by Nate Johnson
Unable to pull his eyes away, McKenzie watched as the ship passed beneath them and out the other side. Captain Freeborn kept with his roll, his guns never leaving the ship.
“Sir,” Commander Evan whispered, obviously worried about breaking everyone’s concentration.
“Yes?”
“Um, we are below forty percent of ammunition.”
Admiral McKenzie whipped around to study the Intelligence Commander. Below forty percent? He had to laugh to himself. When they built this ship, they stocked her with enough ammunition to last the entire lifetime of the ship. Instead, they’d gone through over half of it in two days. Another thing for the after-action report.
“Don’t worry about it, Commander. One of us will be dead long before we run out of ammunition.”
The commander nodded and returned to his screen.
The Admiral returned to watching the alien ship only to have Professor Sinclair walk over to him, holding out her tablet.
“Sir, I thought we could send this on all frequencies. I don’t know that it will do any good. I don’t know what kind of radio equipment they have. Do they even process data? I just don’t know, there are too many variables.
“I understand,” the admiral replied. “I know it probably won’t work. But at least this way, history will say we tried. What do you have?”
Professor Sinclair looked at him strangely for a moment then seemed to mentally shrug her shoulders and showed him the animation she had created. It was a Scragg soldier laying down his rifle and then backing away. Over and over until the message was driven home.
“It’s all I’ve got. We still don’t know their language, moral values, nothing. It’s like trying to convince a spider to stop spinning a web. How do you do that?”
“By repeatedly destroying his web. Eventually, he’ll learn.”
She grew pale for a second then nodded.
He smiled back weakly, “Have Commander Evans send it out to the fleet, have them broadcast it over and over. Maybe the Confidence will learn something when they send a boarding team over.”
She nodded and started to say something else but changed her mind and gave him a quick smile before taking her tablet to the Commander.
A small cheer from the Churchill’s command staff drew his attention. He froze as he tried to figure out what had happened. Then it sank in. No laser. One of the guns had finally taken it out.
“YES!” he exclaimed.
“We’ve still got to stop her somehow,” Captain Freeborn said. “She could get it fixed. And if she ever got to their jump point, I don’t think anything could stop her once she had up a head of steam.”
Admiral McKenzie nodded.
“She’s increasing speed and turning, Sir,” Commander Evans reported.
Admiral McKenzie studied the alien ship for a long moment. He might not know what propelled her. He might not know anything about the ship, but one thing he did know was that the laws of Newton were in force. A body in motion tended to stay in motion. That meant, if she was turning, stress was being applied. Her front wanted to go one way, her back wanted her to keep going forward.
“Captain Freeborn,” he said. “Have your men focus amidships. Pound everything you have into her middle.”
The Captain frowned for a quick moment, then turned and issued the order. Admiral McKenzie held his breath while he watched the Churchill’s rounds sink into the alien ship. Small yellow clusters of light letting him know they were hitting her with everything they had.
Then, slowly, a small jagged yellow ribbon began to snake across the middle of the ship. Nothing more than a hint of a crack at first. But as he watched, the crack widened. Slowly opening up.
“Yes!” he whispered to himself.
The crack seemed to hold for a second. A yellow ring around the ship, like a golden wedding band. Then, without warning, it ripped apart. The mighty ship was tearing itself into two parts.
Everyone on the command deck froze in place as they watched the ship slowly come apart on the screen. Dividing itself into two distinct sections. McKenzie noted that the Churchill’s guns continued to pour shots into the vessel. Both front and back. The guns crews knew their job.
As he watched, the front section broke away. The aft section continued driving forward until it had nudged the forward section out of the way and passed it.
For just a brief moment, he wondered if the ass end would just continue on forever. But the sleek section seemed to pulse for a moment, bulging like a Mylar balloon, then everything turned white.
McKenzie threw an arm up while he squeezed his eyes shut for protection against the fierce glow. A collective gasp erupted in the room as every person there turned away to shield themselves from the burning light. It was like a mini-sun had come into existence right in front of them.
A wave hit the Churchill, lifting her and tilting her to one side. Captain Freeborn scrambled to bring her back under control.
Then it was gone. Both the wave and the intense white light. The glow didn’t fade. At one moment it was there. Then it disappeared, leaving fuzzy retinas throughout the fleet. He knew that it would be one of the many questions their scientist would explore.
Scrunching his brow, he tried to understand what had happened. Then it hit him. The aft section was gone. A cloud of expanding debris in its place. The forward section was spinning, end over end. No sign of life, no indication of power. Just a hunk of technology twisting out of control.
She was done.
They had won.
The Empire was saved. Humanity itself would continue to exist.
A sense of disbelief and fatigue washed over him as his muscles finally relaxed for the first time since entering the system. They had done it.
Every person on the command deck turned to look at him. It was as if they were waiting for him to confirm what their own eyes were telling them. They refused to believe until he said they could.
Smiling slightly, he turned to Captain Freeborn, “Well done, Sir. I do believe that should be enough. You can have your gun crews stand down. I think this means we have won.”
