“That is correct, sir,” replied Tarina firmly.
“Admiral, we had just deployed a ceasefire verification satellite in orbit over Kenor-3D when our sensors picked up minute traces of tachyon particles,” said Wendy.
“Kenor-3D was once a refueling and resupply base,” explained Colonel Kurn. “It was closed a year ago and according to our fleet records, no one but the Terran ship has been in the Kenor System since the base was abandoned.”
“Yet we have elements within the Kurgan and our own armed forces gearing up for a strike in the DMZ at this allegedly abandoned base,” said Robert.
“Sir, as Major Sullivan said during our presentation,” said Michael. “Both sides fear that someone is about to test a time travel device and neither side wants the other to get their hands on it. Even if it causes our ceasefire to collapse back into war.”
Robert looked at his Kurgan counterpart. “Admiral, the last time we spoke you alluded to a Kurgan military scientist who had been reported missing for over a decade. Is this person behind these experiments in time travel?”
“Yes, I believe so,” replied Kaar. “Colonel Kadir was a brilliant scientist with one of the finest minds in the Kurgan armed forces. He had proposed the exploitation of time travel for military purposes for years. Then sometime about ten years ago he vanished. The troubling thing is that none of my staff’s inquiries about him have been answered by my High Command.”
“It’s as if they are deliberately hiding him,” added Colonel Kurn.
“None of this makes me feel the least bit comfortable,” said Robert.
“Sir, if we wish to avoid a potentially messy confirmation between our respective militaries, the only viable avenue open to us is that we must act before they do,” said Michael. “If we can jointly take possession of whatever there is in the Kenor System it will force both sides to abandon their plans.”
Admiral Kaar chuckled. “Not only are you a bold officer, Major Sheridan, but you are a mind reader for that is precisely the course of action I was going to propose we follow.”
“I take it we’re not going to ask our respective chains of command for their permission to send an armed team into the DMZ?” said Cole.
“There’s no time,” said Robert. “Besides, Captain, you know what they would say. No, I guess we’re all going out on a limb on this one.”
Kaar drummed his fingers on the table. “If Colonel Kadir can be taken alive, I’d prefer it were Kurgan soldiers who detained him and escorted him back here.”
“I don’t see why not,” said Robert.
“Excellent. I can have a detachment of loyal soldiers at your disposal within the hour,” said Kaar to Michael.
“Thank you, sir,” he replied. “I’m also going to need a new LO.”
“I can arrange that,” said Colonel Kurn.
“I guess that settles it, then,” said Robert. “As soon as you’re ready to depart, Michael, I want you to jump to the Kenor System and hunt down this Colonel Kadir before he can make his dream our nightmare.”
The people in the room slowly departed. Wendy and Tarina went to prep their ship, a long-range shuttle, and to complete the calculations for the jump. Cole dug through the ship’s quartermaster stores before going to inspect the platoon of Marines who would be coming on the mission. Michael and his father took a seat and looked at the stars.
Michael started the conversation. “Dad, how did things go with Admiral Oshiro after you told him about my little incursion onboard the Danube to free Tarina and Wendy?”
“To be honest, he didn’t say too much about it,” replied his father. “Although he never came out and said it, I got the distinct feeling that the Danube’s mission was a complete surprise to him as well. The special operations community will, of course, be up in arms about what happened, but I don’t give a damn. What I’m worried about is the fact that it appears no one above me has a good grip on what is about to go down in the Kenor System. And if they do, they don’t care that war could be a consequence of their actions.”
“Dad, you know it’s easy to make plans sitting around a table in a nice air conditioned room when you’re light years removed from the war. None of their asses are on the line should things not turn out as they had envisioned.”
“I’m not sure what you’re going to find out there, but whatever you do, don’t allow it to fall into just one side’s hands. Destroy it if you must. Peace, lasting peace, will only be achieved when we have trust between both species. I know I’m beginning to sound like an idealist, but Admiral Kaar and I feel the same way, and if two old war horses can get along, then there’s hope for the rest of us.”
