The Key

by Brian Fisher

  Chapter 70

  Jason stood with Kamira, watching as Vengeance settled neatly on its landing gear. He was glad to see them returning so quickly, but somehow it seemed too fast. It hadn't been all that long ago that Corin and Narja had left on their mission to Caldon, only to return so quickly with a battered ship. Life rarely happened with quick, clean results, and Jason trusted his instincts that this would be no different.

  "Are you insane?" Kamira bellowed as Corin sauntered down the ramp of his ship, holding Mekala. "What is she doing here, Corin? I thought that you were going to find a safe place to take her! She can't be here right now! It's too dangerous!"

  "Hi. It's nice to see you too Kamira." Corin smiled as nicely as he could manage. "Oh, and by the way, there is no safe place to take her."

  "Corin, Mekala will be safe with me, if you will allow it." Prinelle said softly as she came up beside him.

  "And you are?" Kamira asked pointedly. Her scowl threatened to burn a hole in Prinelle's forehead, before she turned her attentions back to Corin. "We're about to go into the biggest battle that any of us have ever seen, and you bring a two year old into it? Are you stupid?"

  "You will not address a member of the Order of Caldon in such a manner." Prinelle stepped between Corin and Kamira. Her expression hardened as she focused on Kamira. "You will apologize, or you will be dealt with."

  Jason glanced between his wife and the Caldonian woman. He barely noticed as Narja approached, and stood close to the other woman. Looking at Corin, Jason nodded toward a nearby shuttle.

  "You know, Kamira has a point. What is Mekala doing here?" Jason asked Corin while they slipped away from the women.

  "I was going to ask Maruk if she could stay with them. I thought that maybe she would be safe there." Corin adjusted his hold on his daughter. "When we got there, the Ta'Reeth were everywhere."

  "Really?" Jason leaned against the shuttle. "That's not good. How many died?"

  "I don't know." Corin set the squirming Mekala down. Once she was on the deck, she ran directly to Narja and demanded that he pick her up. "What I do know, is they've got a weapon that I've never seen before. It acts like a gravity well. Maybe some kind of gravity well generator."

  "I was afraid of that." Jason sighed. "I, I mean we ran into one at Olcai. Kam's figured out a way to adjust Redemption's shields to counteract it, but it only works for Redemption. No other ship could handle it in the simulations."

  "We took it out." Corin stated bluntly.

  "How'd you do that?" Jason's attention quickly shifted over to Kamira's screaming voice, then back to Corin.

  "It's vulnerable right at the base. We blasted away at it until the armor cracked, then killed the ship." Corin sighed as he leaned back against the shuttle. "That thing practically destroyed an entire Battle Station. It just, I don't know, that's so much power."

  "Yeah, tell me about it." Jason knew all too well what the weapon was capable of. "Are the Caldonians sending anything?"

  "Maruk said that he owed us for saving his people. He'll be here. I just don't know what he'll be able to send." Corin shrugged, then backpedaled as Kamira came storming toward him.

  "You cannot put that girl in danger!" Kamira screamed at the top of her lungs. "I forbid it!"

  "Mekala is going to be safe with Prinelle." Corin tried to placate her.

  "Prinelle, who's Prinelle?" Kamira screamed.

  "The woman that you were just yelling at. You know, the Caldonian standing over there." Corin pointed to Prinelle, who had turned her back on Kamira, and was now talking to Narja.

  "She won't be safe anywhere around here. You know that." Kamira's tone changed slightly as she started to calm down. "You can't put her in danger."

  "What would you have me do Kam, launch her into space?" Corin started to raise his voice. "I don't have anywhere to send her! The only choice I have is to do the best that I can. If something happens to Mekala, then it's going to happen to me too, and that's final."

  "You arrogant prick! I'm just trying to look out for Mekala!" Kamira screamed at Corin. She clenched her fists in an attempt to stop herself from screaming anymore.

  "Both of you, stop!" Jason thundered. "Kam, there's nothing else that Corin can do. Corin, don't yell at my wife."

  Angel appeared in front of Jason. Her flame red hair hung loose about her shoulders, contrasting with her pale skin, and gray camouflage.

  "Admiral, I have detected an unauthorized sensor sweep." she kept her tone crisp, capturing everyone's attention. "It originated outside of the fleet perimeter."

  "Red alert. All hands to battle stations. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill." Jason turned and headed for the bridge. Alarms sounded throughout the ship, accompanied by Jason's voice and flashing red lights. Redemption's crew instantly dropped what they were doing, and ran to their assigned areas.

