by Brian Fisher
Chapter 67
"Get in there!" Kamira yelled as she tried in vain to replace a stubborn transformer rectifier. She muttered a few obscenities under her breath as she pulled the rectifier out of its socket yet again. Kamira shined her pen light into the hole and checked the splines. After she checked the socket, Kamira checked the transformer rectifier itself. Everything looked as it should, but no matter what she did, she could not get the parts to fit together.
"Want some help?" Jason called from behind her. He had been watching her for a few minutes now, waiting for the right time to interrupt his wife.
"Sure. I can't seem to get this thing aligned so it'll fit right. It goes in part way, then hangs up, and I just can't seem to put it in right. It's so frustrating!" Kamira wiped her hands on her trousers. Her knees cracked as she stood and moved out of the way.
"Let me try." Jason knelt down and picked up the transformer rectifier. Turning it over in his hands, he lined up the notches on the transformer rectifier with the slots in the opening, checked to make sure the splines were right, and slid it easily in place.
"There you go." Jason smiled, trying not to tease Kamira too much.
"I don't believe it. That stubborn pile of junk..." Kamira started to ramble, and then stopped. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Jason stood and turned to his wife. "How's everything going with the shield refit?"
"I've got a couple more frequency modulators to rework, but after that, it'll be done." Kamira wiped some sweat from her brow. "I have hit one snag though."
"Yeah? What's that?" Jason asked as he helped Kamira replace the panel that covered where she was working.
"Well, I've been trying to adapt this new shield technology to the other ships, and I can't." she waited for a moment before she continued. "Everything I've tried in simulations either overloads the power matrix, crashes the computer core, or both. Redemption is the only ship in the fleet that is capable of handling this upgrade."
"That's good to know." Jason sighed and leaned back against the bulkhead. He looked over at Kamira, studying her. This woman that he had married was truly amazing. She was beyond beautiful, and she was smart. But there was something else that attracted him to her. There was something beyond any rational explanation about Kam that drew him to her like gravity.
"Captain, you have an incoming message." Angel appeared beside Kamira, delivered her message, and then disappeared.
"Thank you Angel. Please put it through." Jason closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind and focus on being the Captain of a starship.
"Captain McWilliams, I'm Admiral Benjamin Wright. Is this a bad time?" Admiral Wright's voice rumbled like a rockslide. The man was enormous. Angel had replaced her image with the Admiral's. Power radiated from the man's muscular two-meter tall frame.
"Admiral, it's a pleasure to meet you. This is Commander Kamira Nor, my chief engineer, and my wife." Jason motioned toward Kamira. "What can I do for you Sir?"
"For starters, I wish that you had come to me instead of sending intermediaries to ask for my assistance." the Admiral's expression turned stern as he spoke. "I am however granting your request. You will be receiving a troop carrier with a battalion of marines, and fighter pilots. I'm not sure exactly how many ships I can send, but I'll send what I can."
"Thank you Sir. Anything that you can do is appreciated." Jason started to walk. Talking to the Admiral was necessary, but he still had things that he needed to do. He glanced back to see that Kamira was following him, and turned his attention back to the hologram.
"Don't thank me just yet Captain." the hologram floated alongside Jason as he passed through the bowels of the ship. "There seems to be a bit of a controversy about you."
"Really? What would that be Admiral?" Jason asked, not totally surprised.
"Well, there are certain factions that question your ability to command." Admiral Wright raised his hand trying to placate Jason. "I am not questioning your ability. What I want to know is how did it feel to knock that pompous bastard on his ass?"
Jason stopped in mid stride. Of all the things that he had expected to be asked, this was not one of them. He thought for a few moments before he dared to answer.
"It felt great Admiral." Jason half smiled as he answered. It had felt good to hit Admiral West. It felt good enough that it almost scared him.
"I figured that it might. Never liked him anyway." Admiral Wright chuckled. "I just wish that I could have done it instead."
Jason shook his head and looked back at his wife. He had never dealt with Admiral Wright before, but he was beginning to like the man.
"Anyway Captain, we need to get back to business. The Admiralty has decided that an Admiral needs to lead this mission." Admiral Wright waited for Captain McWilliams to respond, and when he didn't, he continued. "I can't be there, and neither can the rest of the Admiralty. That's why we have decided to promote you."
Jason's head whipped around to face the hologram. His face went pale, and his jaw dropped. "I, ah, I, ah...thank you sir." Jason stammered.
"It's quite alright. Congratulations Admiral McWilliams." Admiral Wright smiled a thin smile. "I don't envy you, and your first mission as an Admiral. Good luck Jason."
"Thank you Admiral." Jason swallowed the lump in his throat. "I'll do my best."
"I know you will. Wright out." Admiral Wright's image disappeared, leaving Jason alone in the corridor with Kamira.
"Admiral Jason McWilliams." Kamira whispered, easing up beside Jason. "Sounds impressive."
Jason didn't speak for awhile. He simply put his arm around Kamira, and stared down the deserted corridor. The importance of the coming battle came crashing down on Jason's mind and soul. Everything depended on him. He was the commanding officer of the single greatest invasion fleet in the history of mankind. There was nothing in his life that could possibly have prepared him for this.
"Let's walk a little, shall we?" Jason quietly asked his wife.
She nodded quietly, and let Jason lead. There was so much to do, so much that needed their attention, but a few minutes of quiet time couldn't hurt. Alone with each other, Jason and Kamira quietly reassured one another, that no matter what happened, there was someone there to believe in.