“I’m glad you and Admiral Kaar get along. I hate to say it, but I think you two gents are in the minority of both armed forces. There’s still a lot of residual hate and mistrust floating around out there to last a lifetime.” Michael looked his father in the eyes. “Dad, I’m not sure I fully trust them, either. I still get nightmares about the frozen bodies hanging from the trees on Derra-5.”
“Mike, do you remember the first time you met Admiral Kaar?”
“Sure. Tarina and Wendy were hungover. Alan and I had to keep them on their feet.”
“Yes, they did look a little green. Regardless, Admiral Kaar stopped and looked you in the eyes and told you flat out that you and your generation would have the hardest time accepting peace. And he’s not wrong.”
“You know I don’t have a closed mind, but some days I find myself somewhat conflicted.”
“How so?”
“Ten days ago, I oversaw the destruction of a battalion of rebels. It didn’t bother me one iota that four hundred Kurgan and Chosen warriors died because of the orders I gave. Now I’m going to be working side by side with more Kurgans as if they were our allies. It gets a little confusing sometimes.”
“Mike, what you’re feeling is only natural. It’s always been easier to fight a war than to embrace peace. You may never truly forgive the Kurgans for the atrocities they have inflicted on our people. But your children will thank you for giving them a peaceful world to grow up in. Speaking of that—”
Michael raised a hand. “Slow down there, Grandpa. Tarina and I aren’t even thinking about a family until the war is officially over and we’ve left the service.”
“So you’ve finally decided that you’re both going to leave the service?”
“Tarina for sure wants to start a family back home on Earth. As for me, we’ll see.”
Robert Sheridan stood and offered his son his hand. “Good Luck, Michael, and bring that daughter-in-law of mine back here safely.”
The younger Sheridan shook his father’s hand. “See you in few days, Dad.”
Michael Sheridan smartly saluted his father, turned, and walked out of the room. He always felt melancholy when he left his father’s side. They had been barely on speaking terms before the war, but now they were devoted to one another. Michael stopped in his tracks and looked back over his shoulder. A feeling seeped into his chest, making him shiver. For the first time in years, Michael was unsure if he would ever see his father again.
Chapter 12
Sheridan found Cole standing outside their ship, a long-range shuttle, loading a magazine into his M5A2 assault rifle. “So, how do we look?” he asked his colleague.
“The Marines we have are led by an untried platoon leader, but the squad leaders and about a quarter of the troops have at least seen some combat,” replied Cole, handing Sheridan the assault rifle.
“We’ve had worse.” Sheridan looked around the hangar. “Have the Kurgans arrived?”
“Yes. They’re inside with the Marines, packing away their gear. There’s a dozen of them led by a second lieutenant who is also your new LO.”
Sheridan cringed at the thought of such a junior officer being sent on an assignment as delicate as this one. “Does he speak English?”
“Yeah, he speaks English all right. All six words of it and those words were taught to him by so
me Marines he met a couple of weeks back. Have a guess which words those are?”
“Let me see . . . are they mostly four letter words?”
“Bingo!”
“Oh, Lord. I guess I’ll deal with him in Kurgan.”
“Any idea how long it is until we depart?”
“The ladies were double-checking their calculations the last time I spoke with them.”
“I take it they’re in the cockpit?”
“Yes.”
Sheridan slung his rifle over his back and walked inside the crew compartment. The room was designed to hold thirty people. With the two groups of fighters, it was past its capacity. Equipment and supplies were jammed in every free spot or strapped to the floor. Sheridan worked his way around a Marine trying to stick his pack between two seats and walked into the cockpit. Wendy and Tarina were inputting their jump calculations into the ship’s navigational computer.
“I hope this thing can take off with all the extra men we’ve got stuffed back there,” said Sheridan.