  "Corin, your station is your ship. Any questions?" Admiral McWilliams called to Corin without looking.

  "Yeah, can I have Major Narja? He's a great tactical officer." Corin ran to catch up with the Admiral.

  "Major, do you have a problem with that?" Jason never stopped moving toward the bridge.

  "No Sir, I don't." Narja replied quickly from just behind the Admiral.

  Jason stopped and turned on his heel, bringing the others to a halt. "Alright. Your mission is twofold. I want you to locate the ship that did the sensor sweep, and get the information back to me. Angel will provide you with the details you need. When you're done with that, get T'Sula Mir, and bring her back in one piece. Make it happen."

  Corin and Narja glanced at each other, and then back at the Admiral. "Yes Sir." was all that they could manage before Jason was on the move again.

  "Angel, patch me through to the Malgar fleet." Admiral McWilliams moved quickly through the corridors of his ship. Crewmembers ran here and there in a desperate rush to get to battle stations.

  "Comrades in arms, this is Admiral Jason McWilliams. Just a few moments ago, there was an unauthorized sensor sweep of our fleet." Jason paused as the news sank in. "We are in a position to change the course of history. What we do here and now will affect the lives of every living being in the galaxy for the rest of time. Battle is imminent. Lives will be saved and lost on both sides. Let's make sure that they lose more than we do."

  "We do have allies my friends. Unfortunately, they have yet to arrive." Jason weighed the risks of giving away too much information before he continued. "The Resistance is sending what they can. Our allies, the Caldonians, will do what they can. For now, it is only us. We are the ones that will take up the fight. We are the ones that will face the brute force of the Ta'Reeth, and we will be victorious!"

  Jason hadn't realized that he had stopped moving. He stood in the center of a corridor, with a handful of crewmen that had been listening to his speech. Movement caught Jason's attention out of the corner of his eye. Kamira stepped forward, and led the crewmen as she began to chant his name.

  "My friends, it is time now." Jason stood a little taller. "It is time to end this war!" a raucous shout erupted throughout the ships, reverberating through the comm. system and back into the corridors.

  Regaining his composure, Jason made his way to the nearest turbo lift, and headed for the bridge. He glanced over at Kamira and Angel, both his wife and the Hologram kept silent as they watched Jason truly become an Admiral.

  "Angel, I need you to patch me through to Captains Kim, Jones, and Dunsyn. I need it now please." serenity fell across his face, encompassing his entire being. There was something more that he was responsible for now. He had to be greater than the sum of his parts. He needed to be capable of handling the daunting task at hand.

  "Sir, the Captains are waiting." Angel’s voice was soft and solemn.

  "Thank you Angel." Jason quickly collected his thoughts before he spoke. "Captains, thank you for your efforts, and support in this mission. I have something of the utmost importance that I need to ask the three of you to do."

>   "Go ahead Admiral." Captain Sierra Jones' voice was unmistakable.

  "Alright. I need the three of you to stay here and wait for our allies. I'm taking the rest of the fleet, and commencing with the assault. The Resistance and the Caldonians are on their way." Jason sighed. His plans were all but useless now. As far as anyone knew, the Ta'Reeth knew everything. They now knew the number and size of the ships in the fleet, where they were, and where they came from. "If I fail, the task falls to you. Are there any questions?"

  "No Sir." Captain Kim spoke up. "By the way Admiral, congratulations on your promotion."

  "Thank you. Everyone is counting on you. Good luck, and watch out for one another." Jason grimaced as he severed the connection. "Angel, relay to all ships that we leave in ten minutes."

  "Yes Sir. The message has been received by all ships." Angel's reply was nearly instantaneous.

  "Good. Has Corin left yet?" Jason asked as the turbo lift stopped and the doors opened onto the bridge.

  "Vengeance is clearing the hanger bay now Admiral." the AI walked alongside her commander, as he quickly inspected the bridge. The bridge crew looked calm, but ready as they came past, waiting for the order to move out.

  Jason found his seat and made himself comfortable. He waited while Kamira found her station and sat down. The Admiral looked out over the bridge one last time, before he gave the order that would send hundreds of thousands of men and women, from more races and creeds than he could count, into the horrors of battle.

  "Move out." Admiral McWilliams gave the order, and watched as white lights swirled and flashed around his ship as it entered hyperspace.