "Unless you're hiding secrets."

Jo'dan paled slightly. "What? No, sir! I—"

He chuckled, "I'm messing with you."

Young soldiers were always so serious, especially when in training.

He remembered how uptight Nash was in the beginning, following every rule and command to a T and not relaxing in between.

But unlike Jo'dan, he hadn't been easily intimidated by any authoritative presence.

Which made Galen's tasks easier and more challenging at the same time, mostly when teaching him how to relax and how to only follow some of the rules.

Luckily for both of them, Nash was a quick study and was much more easygoing now, a good thing for living with humans. Although he couldn't take all the credit.

Only most of it.

"Apologies, sir," Jo'dan sighed, "the others don't tease me with good humor."

They turned a corner, literally.

Galen tilted his head, "Explain."

"The other trainees make fun of me," he looked away, fidgeting with his weapon, "because I don't want to fight like them."

Galen smiled, "I was the same way."

Jo'dan turned his head, "Really?"

"Yes." He never wanted to be a soldier, "But the safety of my family was more important to me."

"I don't have a family."

That wasn't a surprise. "Family doesn't need to be blood." He'd learned that through Nash and the humans.

"I'm not sure I understand."

"Well, you are young." Although Galen knew he was the oldest person on the base, Wanderers and humans included. "Just hang in there."

"Yes, sir."

This trainee needed a mentor. Perhaps Galen would put in a word to Dae'lon about it. After all, Nash didn't need him in that capacity anymore.

The rest of the patrol was in silence.