“I’d like that, sir.”
Wright reached over and squeezed Eskola’s arm. “There’s always hope as long as we believe in our friends.”
Eskola nodded and picked up her survival blanket. She wrapped it around her shoulders and sat down next to the fire. In no time, she was fast asleep.
With his pistol in hand, Wright made a quick check of the cave to make sure nothing had crept in while they were eating. Most animals were attracted to heat and the last thing he wanted was an unwanted visitor snuggling with him while he tried to rest. When he found they were alone, he returned to the fire and took a seat. Wright placed his pistol down on the ground beside him and reached into a pocket on his flight suit and brought out a small disc. He turned it over in his fingers for a few seconds before slipping it back in his pocket. It was the data recorded by his ship’s computer. On it, Wright hoped to find the answer that was troubling his mind. Had the Kurgans known they were coming, and if so, was there still a fleet to come home to?
19
“It’s good to hear from you, Dad,” said Michael Sheridan at the holographic image of his father floating above his tablet. He was alone in his darkened room.
“I couldn’t agree more. It’s always good to hear your voice after I know you’ve been in harm’s way,” replied his father.
“How goes the fleet’s fight against the Kurgan incursion?”
“As you’re aware by now, the Kurgan attack on our sector was just a diversion. A costly one, but it did what they had planned for. It tied us down here in the Illum solar system while the main effort was made against the Second, Fourth, and Fifth Fleets. I’ve been told that the casualties on both sides are reported to be high, probably the worst they’ve ever been. Thankfully, the Kurgans admitted defeat and pulled back into their space late last night. The fleet has won at best, a pyrrhic victory. However, back home the politicians are already hailing at as the most important victory in Earth’s history.”
“I guess the stalemate between the Kurgan Empire and us will continue.”
“Looks that way. Michael, how long have you been back in your camp?”
Sheridan looked at his watch. “We’ve been here less than twenty-four hours. It took a while for us to be relieved. After the fight on the mesa, I’m glad to be back here looking after what’s left of Komada’s people.”
“Michael, apart from seeing that you’re okay, the real reason I called was to get your honest opinion about Komada and the other Chosen defectors.”
Sheridan grew curious. “How so, Dad?”
“Did they fight well?”
“They lack discipline and aren’t the best of shots, but aside from that, they performed well enough. Why do you ask?”
“Captain Killam is talking with Lieutenant Colonel Tolinski, the XO of the First Special Warfare Squadron, and they are putting the finishing touches on a plan that could involve you and Komada’s followers.”
Sheridan sat up. “Admiral, how long do you think it will be before I find what’s going on?”
“Killam is briefing me an hour from now. If I approve the plan, he’ll inform you right away.”
“Dad, do you know what the mission might entail?”
“Colonel Wright, the CO of the squadron, and his navigator have been reported as missing in action. They were in Kurgan space deploying sensors when they disappeared. That’s all I really know. Killam will provide you with all the details.”
Sheridan wanted to push back and ask for a couple of days’ rest, but he knew once Tarina and Wendy found out their old boss was missing, they wouldn’t rest until they had found him. “Okay, sir, I’ll wait to hear from Captain Killam.”
“Mike, trust me, I’d rather not send you out again, but you and your people are all I have right now who could pull this assignment off without incurring substantial casualties.”
“It’s okay, Dad. I know a couple of ladies who would kill me if I tried to wriggle out of this mission.”
The admiral chuckled at the last comment. “Send me a couple of lines when you know what’s going on.”
“Will do, Dad.”
With that, the admiral’s image faded. The room turned pitch black. Sheridan let out a deep sigh as he sat up on his cot. He looked at the time and thought to himself, not enough time after what they had just been through to get ready. He stood up, flicked on a light, and walked to the door. Sheridan had just reached for the doorknob when the door flew open.
Cole stood there with a less-than-pleased look on his face. “Captain, I just received an under-the-table warning from a mate of mine who works on Killam’s staff. They can’t be serious? Do they really expect us to be ready to jump into Kurgan space in an hour’s time?”
Sheridan shook his head. He should have known Cole would find out about their mission before he did. “Master Sergeant, we haven’t been told to do anything yet, but we do have a Kurgan ship at our disposal and a platoon’s worth of former Chosen warriors. Who else would they send? Now, I’d like Komada and Captains Pheto and Sullivan to meet us in the mess tent ten minutes from now so we can discuss this potential assignment.”
“I’m already ahead of you, sir. They’re in the tent waiting for us.”
The briefing, when it came, was almost three hours later and was presented by Major Onaedo, one of Killam’s operational planners. Her image, projected by a computer, floated over a table in the mess tent.
“The planet where the signal was detected is only one hundred and ten light-years inside Kurgan territory,” explained Onaedo. “A patrol from the First Special Warfare Squadron, secretly operating inside Kurgan space, picked up the signal at approximately fifteen hundred hours yesterday. The ship, piloted by the squadron XO, was about to jump back to our side of the disputed zone when they picked up a faint signal coming from a nearby star system.”
An image of the planet appeared next to Onaedo. “This is Ka-11, a small, habitable planet in the Kata System. Fleet intelligence believes there is a small mining colony on the larger of the planet’s two land masses.”
