Caged Among the Stars, Chapter 3 (Patreon)

I check the clock above my desk and sigh. It’s getting late... It’s Sepnot, which means the two day weekend is coming to a close and classes resume tomorrow. With a second, heavier sigh, I lift myself from my bunk and pull on my shoes. There’s something I’ve been putting off doing all day, because I was really hoping it would take care of itself.

I leave my room and make my way through the dorm wing of the academy, coming to a stop in front of a door I;’d only visited for the first time yesterday: Kaylin’s. I hesitate before knocking, already trying to convince myself to turn around. He told me he was going to take care of this with his brother. Maybe he already has and just hasn’t gotten around to telling me about it yet.

Before I can turn around and leave, the door slides open, revealing a surprised Cadet Zekram on the other side. We both stare at each other for a moment, dumbfounded. Expecting him to join me in the hall, instead he backs away from the doorway.

“Come in,” he offers, taking a step to the side.

The door slides shut as he follows me further into the room. Even though I was just here yesterday, the inside already looks different. It’s messier, the bed unmade and with clothes scattered haphazardly on the floor. I turn to face him and for a moment the both of us just stand there at the room’s center in an awkward silence.

“So--” I start.

“I was--” So does he, at the same time.

“Go ahead,” I tell him.

“I was just coming to talk to you,” he continues. “About this temporary arrangement... It might need to be temporary fora few more days.”

“What? Why?” I had a feeling that’s what was going on, seeing as he didnt come speak to me earlier, but I’m still surprised. “I thought you said you were going to talk to your brother about taking over foe me?”

“I am going to talk to my brother.” He sits on the edge of his bed while I take his desk chair, swiveling it around to face him.

“What’s going on?” After the way he acted yesterday, this attitude seems waaaaaay too relaxed.

“Nothing’s going on,” he answers calmly. “It’s just taking a little longer than expected.”

“Why?” I narrow my eyes at his odd behavior. “Is he not willing too-”

“I’ve been trying to contact him since yesterday,” he says quickly, running both his hands through his hair. “He’s off-planet, on some kind of retreat with his lawyer buddies on Klarion-8. Apparently it’s one of those ‘no comms, no pads, no unnecessary electronics” deals. He’s not supposed to be back until Gulnot.”

“So what, we have to keep doing this for three more days?” I ask, ignoring that we haven’t even talked about what “this” is yet.

“Yeah,” he admits, frowning at his lap. “Sorry. I really was on my way to come talk to you about it so we can figure this all out.”

“I mean, it shouldn’t be that complicated, right?” Seeing him so crestfallen, I try to lighten the mood. “The tribunal already ruled that you could keep going to classes.”

“It wasn’t exactly a unanimous decision,” he points out, finally meeting my eye to give me an incredulous look.

“Sure, but they still ruled in your favor.” I don’t get it, why isn’t he happier about that?  “What’s the worst that could happen?”

“You’re kidding, right?” He rolls his eyes. “You know I don’t exactly have a lot of friends in the program, right?”

“So maybe a few people are gonna give you a hard time,” I admit his attitude isn’t completely wrong, but I don't think it’ll be as bad as he thinks. “Just tell them to fuck off.”

“And what happens when it’s the instructor who;s being a dick?” he challenges.

“Why would they do that?” The question throws me.

“Why wouldn’t they do that?” He leans forward in his seat. “You heard Admiral Milok and Admiral Ranock, right? Do you really think they’re the only doms around here with that kind of attitude?”

“So because some doms are an asshole, you automatically the rest of us think the same way?” I’m starting to get annoyed. ”If we’re such assholes, then why have you been pretending to be one for so long?”

“What else was I supposed to do?” he rolls his eyes again.

“What does that mean?” He’s not making any sense.

“Besides me, how many subs are there in the officers program?” he asks instead. “How many subs do you think get into the academy at all?”

“What?” The question catches me off guard and I try to think. “Well, there’s uh--”

“How many do you think work here in leadership positions?” He keeps going. “Or go on to become captains or commanders after graduating?”

“I... I don’t know.” I’m completely thrown by the sudden change in subject. “I’ve never really thought about it.”

“Dom’s outnumber switches in the academy two to one, and subs four to one,” he starts to give his own answers. “The only departments that have ever had a sub heading them up are the Health and Administration offices, and the number of captains in the Cabrian fleet is and has always been a big, fat, zero.” He holds up one hand, making a circle with his fingers and thumb for emphasis.

“Falkin!” I shout when the name finally comes to me. “Cadet Falkin, he’s a sub.”

“Great. So you know the name of one of the other two subs in our class.” His praise doesn’t sound much like praise. “Do you even have any sub friends? And people dating your dom friends or family members don’t count.”

“Of course I do!” I maybe haven’t seen or talked to them in a while, but I had friends of every dynamic before I entered the academy. There’s Garf, and Heran, and... “Look, I know there are some shitty doms out there, but I told you. I just wanted to help.”

That makes him pause and look at me - really look at me - before he sighs and shakes his head. “I know. I’m sorry, It’s hard to not be on the defensive about things right now.”

