Sacrifice:The Shenkar War

by Libby, Seth

  Jorkins’ rifle clattered to the floor as he fell to his knees. His head fell forward to rest against Leah’s thigh, and his hands fell to either side of his waist. Leah could see his breathing was labored, and then he stopped breathing altogether. Tears were in her eyes as she looked up at the Shenkar warrior who stood taller than her by three feet. The warrior looked about the room, studying the remaining humans. His soulless eyes looked from the wounded soldiers, to the mothers who were holding their children tightly, to the few remaining people who still had their heads bowed in prayer.

  The sounds of heavy footsteps pulled her attention around to the doorway. Dozens of Shenkar warriors entered the room, but none was as large as the one near her. They spread out, some taking up guard positions while others checked that none of the remaining soldiers were a threat. The big Shenkar turned his eyes to Leah now, studied her face, then looked down at Privates Jorkins’s lifeless body. With an armored toe, he pushed Jorkins body aside and stepped up to her. Reaching out, he gripped Leah by the throat and lifted her off the ground, bringing her up to his eye level. Leah gripped at the arm that held her, pulling herself up to alleviate some of the pressure so she could breathe. The Shenkar shifted her from side to side as he studied her. To Leah, he looked as if he was studying her tears. Then the big Shenkar said something Leah understood. “Huummaan.”

  Suddenly, the Shenkar simply dropped her, and she fell to the floor. Turning, he shouted what she figured to be orders to his soldiers in his strange language. The soldiers, all in unison, clapped the fist of their right hands to the left side of their bodies at the collarbone. The big Shenkar turned to the cowering people and took two strides toward a mother who held her little boy to her. Reaching down, he grabbed the little boy by the arm and lifted him off the ground. The mother screamed and began to stand, reaching for her son. The only attention the Shenkar warrior showed the woman was to casually backhand her across the face, sending her over the nearest barricade. The mother, her face bloody from the blow, pulled herself up. “Please don’t hurt my boy,” she said through choking sobs.

  Leah felt her anger rising as she watched the Shenkar warrior studying the struggling, crying boy. With her fists balled at her sides, she stood without thinking. “Let him go, you bastard; he is just a boy!” she screamed.

  The Shenkar warrior now turned to look at her again, the struggling boy still held aloft.

  “Yeah, that’s right--I’m talking to you! Leave the boy alone, you big ugly, dumb son of a bitch!” she said, the anger in her easily recognizable.

  A kind of smirk crossed the Shenkar’s face as he tossed the boy aside and walked over to stand before Leah. She quickly looked over to where the boy had landed. He had hit a barricade and fallen to the floor, but he didn’t seem too badly hurt. The mother immediately scrambled over to her son and gathered him up into her arms again. Leah then turned her angry scowl up at the Shenkar. The Shenkar did something that surprised her then. He laughed, looked over at a nearby Shenkar, and said something unintelligible. The Shenkar laughed in return at his commander’s words.

  “What are you laughing at, ugly?!” she whispered fiercely.

  The Shenkar looked down at her, his smile slipping to be replaced by a snarl. Leah started to feel she might have made a serious mistake and began to step back, but before she went far, the Shenkar had her by the throat once again. His grip made her breathing difficult as his fingers cut into her throat. She could feel the grip slowly tightening as his soulless eyes looked into hers. She knew she was going to die; he was slowly going to crush her throat until she died. Spots started to come across her eyes as she began to black out.

  Suddenly, the grip lessened, and she became aware of the sounds of battle around her. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a Templar Knight weaving in and out of the Shenkar warriors, a red plasma sword flashing. Shenkar warriors were falling dead as quickly as the Knight could swing his blade.

  Then, as suddenly as it had began, it was over. The Templar Knight turned to face the big Shenkar who held her. The only sounds that could be heard were the sounds of fighting beyond the room. The Templar Knights had arrived; Leah found hope at this, even if it wasn’t Liam. She had hoped when the Knight had turned to face them, she would see the name Ghost stenciled over the left breast. This Knight went by the designation Arch Angel. She had known Liam was dead, but she still felt disappointment.