“Perlinium?” asked Tarina.
Onaedo shook her head. “Titanium. If perlinium were there, they would have a far greater military presence than they do on the planet.”
“What is the strength of the Kurgan garrison, ma’am?” asked Sheridan.
“As the planet is covered with dense jungles, it looks like a reinforced light infantry battalion is all they have stationed there to protect the mine.”
“Were they able to pinpoint where Colonel Wrights’ signal was coming from?” asked Cole.
The image of Ka-11 changed and focused in on a peninsula on the northern continent. A flashing white dot appeared. Sheridan shook his head when he saw that Wright was less than twenty kilometers from the mine. It was hard to believe the Kurgans hadn’t found and captured him and his navigator by now. “I take it they didn’t establish comms with the downed craft?”
“No. They were too distant. All we have is the rescue beacon’s signal to go on.”
“At least we know they landed on the planet,” said Tarina.
“With all due respect, all we know is their ship landed on the planet,” pointed out Cole. “They could have both died on impact.”
Tarina shook her head. “Wright’s the best pilot we have in the fleet. He would have brought them down safely. They’re alive.”
Onaedo said, “Captain Sheridan, your orders are to proceed to Ka-11 as soon as practicable and rescue Colonel Wright and Captain Eskola before they are captured or killed by the Kurgans.”
“Ma’am, we’re going to need a damage repair team to be flown to our location or we won’t be going anywhere,” said Tarina.
“Why? What’s wrong with your ship?”
“A Kurgan drone melted the controls to one of our outer doors. I had to fly back from the mesa with the door wide open.”
“I wasn’t aware of that. I’ll make sure a team is dispatched within the hour. Is there anything else I need to kn
ow about?”
Wendy said, “Fuel, ma’am. We need some new perlinium rods to replace the older Kurgan ones we have on board the ship right now.”
“Right. I’ll make sure you get what you need and then some. Is that it?”
“Once we’ve had a chance to look over the information you have forwarded to us, I’m sure we’ll have a few more questions,” said Sheridan.
“Don’t wait too long, Captain. The batteries in the rescue beacon will run out before too long.”
“Understood, ma’am.”
Onaedo’s image faded away.
“I’ll begin the calculations for the jump,” said Wendy.
“And I’ll meet the damage repair team at the ship,” said Tarina.
“How long do you think it will take to fix the controls to the door?” asked Sheridan.
“Not long. An hour at most.”
“Okay then, let me know when they have arrived. We’ll be prepared to leave an hour later.”
Tarina and Wendy hurried off to get to work.
Sheridan looked over at Komada. “Do you know anything about this planet?”
He shook his head and replied, “Sorry, Captain, I’ve never even heard of it.”
“I’d rather we had a couple of weeks to train your people to be better soldiers, but we don’t have that luxury. So we’re going to have to go with what we have. Pick six of your best people and have them report to the transport ship right away. I’ll make sure Kurgan uniforms and weapons are made available to you.”
“And the rest of my followers, Captain?”
“They’ll have to remain here with the MPs.”
Komada got out of his seat, bowed, and went about his duties.
“Master Sergeant, let’s not sell ourselves short. Handpick a squad of MPs to come along with us and arm them to the teeth. They can provide close protection to the ship or added firepower should we need them.”
“Can do, sir,” replied Cole. “I’ll also put together a wish list of equipment for the mission and send it to Major Onaedo right away. The repair crew can bring the stores we need down with them. The Kurgan stuff on that ship is okay, but it’s not as good as our equipment. I guess the lowest bidder always wins on both sides of the border.”
20
Wright’s blood turned ice-cold when he saw footprints leading out of the jungle toward one of his snares. He stepped off the trail and took cover behind a tall moss-covered tree. If he hadn’t come out to check his traps when he did, the incessant rain would have soon washed away the tracks. He drew his pistol and edged forward until he could once again see the footprints. Wright wasn’t trained as a tracker, but he counted at least five different sets of tracks in the mud.
“Eskola,” whispered Wright to himself. The footprints led away from their cave, but it wouldn’t be long before the Kurgans found his traps and widened their search pattern. Wright looked up the trail to make sure he was alone before stepping out onto the path. As quietly as he could, he jogged back to their hiding spot. Before emerging from the cover of the trees, he dropped to one knee and waited to see if someone was waiting in the underbrush to ambush him. After a minute, Wright stood up and bolted for the safety of the cave. With his heart racing in his chest, he didn’t stop running until he found Eskola tending to their fire.
“What’s wrong?” asked Eskola, looking into the worried eyes of her boss.
“We’re not alone,” replied Wright. “I found some footprints out there.”
“Kurgans?”
“It couldn’t be anyone else. Come on, grab what you can. We need to find another way out of here.”
Eskola hurried to throw dirt on their fire while Wright packed away everything he could into his knapsack.
“How’s your leg today?” he asked.
“It’s a bit stiff, but I should be able to manage.”
Wright helped Eskola to her feet. “Use me as your crutch. If your leg starts to hurt so bad that you can’t keep going, let me know and I’ll carry you.”
