Sacrifice:The Shenkar War

by Libby, Seth

  “Sir, what of the invasion of the humans’ world? Are we to attack, or are we waiting until we have replenished our losses? We could have another Dread Fleet here within the year.”

  “Shizta, must I remind you that I am the Supreme Commander of this fleet? When I deem it necessary to share my plans with you, then I will do so. Until then, I suggest you carry out the orders I have already given you,” answered Krailsha, his voice now taking on a dangerous tone as his patience with Shizta was at its limit.

  “Shall I take command of the Tryliene when I find her, Supreme Commander?” asked Shizta stiffly.

  “You would like that, wouldn’t you? No, you have not earned another battlecruiser just yet. The Battlecruiser Tryliene is to report to me for the invasion of the human world . . . now go.”

  November 12, 2012, 10:23 a.m. ESTShenkar Command Center

  Shizta stalked through the passageway, fuming with anger at his Supreme Commander. It was insulting to have command of a mere cruiser. Still, he consoled himself, at least he would be away from here and away from Krailsha.

  November 12, 2012, 10:53 a.m. ESTEDF Asteroid Base

  Evan entered the command center, feeling clean and more rested than he had in a while. Looking about, he found the Admiral standing with Commander Dunklin next to the holographic table. Walking over to them, he stood at attention, waiting for the Admiral to acknowledge his presence. The Admiral finished his conversation with Commander Dunklin, then turned to Evan.

  “Lieutenant Commander, you look more rested. Have you eaten?” asked the Admiral.

  “Yes, Admiral, I managed to get a quick bite in. But surely you didn’t want to see me to inquire about my eating habits,” said Evan.

  “No, Mr. Maxis, I didn’t. I wanted to get your ideas on how we should proceed. We are stranded in this system with no means of returning to Earth. We could continue our attacks, but then the Shenkar would know we have a base in this sector capable of repairing and refitting our fighters. They would comb this asteroid field, and eventually they would find this base and all who live within. I have no fear of dying, but I would rather not kill those men and women I don’t have to . . . namely the crew of the Sacrifice. Their jobs are done for now. So what shall we do?”

  Evan was taken aback for a moment by the Admiral asking his opinion on such an important matter. Then he found his voice: “We could attempt to capture a Shenkar warship and modify its fold engine--although even if we had a ship with a fold engine, we couldn’t return to Earth anytime soon. We lost the nav coordinates from the fold drive of the Sacrifice, and those finite numbers are just too hard to calculate. I say we continue monitoring the Shenkar movements and report what we can to Earth, if that is still possible.”

  “Well, the nav coordinates will be a problem. Still, it is possible we might be able to perform micro folds and make our way home. First, though, we need to capture a Shenkar warship without doing too much damage to it, then modify the fold engines and escape before the Shenkar know what we are up to. That, my friend, could be a serious problem, seeing as it would take some time to convert a Shenkar fold engine to our specifications. According to Reeta, it would take a minimum of twelve hours to modify a Shenkar fold engine in the event we do find a way to use it. That would be a long time of just hanging in space with the Shenkar searching for a ship we just assaulted,” explained the Admiral.

  “Would that crescent fighter we have be of any use? We could possibly use it to infiltrate one of the Shenkar warships,” asked Evan.

  “Possible, but the fighter only holds two people, and Templar Knights or not, we can hardly take a warship with only two men. If Commander Brennan was of a better state of mind, maybe he would have information that would be of use to us.”

  “Yeah, I have been thinking about that, and I believe I have come up with an idea. There is something that I think could shake him out of it,” said Evan.

  “Really? When would you like to test this idea?” asked the Admiral.

  “Oh, now is as good a time as any.”

  November 12, 2012, 11:02 a.m. ESTEDF Asteroid Base

  Evan, Crystal, and Admiral Kelvin entered the medical facility and found Liam sitting up in bed, still staring aimlessly at the floor. He looked 100 percent better, with his body regenerating quickly. Tim stood just inside the doorway, watching Liam. Turning to them, he spoke as they approached.

