Sacrifice:The Shenkar War

by Libby, Seth

The comm unit immediately sounded with a male voice from flight control.

  “Necro leader, you are clear to land. Welcome home.”

  One by one, the Scorpion fighters of Necro Squadron landed until only Liam was left. Lining up his fighter with the landing bay, Liam began easing back on the throttle as he guided his fighter in for a landing. Once inside the hangar bay, Liam switched over to ion maneuvering thrusters and eased his fighter into its allotted slot. Cycling down his fighter, he looked up to see the deck crew running toward his fighter with a ladder. As the ladder was brought into place, Liam released his canopy and unstrapped himself. Standing, he swung his legs one by one over the side, onto the ladder and climbed down.

  He looked around as he walked over to where the rest of his squadron was gathered. The crew moved quickly about, but he noticed several pilots standing about, watching him and the rest of Necro Squadron. Most just looked curiously, but several faces wore the looks of guilt--guilt from their failure after the last fold sequence. True, while they had been delayed in their launches, they still had more than enough time to have launched their fighters and joined the battle. Liam could only guess that the Admiral had been a little upset over the failure of the response time of his pilots. The Royal Razors must have been the only other squadron on standby that hadn’t stood down before the okay was sounded.

  Evan stepped forward as Liam walked up, clearly with something on his mind by the angry look on his face.

  “What the hell was that? Where the hell were the rest of those assholes?” he said in a not-so-soft voice as he pointed at the other pilots standing a little way off. By the affronted looks on their faces, the others pilots had clearly heard what Evan had said.

  “Calm down. I am not happy about that either, but I think they were ordered to stand down--maybe as a punishment or something for their lethargic response. We were supposed to be four squadrons prepped and ready to launch instantly, but it looks like only us and the Royal Razors had been ready. I’m guessing those other two squadrons are going to get one hell of a chewing out by the Admiral. On a brighter side, they are going to be envious of the damage you dealt out. I checked the number upon approach--you are credited with eight kills. You’re an ace, and it’s only your first outing.”

  Evan looked surprised by this news as if he hadn’t even realized it. Then, as everyone closed in around him congratulating him and clapping him on the back, a smile crept across his face slowly. Crystal pulled his head down and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek. Just as Evan had finished shaking everyone’s hands, Callen Groto and the rest of the Royal Razors entered the hangar bay and made their way over.

  “I hear we have ourselves an ace. Congratulations, mate,” Callen said as he reached out to take Evan’s hand.

  “Thanks, and thanks for the help out there. It was getting a bit hairy.”

  “Oh, don’t think much of it. Just glad you left some for us,” said Callen as he laughed.

  “Does anyone have the final numbers--for kills that is?” asked Steve.

  Holding up a computer pad, Liam said, “Got them right here. Counts are as follows: Evan, eight; Crystal, five; Tim, three; Steve, two; April, one; Michael, one; Darren, one; Dimitri, one; and David, one.”

  “Nice--we have two aces on our first outing,” said Darren.

  “How many did you get, boss man?” asked Steve.

  “Oh, a few, nothing to brag about,” Liam said evasively.

  “Oh come on . . . it’s going to get posted anyway, so you might as well spill it,” said Crystal as she poked him in the chest with a finger.

  “Seven,” Liam muttered.

  A collection of laughter surrounded Liam as Evan clapped him on his shoulder.

  “Three aces!” exclaimed Michael.

  “Well, you hear that, Razors? Looks like we have some catching up to do,” Callen said to his men and women gathered around him.

  “Well, either way, the drinks are on you,” Liam said with a smile.

  “Oh, I have something that will make you smile even more. The Freedom Fighters got their asses chewed by Admiral Kelvin, as did its sister squadron,” said Callen.

  “Who are the Freedom Fighters?” asked Liam.

  “Remember that French bloke Petiot, right?” asked Callen.

  “That French asshole who got his ass handed to him by Liam? Of course, we remember him, and I do believe I beat his ass good in flight training. So what about him?” demanded Evan.