  “Let the girl go NOW!” commanded the Knight through his armored mask.

  The Shenkar’s response wasn’t anything she could understand, but apparently the Knight did, because he spoke again.

  “Your fleet is all but destroyed. My friends are taking care of your soldiers as we speak. It is over for you. I would ask you to surrender, but I doubt the mighty Supreme Commander Krailsha would ever surrender.”

  The Shenkar seemed to get angrier at this; his grip tightened around Leah’s throat, and she gasped. This seemed to get the attention of the Templar Knight, and he spoke again. “Don’t hurt the human. Let her go, and you can have me . . . I won’t fight you.”

  The Shenkar laughed and then spoke something to the Knight. Then he lifted Leah as if he was going to throw her. The Knights had come up as he spoke quickly. “NO! You don’t know my new designation, but you know me.”

  Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the Knight deactivate his plasma sword and then reach up and press something on the side of his helmet. Slowly, he removed his helmet and dropped it to the floor along with his plasma sword.

  “You knew me as Ghost. I killed the entire crew of the Tryliene. I also led the assault that destroyed your mighty flagship, the Krazzeen.”

  Straining, Leah turned her neck and her heart jumped. The Knight who stood before them was Liam--he was alive, and he had come for her.

  December 21, 2012, 3:19 p.m.Hanscom Air Force Base

  “Let the girl go NOW!” commanded Liam through his armored mask.

  “You do not give me orders, you insignificant human. You might have bested my warriors, but I am by far your superior. Your fleet is being dismantled as we speak, and more warriors will soon be joining us.”

  Liam realized now that this was the leader of the Shenkar fleet and he was unaware that his fleet had been destroyed. No more warriors would be coming to his aid.

  “Your fleet is all but destroyed. My friends are taking care of your soldiers as we speak. No more help is coming for you. It is over for you, I would ask you to surrender, but I doubt the mighty Supreme Commander Krailsha would surrender.”

  Krailsha was visibly angry now as he hefted Leah by one arm. Leah gasped as Krailsha tightened around her throat.

  “Don’t hurt the human. Let her go, and you can have me . . . I won’t fight you,” Liam said quickly.

  “Why should I care about you? You are just an insignificant human.” Krailsha said with a laugh. He then lifted Leah as if to throw her against the nearest wall, which would surely kill her.

  “NO! You don’t know my new designation, but you know me,” Liam said quickly.

  Deactivating his plasma sword, he then reached up and hit the button on the side of his helmet that would unlock it. Pulling his helmet free, he dropped it to the floor along with his deactivated plasma sword.

  “You knew me as Ghost. I killed the entire crew of the Tryliene. I also led the assault that destroyed your mighty flagship, the Krazzeen.”

  December 21, 2012, 3:19 p.m.Hanscom Air Force Base

  She felt herself falling now as the Shenkar let her go and she dropped to the floor. The Shenkar then took two long strides toward Liam, activating his plasma sword as he went, and came to stand before Liam. Liam made no move to defend himself. The Shenkar warrior, in one swift fluid motion, drove the plasma sword into Liam’s chest. Then just as quickly, he withdrew it as Liam crumpled to the floor.

  Leah heard herself screaming as she scrambled across the floor to Liam. The sound of footsteps made her look up briefly to see two more Knights entering the room.
The two Knights wasted no time once they took in the entire scene and launched themselves at the Shenkar warrior. The Shenkar was driven back by the two Knights’ assault but quickly recovered. While the Knights battled the warrior, Leah took Liam’s head in her lap. Liam coughed up some blood as he looked wearily up at her.

  “They told me you died,” Leah said to Liam.

  “I did, and it looks like I am going to again.”

  “You can’t die when I finally have you back. I love you, Liam. I am not afraid to tell you that anymore. You can’t leave me now!” she said in a choked voice, her tears beginning to flow again.

  Liam smiled up at her as his hand came up to cup her face, his thumb wiping a tear from her cheek. The fierce sounds of battle continued behind her.

  “You need to get out of here . . . I can’t have you get hurt,” he said as he coughed again, bringing up some more blood.