  “He has been like that since he got here--hasn’t moved in the slightest. I sure hope he recovers.”

  “Well, let’s just go see if we can shake him out of it,” said Evan.

  Liam never even looked up when the four approached.

  “Hey, buddy, how are you feeling?” Evan asked as he playfully punched Liam in the shoulder.

  Liam showed no response to the question or physical contact.

  “We thought you were dead. In fact, you’re listed as KIA. I did what you asked and sent word to Leah about it, told her that she was always in your thoughts and that you loved her,” Evan said, looking for some sort of response.

  Liam continued his catatonic state, not even acknowledging the inquiries. Evan thought a moment of what to do next as the Admiral leaned in and spoke.

  “It doesn’t seem to be working. Do you have any other ideas?” he asked quietly.

  “Well, one more, but I wasn’t sure of it,” said Evan.

  Evan reached into his pocket and withdrew an MP3 player. Securing the headphones in Liam’s ears, he then searched for the song he wanted. Finding the song, he pressed play.

  Liam showed no reaction at first. Then his eyes seemed to focus on something else.

  “Which song did you pick?” asked the Admiral.

  “The same song that caused his memory to return during training,” answered Evan, his eyes never leaving Liam’s face.

  Pulling one of the headphones from Liam’s ear, he spoke softly. “Liam, you have to come back to us. We need you . . . Leah needs you. If this invasion succeeds, she will die--do you want that? Leah, the friend you love, needs you.”

  Tears slowly formed in Liam’s eyes, and his hands began to tremble.

  “Do you see her? Her brown hair and green eyes? Her soft smile?” Evan continued.

  Suddenly, a blue nimbus began to form around Liam’s hands, his hands shaking harder now.

  “Mr. Maxis, did you expect this?” asked the Admiral a bit cautiously.

  Evan took a quick step back as he watch the nimbus grow brighter.

  “No, sir, and I think we should get back . . . NOW!” shouted Evan.

  Evan, Crystal, Tim, and the Admiral ran and ducked behind an examination table just as Liam let loose a guttural cry. Peeking over the table, Evan saw that Liam was on his feet now, hands angled down and out. His right hand came up and reached toward a jar five feet away. With surprise, Evan saw that the jar actually lifted into the air on its own. With a swift movement of Liam’s arm, the jar followed and flew across the room into a wall, shattering into a thousand pieces.

  Liam continued again and again, sending instruments and jars off walls, cabinets, and the ceiling. A scalpel narrowly glanced off Evan’s energy shield, and he ducked back behind the table. The tirade continued for several minutes; then just as quickly as it started, it ended. Raising his head, Evan looked over the table to where Liam stood.

  Liam stood leaning against his bed with his arms at his sides and his head down. By the looks of it, he appeared to be crying softly while muttering to himself.

  “Liam?” Evan said quietly.

  His head slowly came up to look at Evan; after a moment, he slowly smiled.

  “Yeah, it’s me . . . I swear it feels like I have been dreaming a long time. Last thing I clearly remember is my fighter blowing up with me in it.”

  “Well, you’re back now, and we can work everything out as we go. Do you remember anything?” asked Evan.

  “Bits and pieces really. It’s all really like I said . . . dreamlike. I remember waking up on an examination table with a Shenkar ove
r me. I didn’t know who I was then; I was suffering from some amnesia of a sort. I knew I was a pilot but not to the full extent. I understood the Shenkar as he spoke. They now know we are from Earth and wanted information about you guys and also of the Earth’s defenses. It seemed to go on like that forever,” said Liam.

  Then he was quiet as he thought of something. “Uh . . . how long was I gone anyway?” asked Liam.

  “For over a month,” Evan answered simply.

  “So everyone back home thinks I am dead?” Liam asked.

  “Yes . . . I sent the message personally. I am sorry, Liam; I was just doing as you had asked me to do,” Evan said with a touch of regret.

