Jonathan Rush and the Star Academy
The Star Master Trilogy: Book One
By Gregory Blackman
Copyright 2011 Gregory Blackman
All right reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form without the prior written permission from the author.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.
Written in Canada.
All right reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form without the written prior permission of the author.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.
Written in Burlington, Ontario
To my parents, who never stopped believing in me.
Prologue
Johnny ran through the hallways, scared and alone. He had been running for awhile now, and was beginning to panic. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath, as the sweat beaded down his dusty blonde hair. Pressing his hands against the cold steel walls, he searched for any means of escape.
“We are ready to begin the invasion,” a ghostly voice boomed from the shadows.
Hesitantly, Johnny walked towards the voice, eventually coming to the entrance of a large room. Soldiers stood at attention, all the way down to a large golden throne.
The warriors wore the armor of knights, only there was nothing holy or honorable about them. Their jet-black armor glistened in the fires that were lighting the room. On the throne sat a wraithlike creature, clad in black, tattered robes. A hood covered his face from Johnny, who was unable to see past the blackness.
They did not seem to notice the young boy walking around; and Johnny slowly walked closer to get a better look. The dark figure was speaking to two other silhouettes at the bottom of the steps. With their backs to Johnny, he could not make out who they were, but he was not about to get that close; he had never been so scared in his life.
The shadowy figure to his left was a tall, slender woman with long dark hair running down her back; that much Johnny could make out. She stood out among the other soldiers that lined the halls. She was the only woman in the room, unless there were some hiding beneath the devilish armor the warriors wore; standing at attention for her dark master.
The other figure stood a couple feet taller than the woman. A monstrous man, he wore similar armor to the dark knights lining the throne room. He had the silhouette of a demon, and surely had a disposition to match.
“I shall carry out your orders,” the monstrous man said, his voice whizzing and cracking as he spoke. The sounds of gears and chains cracked as he paced back and forth. The monster seemed to be more machine than man. “The Void Empire shall rule over them, my Dark Prince.”
The Dark Prince, he must be the eerie figure on the throne. This all seemed so unreal to Johnny. What was he doing here? Where was he before he came here? It was all so hard to think, his mind was too cloudy. His head was starting to pound, and brought his palms to his head in pain.
When the pain eased, Johnny raised his head, looking out the window to his side. There was a large glass panel, looking out upon the world outside.
“It couldn’t be,” Johnny wondered to himself. They were in space. It was some sort of space station, like in the movies. Johnny looked on, in wonder. There was a bright red world down below. Looking more like Mars than Earth, he was a long way from home, he thought. He couldn’t really be there right now, could he?
Johnny noticed tiny specks of light littered across the horizon. Squinting harder, he tried to get a better view of what they were.
“No way,” Johnny exclaimed. There must have been thousands of starships orbiting the blood-red world. Were they planning to invade Earth? Just who were these people? And just how did he come to be there in the first place?
His head was starting to pound again, harder than before; almost as if his body was telling him that he didn’t belong there.
“There is an intruder!” the woman yelled out. Johnny looked up to see every dark knight now taking up a defensive position around him. “Do not let him escape!”
Johnny started to panic. He did not like this dream anymore, and wanted it to end. He started rubbing his eyes hastily, hoping that would wake him from this surreal nightmare. Johnny wondered, opening his eyes; did it work?
It did not, and he backed up quickly as the dark knights spun in unison, their long and deadly weapons all pointed at Johnny. He frantically searched for a way out, hoping to find someplace to escape.
“Going somewhere?” The Dark Prince bellowed, standing in front of Johnny.
Johnny couldn’t believe it; how did he get all the way over here so fast? He was trembling in terror at the sight of the Dark Prince. He dropped to the ground, his feet giving out on him.
“Get up,” the Dark Prince commanded the young boy, who was now trembling on the ground before him. When Johnny did not get up, the Dark Prince grabbed Johnny by his hair, and pulled him upwards.
Johnny screamed out in pain, grabbing the Dark Prince’s hands with his own. The Dark Prince lifted him to eye level as Johnny scraped and fought the Dark Prince’s grasp.
“What is your name?” the Dark Prince asked, bringing him face to face with the ethereal presence. “Who are you?—“
“No!” Johnny screamed, interrupting the Dark Prince. This couldn’t be happening he thought. He had to wake up. “Wake up! You have to wake up!”