Tarina smiled. “Don’t worry; we’ve factored the extra weight into our calculations.”
“When will we be able to leave?”
“In fifteen minutes’ time, after the engines warm up and everyone is strapped into their seats,” replied Wendy.
“Sounds good. How long of a flight are we going to have, and what is your plan to mask our jump signature when we arrive in the Kenor System?”
“Time of flight is thirty-seven hours and fifty-one minutes.”
“We’ll end our jump behind Kenor-6. It’s a small planetoid composed of rock and ice,” said Tarina. “We have a mini-satellite attached underneath of our ship. I’ll launch it after we arrive and see what we can see.”
“Any chance this satellite could be detected by a hostile force in the Kenor System?
“Doubtful. It’s small and shielded, so it will be invisible to the naked eye and any electronic scanners looking our way.”
“That all sounds good. What about the problem you had the last time you deployed there?”
“I had our computers scrubbed,” explained Wendy. “If there’s a secret code hidden in the system which could cause us to jump back to the fleet, it won’t work this time around.”
Sheridan placed his hands on the back of Wendy’s chair. “And why, Ms. Sullivan, won’t it work?”
“Because I’ve rerouted all the ship’s controls. Everything on this trip has to be done manually.”
“It’ll make things a bit more challenging, but that’s just the way we like it,” added Tarina.
“Well, it looks like you two have everything in hand. Time for me to brief my two platoon leaders.” Sheridan waved goodbye and fought his way through the packed compartment until he was outside. He wasn’t surprised to see Cole had the Marine and Kurgan officers at his side. The Marine lieutenant looked to be fresh of the academy, as did his Kurgan counterpart.
“Good day, sir,” said Cole, coming to attention and saluting Sheridan.
Sheridan returned the compliment.
“Sir, I’d like to introduce to you Lieutenant Jürgen Saar and Second Lieutenant Kabat.”
“Good day, gentlemen. Can you speak Kurgan, Mister Saar?” asked Sheridan.
“No, sir.”
Sheridan smiled at Kabat. “I understand your understanding of English is limited, so I’ll speak with you in your native language.”
Kabat bowed slightly. In halting English, he said, “I understand good more than speak I.”
“Okay, that’s helpful. I’m not one for speeches so listen up. We’re going to the Kenor system to find and detain a Kurgan scientist who has been working on a device which could end the ceasefire between our species and force us back into war. My mission summary is available, so I suggest you and your people read it before we arrive behind Kenor-6. Do either of you have any questions for me?”
Neither officer said a word.
“Did you get all that, Kabat?” asked Sheridan in Kurgan.
The Kurgan nodded.
“Okay then, see to your men and be ready to leave in the next fifteen minutes.”
Saar went to salute.
“The saluting ends here,” said Cole. “As does the bowing. We’re going into harm’s way. There’s no need to give an enemy sniper a clue as to who your superior officer is. Make sure your people understand this as well.”
“Yes, sir,” said Saar, meekly.
Both young officers took off at a jog to pass on Sheridan’s orders.
“So what do you think?” Sheridan asked his friend.
“I hate to say it, but Mister Saar reminds me of me the day I first met you,” said Cole.
“I was thinking the same thing. As for Kabat, I can never read Kurgan body language. He could be the best officer they’ve got or the worst. I guess time will tell.”
“Unfortunately, time is not on our side.”
“Shall we climb onboard and join the ladies in the cockpit?”
“Why not, it’s going to be cramped flight no matter where we sit.”
“At least this way we’ll have some pleasant company.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
Cole placed a hand on Sheridan’s shoulder. “Come on, sir. ‘Once more unto the breach.’”
Sheridan let out a groan. “I really despised Shakespeare at school.”
“English was one of the few subjects I enjoyed. Did you know I have Henry V memorized?”
“If you do, please keep it to yourself.”
Chapter 13
In a fraction of a second, the blackness vanished. Through the cockpit glass everyone could see the icy world of Kenor-6.