  “It is all right, Evan. I asked you to do it, and like you said, you were just doing what I asked. So now I am truly a ghost,” Liam said with a small laugh.

  “Actually, I don’t think you’re a ghost anymore,” said Crystal.

  “I was just joking about my call sign and how I was supposedly dead,” explained Liam.

  “That’s not what I meant. I think you need a new call sign . . . one that fits better, I think,” Crystal explained.

  Liam and Evan first looked at each other questioningly, then looked at Crystal, waiting for a further explanation.

  “Well, back during the battle, I thought I was dead for sure. I had three of those crescent fighters on me and was one shot away from dead when a white blur swooped in to save me. Now, I am far from religious, but all I could think of was that an angel had come and saved me. So I think you should no longer go by Ghost, but instead should go by Arch Angel. You know, like a warrior angel?”

  Liam and Evan looked at each other and suddenly broke out in laughter and continued laughing until the Admiral spoke.

  “Actually, I think that’s a good idea. It promotes a kind of hope, and hope is what we need now.”

  Liam and Evan’s laughter cut off, and Liam just shrugged. “Okay, anything that helps is fine with me . . . Arch Angel it is,” he agreed.

  “So after you awoke, what happened?” asked Admiral Kelvin.

  “Well, like I said, it’s foggy. They persisted in trying to get tactical information on Earth, but I wouldn’t tell them . . . partly because I couldn’t remember and partly because I just fought it. Finally, the Shenkar scientist gave up and decided they couldn’t get anything out of me, so he attempted to poison me with some type of chemical. The chemical, however, didn’t have the desired effect he had anticipated.

  “The pain was unlike any pain I have ever experienced, but the chemical also somehow changed me. My nanites changed; they multiplied and became truly integrated with me. I was stronger and more aware. I would close my eyes and could sort of feel everything around me. I saw the electrical fields that surrounded everything. I soon realized that I could manipulate those fields. This is where it gets harder to remember. I remember breaking free and killing the Shenkar scientists who were monitoring me and I was able to escape.”

  As Liam finished his tale, he looked away. Evan got the impression he had left something significant out, but he didn’t press him about it.

  “Well, it is good to have you back. Now we need to decide where we go from here. I could just make the decision for everyone, seeing as I am your commanding officer, but I have found that it is good to get some fresh perspectives sometimes,” said the Admiral.

  “What are our options?” asked Tim.

  “We could continue our guerrilla attacks against the Shenkar, or we could just sit tight. By sitting tight, we could continue monitoring the Shenkar buildup and send back information we collect to the defense force. That would keep the remaining crew of the Sacrifice safe. As for guerrilla tactics, we could further thin out the Shenkar forces. That, however, would bring them down upon our only outpost, so we would be essentially signing death warrants for ourselves and the crew of the Sacrifice,” explained the Admiral.

  “Are we writing off the option of capturing a Shenkar warship?” asked Crystal.

  “No, but to capture a Shenkar warship in this system would be almost impossible to do without bringing the Shenkar fleet down on us. If we failed to do it the first time, then we would have given our presence away. However, if we could capture a warship, I would take us back to Earth. According to the projections, the defense force should be more than a match for what remains of the Shenkar fleet,” explained the Admiral.

  Again Evan looked at Liam, and it seemed again as if he had something more to say, yet still he remained silent. Turning back to the Admiral, Evan spoke.

  “I say we sit tight and gather intel. If the need arises, we could always revert back to our hit-and-run attacks.”

  Before the Admiral could respond, the overhead comm unit came to life with the strained voice of Commander Dunklin. “Admiral Kelvin, please report to the command center as soon as possible. I repeat, Admiral Kelvin, please report to the command center as soon as possible.”

  “I’ll be back soon,” Evan said to Liam.

  Before he could respond, they all followed the Admiral out the door, leaving Liam alone.