A brief pause hung in the air. Then the men erupted with a cheer. Slapping each other on the back. Hugging, and punching each other as a month of tension was finally let loose.
“Captain Freeborn, a damage report if you would,” he said, pulling the men back down to reality. He wished he could let them celebrate, heaven knew they deserved it. But their mission wasn’t complete, not yet.
Captain Freeborn, pulled up a new screen, “Sir, we were breached in our belly. Opened up like a can of soup. Luckily, that is mostly berthing areas. Lightly manned during battle stations. Plus, the hit to the electrical systems, but that has already been repaired.”
Admiral McKenzie nodded, grimly holding his jaw tight while he waited for the rest of the report.
“Thirty-eight dead,” the Captain said with a sudden somberness that set aside the brief demonstrations. “Forty-seven wounded. Enough to be taken to sickbay.”
“How soon until you can make way for Intrepid?” Admiral McKenzie asked. “I believe the Marines may be in need of our assistance.”
They had done it. They had won. At least this part of the battle, he thought as he turned to the two monitors for the Marines on Intrepid and Admiral Weber. They’d won this part, he reminded himself. But, now the hard part.
Chapter Nineteen
Alicia Miller’s fingers shook as she pulled back the bandage to check on the young Marine. Her hands were covered in other men’s blood, but they didn’t have the time or the water to do things right. They didn’t have the medicine, bandages, or skill that these men deserved.
Nothing but cut cloth for bandages. Mrs. Jensen’s salve that she made herself for the burns. And over the counter pills for the pain. And yet, the men looked at her like she was a guardian angel. Smiling through burnt lips, their eyes thanking her for her kindness.
It was enough to bring a tear to her eye again and again. But
she refused to let the tears fall. Now was not the time. When this was over. Then she would cry, and probably never stop crying, she thought.
Putting the bandage gently back into place, she gave the Marine a reassuring smile. He smiled with his eyes then turned away. Her stomach fell, he knew how bad it was and nothing she could do or say was going to make it better.
Standing, she pressed her hands into the small of her back to work out the kinks. Everyone was as taken care of as they could be. Most of the adult civilians had been drafted in to help. Passing out water, holding a hand, mopping a brow. It was all they could do, but it had to be enough.
Sighing heavily, she turned and started for the sandbag wall. Now she could do what she had wanted to do for the last two hours. Check on Captain Carter, on Dex, she thought to herself. She would call him Dex from now on. They had been through too much together to be so formal. Besides, she liked his name.
Grabbing a wet rag, she quickly tried to wipe off her bloody hands. The men on the wall didn’t need to see that, she thought.
Coming around the bend in the Rift, she immediately found him, standing behind the second wall. Up on the bench, leaning forward as he scanned the battlefield. His men lined the walls on either side of him. Some resting, their backs against the sandbags, their faceplates up. Many of them were cleaning their weapons, or grabbing a quick bite to eat. Other, simply stared off into space. Their eyes lost in another world, another time.
Alicia took a deep breath and made her way forward. Thankful for the quiet. The last two hours of silence had been a blessing. How long would it last? she wondered. Please have it last forever, she prayed.
“Dex,” she called as she came up to him. Several of the men glanced at her with raised eyebrows. Surprised to hear their leader called by his first name. She shrugged off the worry and stared up at him with her hands on her hips.
He turned to look back at her, giving her a smile that made her day whole again.
He looks tired, she thought. His face was covered in sweat and dirt, his eyes were more bloodshot than not, and his mouth was set in a firmly determined clench even when he smiled.
“Do you have a moment?” she asked.
He raised a questioning eyebrow then turned to check the battlefield again. Seeing that nothing had changed in the last five seconds, he nodded and gingerly stepped back down off the bench. Alicia caught the hidden pain as he tried to hide his condition from her.
Her heart went out to him, more than he would ever know, but she needed to get this next part out of the way before she could continue.
“Yes?” he asked.
Taking a deep breath, she looked away so he wouldn’t see the tears in her eyes.
“I wanted to tell you the numbers. I thought you might want to know. One of the men said you were not receiving automated updates from their suits.”
He nodded grimly. She could tell he was holding his breath waiting for the final tally.
Taking a deep breath, she said, “Sixteen dead, nine wounded too badly to return to you. Mostly due to blindness. Although Corporal Peele broke his leg in two places. And no one knows how.”
Letting his breath out slowly, he nodded and said, “Thank you, Alicia, I know it would have been so much worse without you and your people. My men will always be indebted to you.”
Her heart swelled as a tear slowly spilled over and ran down her cheek. Damn, she thought, she had been doing so good.
“I think most of the wounded can be fixed,” she said as she hurriedly wiped the tear away. “If we ever get them back to a real doctor. There is not much I can do for them here but try and make them comfortable.” The frustration in her voice was obvious, even to her. She felt so inadequate. Maybe if she had learned more from her mother. Maybe if they had thought ahead and prepared better. There were a thousand things she could have done if she had known what was going to happen. If she had known the true realities she and these men would face.
Again, he nodded. “Thank you,” he said simply and she could tell from his eyes that he meant it. He really believed she had been helpful.