  “Well, the Freedom Fighters is his squadron, and the arrogant git didn’t feel he needed to wait for the stand-down alert. His and the other French squadron were the other two squadrons on standby. On my way here, I passed the launch bay Petiot had been stationed in, and I could hear Admiral Kelvin shouting so loudly, I’m surprised the whole ship couldn’t hear him,” said Callen.

  Both groups burst into laughter at hearing this news.

  “ATTENTION!” yelled a voice from behind them.

  Both squadrons came to attention in unison; those facing away from the voice turned as they came to attention. Striding toward them was Captain Caqel with Admiral Kelvin close behind. Both men stopped in front of Liam and Callen. Giving a quick salute, the Admiral stepped forward.

  “Congratulations, men. You and your squadrons flew with distinguished excellence. I will be recommending you all for the Air Medal. I am also recommending the Distinguished Flying Cross for your Lieutenant Maxis.” The last part he said as he turned and looked straight at Evan.

  Evan seemed to stand straighter at this, a slight smile of pleasure showing on his face. As Admiral Kelvin turned back, Liam caught a slight smile on his face as well, but then it was gone so fast, Liam had to wonder if he had imagined it.

  “You and your men are to have the next couple of days to relax. There will be plenty of time for your duties later. This whole thing could have been for nothing if any of those Shenkar had escaped. And as for your duties? Well, I have arranged for our two French squadrons to see to them, as well as some other rather unpleasant tasks. You’re dismissed.”

  With that said, Admiral Kelvin turned on his heel and marched from the hangar bay with Captain Caqel in tow. Callen and his group said their good-byes, then left through the door the Admiral had just exited.

  “Well, what shall we do for the next couple of days?” asked Tim.

  “I am up for relaxing with a few beers and watching movies. Anyone care to join me?” said Dimitri.

  Darren, David, and Steve all voted for this; and the four left for the recreation room. Michael and April whispered to each other and then said their good-byes before they too departed.

  “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I could use a bite to eat. Coming, Evan?” said Crystal.

  “Yeah, I could use some food.”

  Crystal and Evan left the hangar bay, leaving Liam and Tim standing there alone. Together, they stood and watched two Omega shuttles lift off and exit the hangar bay energy field that separated atmosphere from the vacuum of space.

  “Wonder where they are headed off to?” said Liam.

  “I would wager they are off to pull the wreckage from the Shenkar destroyer and fighters into the asteroid field. It would be quite the tip-off that the advanced scouting party ran into something it couldn’t handle if they came upon all that wreckage,” replied Tim.

  “Yeah, good point--always the analytical mind you are. In fact, let’s get something to eat. I want to talk over some ideas with you. Of any of us, you know the most about the Shenkar and their tactics. I want to run some tactics over with you and whether they are feasible,” said Liam.

  “Okay, sounds good. I wonder what our food options are.”

  September 7, 2012, 5:15 a.m. ESTEDF Sacrifice, Command Bridge

  “Captain Caqel, take the bridge. I need to go make a report to Earth on our first encounter,” said Admiral Kelvin.

  “Yes, sir,” replied Caqel as he saluted.

  Admiral Kelvin turned and walked toward the bridge hatchway. Stopping
at the entrance, he turned back.

  “Lieutenant Sukita, how long have you been on duty?”

  “Ten hours, sir,” replied the young Japanese woman.

  The Admiral turned his head to Captain Caqel and spoke. “Captain Caqel, have someone relieve Lieutenant Sukita. In fact, get Commander Dunklin up here to relieve you as well. It’s going to be a long tour, hopefully, so we all need to get our rest now.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Turning back to Lieutenant Sukita, the Admiral addressed her once again. “Walk with me, Lieutenant.”

  Lieutenant Sukita looked taken aback for a second but quickly fell in next to the Admiral, and together, they walked in silence through the passageways for several minutes before the Admiral spoke.

  “I have looked over your file and have come to wonder why you would volunteer for such an assignment. You were top of your class and had been given your choice of assignments. Your family seems to have made it through the bird flu okay, with you only losing your grandparents, so depression isn’t a factor. So what is it, Lieutenant?”