  Liam looked pale and very tired now. His hand slipped from her face, and his eyes closed. His breath slowed now, and Leah knew he was going to die. She sat there and held him as his breathing finally stopped.

  Laying his head carefully on the floor, she then reached across his dead body and picked up a discarded energy rifle. Standing, she turned and lifted the energy rifle to aim it at the battling trio. At this moment, she was glad her father was an ex-marine who had taken her to the local firing range. Carefully, she aimed the energy rifle and slowly squeezed the trigger. The rifle kicked slightly and the energy lanced out. Her aim was true, and the bolt of energy passed over the shoulder of one of the Knights and hit the Shenkar in his left shoulder.

  The Shenkar howled in pain as he ducked back and away from a swing from one of the Knights. Leah tried to get another clean shot at the Shenkar, but he now was using the Knights as shields. The battle continued on for several more minutes as Leah tried to maneuver her way into getting a clean shot. As Leah moved in closer, the Shenkar managed to connect a huge armored fist with one of the Knights, sending him crashing into the wall. The Knight slid to the floor and didn’t move.

  Now with one of the Knights down, the Shenkar could devote all his attention to the remaining Knight. The Knight was very good, but the day’s battle was apparently taking its toll as he fell back under a fierce attack from the big Shenkar. Leah took aim at the Shenkar’s back and fired off several shots. The Shenkar’s armored back absorbed most of the energy, but it definitely got his attention. Kicking an upended table at the Knight, he then reached down, grabbed up a discarded knife, pivoted, and threw it with full force at Leah. There was no pain at first as the knife slammed up to the hilt into her chest. The next thing she knew, she was on the floor, lying against a barrier, laboring to breathe. The pain intensified as her body became aware of the knife protruding from her chest. Her breathing became harder, and she could feel one of her lungs filling with blood.

  December 21, 2012, 3:31 p.m.Hanscom Air Force Base

  Evan saw the knife slam into Leah’s chest and watched her hit the floor. He felt helpless, as she was most certainly fatally wounded. Without Tim, he could barely fend off Krailsha’s attacks. Without anyone to distract him now, Krailsha renewed his attacks on Evan with an intense ferocity. Evan was moving and parrying as quickly as he could, but he was becoming heavily fatigued and it was only a matter of time.

  As Evan brought his sword up to block an incoming attack, the Shenkar suddenly spun and brought his foot up, slamming it into his chest. Evan was propelled back through the air and crashed hard into the wall. It took him a few seconds to shake the stars from his eyes. The armor had absorbed much of the impact, but he was still shaken up. He became aware of Krailsha standing over him. Looking up, he stared into the soulless black eyes.

  “I guess you Templar Knights are not as tough as I have been led to believe. You all die so easily--well, now you will join them.”

  Krailsha’s plasma sword came up as he prepared to deal his killing stroke. Evan looked around, but his own sword was out of reach and there was no way he would be able to get to it before Krailsha delivered his killing strike. There was nothing he could do but wait for the blow to come.

  Krailsha’s sword began its deadly descent, but it was interrupted when blue lightning slammed into the hand holding the weapon. Krailsha jerked his hand back with a cry of pain as his sword fell to the floor, a mass of charred metal.

  “I’m not done with you yet,” came a labored voice from across the room.

  Looking up, Evan saw Liam half standing, half leaning against a barrier. A hand pressed to his chest while the other was still outstretched, his fingers like claws.

  “WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO KILL YOU?!” screamed Krailsha.

  “A lot more than you can deal out,” Liam said wearily.

  Krailsha roared and launched himself at Liam. He closed the distance in a mere fraction of the time Evan thought possible. But what was even more amazing was the speed at which Liam reacted. One second he was leaning there, barely able to stand without the assistance of the barrier, and then the next his sword came up and he was moving in a blur. He sidestepped Krailsha as he entered the space Liam had just been occupying.

  It happened quicker than Evan thought possible. As Krailsha passed, Liam’s sword came up, around, and down again. Krailsha’s body crashed to the floor, his head hitting the floor and rolling for an additional ten feet.