“Sure thing, Colonel.” Eskola turned on her flashlight and shone it along the walls of the cavern.
“There’s always a breeze coming through here, so there should be another opening somewhere farther back. All we have to do is find it before our friends find us.”
“How long until we come out of our jump?” Sheridan asked Tarina as he slid into the empty co-pilot’s chair.
“Three hours and forty-nine minutes,” said Wendy, answering for her friend. “Why you would bother to ask the pilot instead of the navigator is beyond me. No, wait . . . I get it, you just want to chat with your better half. Silly me.”
Tarina chuckled. “What she said.”
“Am I really that transparent?” asked Sheridan.
“Yes,” replied the women in unison.
Sheridan smiled at Tarina. “You can’t blame a fellow for trying. We took off so quickly that we didn’t get to speak before jumping away from Illum Prime. What’s your plan once we arrive?”
“We’ll come out of our jump five kilometers from the planet’s surface. That should minimize the time the Kurgans have to pick us up on their scanning devices. I’ll bring us over the beacon’s location and try to find a landing spot.”
“If we can’t land, then what?”
“Then, my love, you and the rest of the search team are going out the door the old-fashioned way.”
“Right, that sounds like a ton of fun.” Which it didn’t to Sheridan, who never hid the fact that he wasn’t comfortable with heights.
“Why else did you think Master Sergeant Cole had all of that rope brought aboard before we took off?”
“I’d hoped it was for something else.”
“What will you do if you can’t land?”
“Once you’re all out the door, we’ll jump to the far side of one of Ka-11’s three moons and wait there for your signal to return.”
“Sounds like you have it all in hand. I’m going to head back to the crew compartment and see how things are going between Cole and Komada’s people.”
“Be careful, Michael,” said Tarina, squeezing one of her lover’s hands in hers.
Sheridan leaned own and kissed Tarina lightly on the lips. “For luck.”
“For luck,” repeated Tarina.
He stepped back and smiled for a moment before turning to leave. They had said their goodbyes several times in the past. However, as their love deepened, being apart grew harder on both of them. Sheridan found Cole busy checking over Komada’s soldiers’ weapons and equipment. Kurgan warriors weren’t known for their initiative and were used to having their officers check them over. Cole was trying to teach Komada how to ensure his people were ready for battle.
“How goes it?” asked Sheridan.
“Slow but steady,” replied Cole. “For people trained as saboteurs and assassins, they know so little about their own kit. I’m amazed they hit anything back on the mesa.”
“Our training was mostly on your weapons and equipment, not ours,” explained Komada. “We weren’t expected to come back alive, so why train us on gear we would never use?”
“Well, I need you and your squad to look and act like fully trained Chosen soldiers should we run into any of them before we find the missing flight team,” said Sheridan.
“We won’t let you down, sir.”
“You had better not.” Sheridan turned to face Sergeant Celms, the MP squad leader. The man looked to be no more than twenty years old. He had short blonde hair and striking light blue eyes. “Are your people good to go, Sergeant?”
“Yes, we are, sir,” replied Celms. His voice was assured and had the hint of a Slavic accent.
“I’m glad to hear that. If we can land on the planet’s surface, I’m going to leave you and your people with the ship to guard it. If we can’t land, then you’re coming with us as there’s no point in leaving you behind when Captain Pheto jumps away.”
“Sounds good, sir. Either way, my men and I are ready to do whatev
er needs to be done.”
“I’m sure you are.” Sheridan liked the young sergeant’s attitude. He may have been green but what he lacked in experience, he more than made up for with self-confidence.
Cole dismissed the Chosen turncoats. He walked to Sheridan’s side. “So what do you want me to do down there? I don’t think I could pass muster as a Chosen soldier. I’m starting to get a hang of the language, but I understand it far better than I can speak it.”
“I’d like you to supervise Sergeant Celms’ squad,” replied Sheridan. “They’re full of piss and vinegar, but they lack the necessary combat skills of an infantryman.”
“You’d be surprised. I watched them go over their weapons familiarization drills with the 10mm M11 squad automatic weapon and the N509 light automatic grenade launcher. They were surprisingly proficient with both systems.”
Sheridan was impressed. “That’s good news.”
“I guess Sergeant Celms had been busy back at the camp getting his people up to speed on the latest support weapons in the Marine Corps’ arsenal.”
“How did you allocate the weapons to Celms’ men?”
“They’re carrying two M11s and one N509 between them.”
“That should be more than sufficient.”
“I thought so.”
Sheridan ignored his friend’s comment. “Well, I guess there’s nothing left to do but wait until we arrive at Ka-11.”
“Sir, after all this time together, you should know by now that there is always something we can do before stepping foot outside of this ship. I’m going to inspect Komada’s men one more time. I told him that he should have his squad tie white marker strips around their left upper arms and paint a white triangle on the back of their helmets, to ensure we don’t accidently shoot some of his men.”
“I suppose I could go over the intelligence reports Major Onaedo gave us.”
“Sir, we may have been away from a unit for far too long but the drill remains the same: plan, prepare, and execute.”
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