“Anything on the scanners?” Sheridan asked.
“No, nothing,” reported Wendy.
“Were we detected coming out of our jump?” asked Cole.
“I don’t think so,” replied Tarina. “There’s nothing on my screen.”
“Okay, time to launch the mini-sat,” said Sheridan.
Underneath the nose of the shuttle, the satellite’s engine came to life. Compressed gas shot out in a tight stream from the back of the satellite as it flew off. A minute later, it activated its scanners and began to gather information from the nearby planets and moons.
“So far it’s all quiet out there,” reported Wendy as she studied the feed on the computer. “Wait, I’m getting something from the moon, Kenor-3T.”
Sheridan tried looking over Wendy’s shoulder. “What is it?”
“It’s a debris field. By the looks of it, I’d say six, maybe seven Kurgan ships were recently destroyed. I’m getting some energy signals from their smashed engines’ perlinium rods floating in space.”
“Life signs?” asked Cole.
She shook her head. “Not a one.”
“I guess the Kurgs jumped the gun and paid for it,” mused Sheridan. “Are you picking up any signals from the surface of the moon?”
“Yes, there’s a faint energy reading coming from the moon’s southern polar region.”
“What’s the atmosphere like?” asked Cole.
“Ninety-seven percent nitrogen with traces of hydrogen and methane,” responded Wendy. “The surface temperature near the energy reading is minus one hundred and eighty degrees Celsius and the winds in that region are currently clipping along at a brisk ninety kilometers an hour.”
Sheridan asked, “On your monitor, can you bring up the area on the moon where the signal is coming from?”
Wendy typed in a couple of commands on her keyboard. A few seconds later an impact crater came up on her screen. In the middle of the depression was a small base protected by a shield.
“Weapons?” Cole asked.
“Looks like the base is surrounded by anti-ship missile batteries,” said Wendy.
“Anti-personnel systems?”
“If they’re there my scanners aren’t reading them.”
“We should count on the people in the base having a plan to defend themselves from a ground ass
ault,” said Sheridan.
“If we’re going to attack that installation, we’re going to need a couple of missile frigates and some close-air support fighter-bombers to blast our way inside,” said Cole. “In short, we need a carrier group in support.”
Sheridan sat back in his seat. “Well, we all know that’s not going to happen, so we need to come up with a plan to get us inside that base.”
“Uh, guys, we’re being hailed,” said Tarina.
Sheridan looked over at Tarina’s console and saw the message was coming from Kenor-3T. “Put it on the speakers.”
“Good day, Michael Sheridan,” said a metallic-sounding voice. “I was wondering when you would arrive.”
Sheridan looked over at Cole and whispered, “How the hell did he know we were coming?”
Cole was just as mystified and shrugged.
“Sir, you seem to have me at a disadvantage,” said Sheridan. “To whom am I speaking?”
“My name is Colonel Kadir, and I have so wanted to make your acquaintance for years.”
“I take it you know where we are and why we’re here?”
“Of course I do. I’ve been watching you ever since you came out of your jump and launched your satellite. Your tactics are sound, but I have the entire system rigged with scanners and micro-satellites. You, like the Kurgan attack force I just blasted from the stars, never stood a chance.”
“So, Colonel, what would you like us to do?”
“Come on down, naturally. I’ll lower my shield long enough to allow you to land. Please don’t try any heroics; I could blow you into pieces before you could arm any of your weapons. Also, don’t think about trying to jump away. I have a missile targeted on your cockpit which would reach you before you could make your escape.”
Sheridan knew he had no choice but to comply with the Colonel’s demands. “Very well, sir. I look forward to meeting you.”
Tarina switched off the comms channel. “Michael, you’re not seriously contemplating landing on the base, are you?”
“What choice do we have? You heard the colonel; he’s got a missile locked on us.”
Renegade (The Kurgan War Book 7) Page 7