“Now then,” she said, setting her jaw, changing the subject, “it’s your turn.”
“What?”
“I saw the way you’re moving. You can barely stand. Take off your armor and let me check you out.”
He laughed, “That might be the best proposition I have ever heard, but now is not the time. Maybe later, somewhere more private.” The smirk he gave her made her insides turn over. He was teasing, but there was also a serious tone that made her want so much more.
Instead, she put her hands on her hips and stared up at him as she fought to keep from blushing.
“I’m serious, Dex.”
He stared back at her for a long moment then finally relented. She could see that he could tell there was no way he was winning this argument.
Sighing heavily, he whispered a command into his helmet and it immediately slid down into the ring around his neck. Once it was securely in place, the armor plate on his back cracked a little, a long seam opened from top to bottom.
Dex wiggled his shoulders while he twisted the rings around his wrists. Letting out a long, thankful sigh, he slowly pulled his arms back while peeling himself out of the armor.
Alicia stood back, unable to stop herself from admiring the broad shoulders and thick chest. Like she had always thought ‘Pure Hero.’
His mouth set into a firm line as he closed his eyes, twisting one last time to finish removing the heavy armor. Alicia caught sight of the bead of sweat forming on his forehead and could just imagine the pain he was going through.
Once he had lowered the armor to the ground, he stood up and immediately began frantically scratching through his undershirt.
“God, I’ve wanted to do that for the last two days,” he said as he groaned with pleasure.
She smiled and let him get it out of the way.
At last, he stopped, and slowly turned around, he knew what she wanted to see.
The sight made her want to throw up. Burnt flesh and red blisters where the laser had punched through his waist joint.
Closing her eyes, she had to take a steadying breath so she didn’t let him know how it made her feel to see this man she cared for so seriously hurt. And he had gotten this by protecting her. By putting his body between the enemy and her.
“How bad is it?” he asked, looking over his shoulder.
“I’ve seen worse,” she said as she began to remove a can of salve and some bandages from her bag. Swallowing hard, she loaded up two fingers with the salve and gently brought them to the wound.
He winced and stepped away. “God, woman, that hurts.”
“I know,” she said without taking her eyes off his injury. “But it’s all we have and it will feel better in a few minutes.”
He took a couple of quick breaths then nodded for her to continue.
She gently applied the salve, making sure that the wound was fully covered. She really should wash it first. But this was just maintenance. Enough to keep him going until they could get somewhere that it could be fixed for good.
“The Nanos will take care of it in a few days. If we can keep it from getting infected.”
He nodded, unable to talk while he fought the pain.
Once the salve was on, she placed a large bandage over the wound. “Can you hold this in place?” she asked, as she guided his hand to the bandage. Once it was secure, she bent and grabbed a long strip of cloth from her bag.
“I’ll use this to keep it in place and to provide some padding for when you put your armor back on.”
He nodded as he looked over his shoulder trying to see what she was doing.
Now the difficult part, she thought as she started to wrap him up. Her arms had to reach around his stomach, almost pulling him into a hug. Her heart began to race as she fought to keep her mind on what she was supposed to be doing. But she was so close. He smelled of burnt flesh, machine oil, and all man.
Swallowing hard. She finished tying off the bandage and stepped back to inspect her work.
“There, that should hold you. Do you want me to help you get your armor back on?”
He looked at the breastplate on the ground next to his feet. “Not yet,” he said, slowly shaking his head. “I’ll hold off for a bit.”
Her brow narrowed in concern. Wasn’t he worried about being attacked again?
Dex saw the concerned expression on her face and smiled. “We’ll have enough warning. They fell back all the way to the fighting holes. When they hit us again, we’ll know about it in enough time for me to get back into my gear.
Her shoulders slumped with relief. He wasn’t going to do something stupid.
Suddenly, an awkward silence fell between them. She really didn’t have any reason to stay, but she hated the idea of leaving him. This was where she belonged. Near him.
“Sit,” he said, indicating the bench behind the wall.
Alicia noticed that the other Marines had moved off a little, to give them room and an illusion of privacy. Ten feet seemed to mean that no one could hear or see them. She almost laughed at the absurdity of the idea.
“Have you eaten?” she asked as she sat down.
He nodded, “I grabbed something earlier. Please tell Mrs. Jensen thank you for the stew, it was excellent.”
“She also made the salve I’ve been using. I think she made the stew out of the parts she didn’t use for the salve.”
He laughed, and her heart relaxed. This was Dex, she thought, the man she had come to care for so much. A few thousand aliens bent on destroying him and he was laughing at her stupid jokes.
The two of them sat there in silence for a long moment. Just enjoying being in the presence of the other. Alicia wondered how long that quiet moment of peace might have lasted. But, unfortunately, there was a war on and it didn’t take long for them to be interrupted.
Sergeant Smith approached, giving her a quick smile, then turned to Dex.
“I thought I’d break out the bayonets?” he said, more of a question than a statement.
Dex nodded with a slight chuckle. “The mortars and the machines guns didn’t make it, but the bayonets did. Don’t tell me the universe isn’t out to get us.”