  “Well, sir, it’s just that I have always wanted to be part of something big. You can’t get much bigger than this, as far as I can tell. I know I could have stayed home and been stationed aboard one of the new battlecruisers. But this is where it is going to make all the difference, this is where we draw the line, and it is history that I want to be part of.”

  The Admiral stopped and turned to observe the young twenty-two-year-old woman, a most serious look on his face. He gazed at her for several long moments before final speaking.

  “I know what you mean. I volunteered for pretty much the same exact reason. Well, let’s see if we can survive all of this so we can get home to tell our stories.”

  They resumed their walking in silence for several more minutes before Lieutenant Sukita spoke hesitantly. “Is it really true we are to sacrifice all those pilots? I mean, they all know they are going to die and will do so without hesitation?”

  “Yes . . . amazing, isn’t it? All for the honor and none of the glory. True warriors of future legends.”

  “Yes, sir. Like samurai of old from my country.”

  They continued on in silence for several more minutes before the Admiral bid the Lieutenant farewell and left for his personal quarters. Lieutenant Sukita continued on her way to her quarters. As she rounded a corner, she collided with a man heading the opposite way. She hit the floor hard on her tailbone, dropping the data pad she had been carrying.

  “Oh, Jesus, I am so sorry,” said a young man with short spiky black hair.

  He reached out a hand to help her up, and she took it. He pulled her to her feet with what looked like little effort and handed her dropped data pad to her.

  Murmuring a word of thanks, she studied him. She stood about four inches shorter than him. As she looked him up and down, she saw something was different in this man. He held himself differently; a shadow showed across his eyes yet not on his mouth. He smiled at her, hands locked down in front of his waist. Then it hit her--he was one of the Templar Knights. He looked so young. She had heard they all looked young due to the regeneration of their bodies by the Meshtrell nanite technology, but seeing it was another thing.

  “It is quite all right. I wasn’t really watching where I was going either, so we can just say both were at fault. You are one of those Templar Knights, aren’t you?”

  She had to give him credit; he didn’t show surprise at the odd question.

  “Why, yes, I am . . . name’s Steve Barrows, or Ghoul if I am flying at the time,” he said with a big smile across his face.

  He suddenly stopped smiling and looked at her inquiringly before he spoke. “Flight control,” was all he said.

  “Excuse me?” she asked.

  “You are the voice of flight control,” Steve said.

  Completely taken aback by his statement, she just stood there, her mouth cracking into a smile as the seconds passed until she finally spoke.

  “Why, yes, I am, as a matter of fact. Name is Kimino Sukita,” she said as she offered her hand in greeting.

  Taking her hand, Steve smiled even more broadly at her. Then his smile slipped, and he sort of shifted from one foot to the other as if unsure what to do next. She had seen this behavior several times since her sixteenth birthday. Kimino never was so vain to think she was drop-dead beautiful, but she knew men found her attractive. To try and spare the young pilot from more uncomfortable silence, she spoke up.

  “So I was hoping to meet one of the Templar Knights. I am fascinated by the whole technology--” Sukita stopped suddenly as she realized something. “Wait, you are one of the pilots of Necro Squadron, aren’t you? I recognize your call sign.”

  Steve’s face once again broke into a broad smile.

  “Yes, I am.” Then faltering a second, he asked in a soft nervous voice, “Um . . . would you like to get a drink? I can show you our recreation room, and you can ask me any questions you like about the Templar Knights. And who knows, maybe some of my squadron will be there.”

  As he finished, his face turned a bright shade of red and he looked at the floor, again shuffling from one foot to the other. She couldn’t help but like him; he was sweet in his own shy way . . . something she always had been attracted to.

  “That would be great--let’s go,” she said.

  She couldn’t help but laugh and smile at the look of surprise on his face. It was definitely apparent that this young man did not have much in the way of experience when asking a woman for a drink. Superhuman warrior and a pretty woman turned him to a nervous wreck.