  November 12, 2012, 11:32 a.m. ESTEDF Asteroid Base

  Admiral Kelvin entered the command center with Evan, Crystal, and Tim in tow. Spotting Commander Dunklin near the holographic table, he walked over to him. As he approached, Commander Dunklin snapped to attention and saluted the Admiral.

  “At ease, Commander. What seems to be the problem?”

  “We have been monitoring the Shenkar command base and any further additions as you commanded. About a half hour ago, we started intercepting transmissions from our system aimed directly for the Shenkar command base. Now, the unusual thing about this is that never before have the Shenkar signaled the command base when they were inbound. In addition, preliminary scans of the outer edges of the system show something large out there.”

  “Do the Shenkar seem to know there is something out there?” asked Admiral Kelvin.

  “No, I doubt it. Our scanners are by far better than those the Shenkar have,” answered the Commander.

  “Well, we had better see what is out there. We don’t need any more surprises at this moment. Who do we have on patrol at the moment? Let’s see if we can get close enough to get a good look,” said the Admiral.

  “Lieutenant Groto is just about to return from his patrol,” replied Commander Dunklin.

  “No, I’ll go,” came a quiet voice from behind them.

  Turning, they saw Liam standing there. Before anyone could speak, Liam spoke again. “Chances are, the Shenkar have patrols out, and that is a ways to travel. Any of our fighters will run the risk of being spotted, but I could take my captured Shenkar fighter and take a look around. If I was spotted, they wouldn’t look twice at me. I get the feeling those crescent fighter pilots are some sort of elite class.”

  They all looked at Liam in silence as he stood there, awaiting an answer. It was Commander Dunklin who spoke first.

  “He has a point, sir. I believe he could easily slip out there without any troubles.”

  The Admiral continued to study Liam for several seconds, rubbing his chin with his hand before he finally spoke. “Very well, Commander. You can do it. I want constant updates on the secure channel. Also, how many seats are in that craft of yours?”

  “Two, sir,” answered Liam, a questioning look on his face.

  “I want you to take Mr. Wellmo with you. He, out of everyone here, knows the Shenkar forces we have on file.”

  “Very well, sir,” Liam said, a hint of suspicion in his voice.

  November 12, 2012, 11:50 a.m. ESTEDF Asteroid Base

  Liam shifted slightly in an attempt to get more comfortable before locking his flight belt in place.

  “I think when we get back, I am going to need to see my tailor about this new battle suit. It seems a bit loose,” Liam said.

  “Well, sir, you haven’t recovered fully yet, which could be the reason it doesn’t fit to your old specifications,” said Tim in the seat behind him.

&
nbsp; “Are you saying I was fat before?” asked Liam sarcastically.

  “No, sir, not at all. I was just trying to . . .” sputtered Tim.

  Laughing, Liam interrupted his former wingmate. “Relax, Tim, I was just messing with you. So do you really buy that story about wanting you to go along to help identify what’s out there?”

  Tim was quiet for several seconds as Liam continued to cycle up his fighter before he finally answered. “No, sir, I don’t believe it. You were gone a long time, and we can’t say what the effects could have done to your state of mind. Plus, there is that part where you tore apart the med bay with your mind. I imagine the Admiral felt Evan would have been a bit too obvious, so I was sent along. Don’t get him wrong, sir. The Admiral just wants to make sure everything is okay with you--it isn’t that he doesn’t trust you.”

  “It’s all right, Tim; I understand. I would just have preferred him to be straightforward with me,” said Liam.

  Liam’s fighter thrummed to life, and he keyed the comm unit. “Flight control, this is Arch Angel requesting the all clear.”

  “Arch Angel, this is flight control. You are clear for takeoff . . . good luck, sir,” answered the voice of Lieutenant Sukita.

  Liam maneuvered his fighter forward slowly out of the hangar bay. Ten seconds later, they emerged into open space and began to make their way toward the edge of the asteroid field. Slowing at the very outer edges of the field, Liam scanned for any enemy threats. When he found none, he spoke over his shoulder to Tim.

  “All clear. Okay, let’s do this.”