“Is that why you’ve been pretending?” I decide to use his moment of vulnerability to learn more. “Because you wanted to make sure you moved up as an officer?”

“I want to be a captain,” he flat out states.. “I want my own ship and crew. I want to lead them all over the galaxy. And that wasn’t going to happen as a sub. And now it won’t ever.”

“Just because it hasn’t happened before doesn’t mean it can't happen now,” I offer the defeated sub. “You said it yourself yesterday, you’re the top of the class. They’d be crazy not to give you a ship one day.”

“I wish I could live in that fantasy world.” He sounds completely defeated. “I’ll be lucky to even get a ship posting after this.|

“I mean it.” I can’t help the urge to cheer him up. “I can’t even fathom how you’ve managed to go so long without anyone realizing, especially. It’s impressive.”

“Honestly, it’s easier than you’d think.” My words get him to perk up a little. “No offense, but dom’s can be kinda dumb when it comes to how subs actually work”

“How do you mean?” I’m happy to move the conversation away from depressing matters.

“Dominance only affects a sub if that sub has a connection to the dom,,” he explains. “They have to actually care about the dom’s opinion for that opinion to affect them.”

“I know that.” It’s basic cabrian biology. “Just because I give a random sub an order, that doesn’t mean they’re going to be compelled to obey it.”

“Yeah, but most doms around here seem to think otherwise,” he adds. “And seeing as I don’t actually give a shit about the opinions of any of our classmates, it's been pretty easy to keep ym cover.”

“I guess that makes sense for keeping it a secret, but what about when you actually need a dom? You still need to experience dominance sometimes to stay healthy, right?” I’ve been single for a couple of years now - academy life doesn’t really leave much time for romance - but even I make sure to have a “date” here and there with a sub a few times a month.

“Vaiken.” He gives me an unimpressed look. “We’re basically enrolled in a military academy. We’re literally graded and praised on everything we do here, and half our instructors are doms. It’s really not that hard to get a dominance fix around here, the dom’s just don’t really realize that’s what’s going on.”

“That’s really impressive,” I repeat with a smile. “But... I hope you don’t mind me saying, it still doesn't seem like that’d be enough to survive on alone.”

“Yeah. Do you have any idea how many rumors I’ve heard just this weekend that I’ve got a dom on the academy  staff taking care of me, or that I’m using drugs or stims to keep myself level?” He laughs at himself. “It doesn’t happen often, but when I need to, I grab a shuttle out of the city, hit up a bar, and find a nice dom to bring back to the room I rent for the night. I’m back before the weeknd is over and no one's the wiser.”

“You really had it figured out.” Almost sucks that it all went up in smoke. Still, I’m curious for more. “But what about before the academy?”

“My brother,” he answers. “He was the first person I ever told I was a sub. I expected him to tell everyone, but when he saw how much I didn’t want it, that I wanted to hide it, for some reason he helped me instead. If things ever felt kinda rough or I just needed it, I’d go to him and he’d put me down.”

“He sounds like a good brother.” Dominants taking care of the subs in their families is pretty common. It’s not sexual in any way, just providing things like discipline and praise, things to keep them level until they’re old enough to start seeking out their own partners. “What about your dad?”

“He... Didn’t know.” All the energy he just had telling me everything is gone in an instant, his shoulders slumping. “Neither did Mom.”

“Shit, you were hiding it from them too?” How do parents not recognize their own child’s dynamic?

“So anyway, we should talk about tomorrow,” Kaylin doesn’t answer and circles back to the main reason I came here.

“Right...” I don’t want to press when we’re actually starting to get along. “If any of the doms in class start to give you a hard time, I--”

“They’re not who I’m worried about,” he cuts me off. “The instructors. The officers. That’s who I need your help with.”

“What do you want me to do?” It’s not like I have some kind of authority over our teachers.

“Nothing,” he answers.

“What?” Back to being confused.

“Doms, students and instructors, aren’t happy that I’ve been pretending to be one of you,” he explains in more detail. “And they’re going to use the fact that you're my acting dom to get to me. They’ll insult me, ignore me, and defer to you for just about anything. And I need you to do nothing.”

“But why?” I’m still not following his logic.

“Because I can stand up for myself,” he continues. “And I’m more than happy to remind them of that, but I need to know you’re not gonna try and jump in as my white knight again and destroy all my credibility.”

“You know, it kinda seems like you’re just as worried about appearances as the doms you keep insulting,” I point out. “But I can do that. You can fight your own battles.”

“That’s because appearances are all most of them seem to care about,” he finishes. “Thank you.”

“Alright then.” We both stand and I hold out my hand for him to shake. “It’s a deal. I’ll see you tomorrow, Zekram.”

“See you tomorrow, Urmatin.” After shaking my hand, he walks me towards the door.

I head back to my own room, fresh questions about Kaylin’s past already crowding my mind. Our talk tonight actually went pretty well, better than I had hoped. I could actually see being friends with a guy like Zekram. Let’s just hope tomorrow doesn’t turn out as bad as he thinks it will.