  They walked in silence for five minutes until Steve led her through a door into a large room full of men and women. Several tables, chairs, and even a few sofas were spread throughout. A large bar dominated the opposite side of the room, with a small dance floor to the left and in front of the bar. In addition to all the furniture, the room also housed pool tables, arcade games, several televisions, air hockey tables, card tables, and dartboards. Men and women were scattered throughout the room, playing games, relaxing, watching television, or just sitting and talking with others. Kimino looked around for an open table but couldn’t find one.

  “I just spotted some friends; let’s sit with them,” said Steve.

  He led them to a table where two men sat in deep discussion. A couple of data pads lay in front of them. As they approached, the two men looked up. The man on the right was a short man with black hair and brown eyes. When looking at him, Kimino was reminded of a mouse--odd, since she knew he could probably take most normal men in hand-to-hand combat. The man on the left was a tall man, probably six feet or more, of average weight with black hair and blue eyes. His eyes were what caught her attention; they held a dark shadow. This was a man she would fear to see angry.

  “Hi, boss man. Hi, Tim. Can we join you? All the tables are full, it seems.”

  The blue-eyed man nodded his head, then turned to Tim. “We can talk about this later. Just study up on what I gave you and give me your assessment tomorrow.” Then turning back to Steve, he said, “So who is your friend?”

  “Lieutenant Kimino Sukita,” Kimino said as she saluted.

  “She is flight control,” Steve added as Tim took her hand.

  “At ease, Lieutenant; we are all off duty here,” Liam said.

  “Now we can match the face to the voice. My name is Tim Wellmo, or as you know, Vampire,” the mousy man said with a smile.

  “And I am Liam Brennan, or Ghost--and as you already know, squadron leader of Necro Squadron. So what brings you down to the pilot’s rec room?”

  “Well, I sort of ran into Mr. Barrows here,” she explained, indicating Steve with a tilt of her head.

  Before she could continue, Steve broke in. “Ugh . . . don’t call me Mr. Barrows. It brings up bad memories of high school and the wedgies I suffered.”

  Smiling slightly at Steve’s remark, she continued. “And as we spoke, I mentioned I was very interested in the Templar
Knights and the technologies. Steve was kind enough to invite me along to the rec room to answer any questions I might have.”

  Liam looked from Kimino to Steve, his right eyebrow arched questioningly, and Steve’s smile faltered.

  “Well, it isn’t like we are big secrets. She can just look in the database for the same information.”

  Liam laughed as Steve squirmed to justify his reasons for bringing Kimino along. The change in Lieutenant Brennan’s face was dramatic. The dark shadow in his eyes faded and was replaced by amusement. If she hadn’t seen the dark shadow, she wouldn’t have believed it was the same man.

  They spoke for what seemed hours, talking of everything. None had any problem speaking of the procedure they had undergone. They spoke of training and how it seemed that none of the Meshtrell knew what to fully expect--how the age regeneration had been a surprise as had the personal energy shields. They all wondered if the Meshtrell truly knew the extent of what the nanites could do or if any more surprises would arise. Finally, when the lack of sleep began to take over, Kimino bid them all good night and rose to leave. Steve also rose, saying he was tired and needed sleep as well.

  They walked in silence, neither having much to say. Kimino thought that Steve was one of those guys her mother would say is a great catch. He was attractive and obviously well attentive to others. The problem was, she didn’t take this mission to meet a guy. It was, in fact, the last thing she wanted to do--getting involved with someone who was on this mission to sacrifice his life. She would just have to keep things at arm’s length. At least that was her plan--unfortunately, she wasn’t sure she would be able to. Steve’s personality was infectious, and you couldn’t help but be drawn to him. As they came to a junction, Kimino spoke.

  “Well, I am this way,” she said, indicating the passageway to the left.

  “Yeah, and I am off the other way,” said Steve.

  “I really appreciate you taking the time to introduce me to the other Knights and taking the time to answer all my questions. I really did find it quite fascinating.”

  “Oh, it’s no big deal; glad I could help. Any time you feel like chatting, feel free to give me a shout.”