  “Christ, Liam, I thought you died!” Evan said as he pulled himself off the floor.

  “I did . . . technically. Gotta love alien technology,” Liam said with half a smile.

  December 21, 2012, 3:45 p.m.Hanscom Air Force Base

  Liam crossed to the room to Leah quickly. Pulling her into his arms, he looked down at her limp form. Checking for a pulse, he found a very weak one, but no amount of medical attention could save her now--at least nothing on this planet. Taking his armored glove off, he then pulled the knife carefully from her chest and immediately dragged it across his skin. Pressing the open wound on his hand to the one on Leah’s chest, he drew in on himself. His eyes closed as he drew deeper into his own body, searching inward. His mind merged and became one with the nanites. Directing the flow of his nanites, he sent them through his own bloodstream into Leah’s, telling his nanites to repair the wound.

  The nanites began their repair work, restoring muscle and weaving tissue fibers back together as if they had never been damaged. Over the next fifteen minutes, he worked the nanites to restore the damage the knife had done. Finally, just before finishing, he directed more of his nanites into Leah’s body and worked them again with a new task.

  With the work done, he sat back, holding Leah in his arms, and waited. It was now that he became aware of Evan and Tim standing near him. Also, he saw Crystal, Steve, and Dimitri moving about the room, administering help where they could. A mother was holding her son, tears of joy in her face as she looked down at him. The little boy had a bandage around his head but otherwise seemed okay. Soldiers were also present, helping people and carrying out the dead--there were so many dead soldiers, but at least it was over now.

  Liam became aware of a hand caressing the side of his face. Looking down, he saw that Leah was awake, although she looked tired.

  “Hey, sleepy,” Liam said with a smile.

  “Hey,” Leah said groggily but with a smile as well.

  “How are you doing?” Liam asked.

  “I feel like I have been hit by a truck. Last thing I remember is a--” Her voice cut off suddenly as she looked down at her chest, her hand coming up to trace the pink flesh showing through her ripped shirt.

  “You will be okay; I took care of it.”

  “You took care of it? How did you take care of it? I should be dead. As a matter of fact, I saw you take a sword through the chest. Why wouldn’t you be dead?” Leah asked.

  “Courtesy of the alien technology that courses through my bloodstream,” Liam said with a smile.

  Leah’s face grew more serious now as she looked deep into his eyes. “I love you,” she said
with no trace of a smile on her face.

  Liam smiled at this and then leaned down and kissed her deeply. In that kiss, the world stopped. He absorbed all of her into his senses: the softness of her lips on his, the sweet smell of her perfume mixed with the scent of her shampoo, the feel of her hand on the side of his face, the fingers of her other hand working into his hair at the back of his head. The kiss seemed to last for hours, and it seemed that they were the only two people around.

  Finally, with incredible reluctance, Liam broke the kiss and pulled his head back. His heart was pounding so hard, he wouldn’t have been surprised if it erupted through his chest. Leah’s face was flushed as she smiled warmly up at him, her fingers still working through his hair.

  Liam was finally able to find his voice after several seconds. “That was more than I ever thought possible.”

  Leah’s face shined at the compliment, but tears shone in her eyes and then her face grew serious once again. “I just wish I could have pulled my head out of my ass a long time ago and realized the incredible guy I had before me. When I thought I lost you, I felt dead inside. I can’t lose you again. I think I would truly die if I did.”

  “You won’t lose me. I would tear apart the Shenkar Federation to make sure you are safe.”

  “And I believe you could do it,” came a voice from behind them.

  Turning, they saw Tim standing there. Smiling, Liam stood and helped Leah to her feet. Still unsteady, she used Liam to stand. Sensing she still need his help, he slipped an arm around her waist, holding her against himself.

  He indicated Leah with his hand as he spoke: “Leah, please let me introduce you to a friend of mine and fellow pilot, Tim Wellmo.”

  Leah smiled and extended her hand in greetings. Taking her hand, Tim smiled back. “Pleasure to finally meet you, Ms. Aecrin. I have heard so much about you.”