Sacrifice:The Shenkar War (48 page)

             
Admiral Kelvin smiled and then explained in detail his idea and the plan he had come up with. By the end of it, all Liam could do was grin at the Admiral’s insane plan.

Tryliene
’s Fold Engines Room

              Steve sighed as he leaned back against the bulkhead and stared down at the mass of wires protruding from a nearby panel.

             
“
This is impossible. We have tried every way possible to get this ship to acknowledge the software of the nav computer with no luck,” said Mark, an engineer assigned to assist Steve.

             
“
No, I refuse to believe we have exhausted all avenues. There has to be a way. For the most part, the technology is similar, so we should be able to establish a connection on a base level. Once we find that, we can build from there,” said Steve.

             
Rubbing his eyes, Mark leaned back before he turned to Steve.
              “
Well, we have been at this for the past sixteen hours. I need some coffee or something if we are going to continue. How do you keep going like you do? I know several other engineers have been here before me, and they all have become too burned out, including the chief engineer.”

             
“
Well, I have been technologically enhanced for one. Also, all I can think of is my sister and her family back at Earth. I feel that if we don’t find a way back and something happens to them, then it will be my fault. I refuse to give up and let anyone down.”

             
Mark looked at Steve a moment before nodding slightly.
“
Do you want me to bring you anything?” asked Mark.

             
“
No, in fact, go get some sleep--you need it.”

             
“
Are you sure?”

             
“
Yeah, I will be okay.”

             
“
Okay, well, you have my comm code, so if you need me, just call.” Mark stood and stretched, his knees popping as he did so, before he clapped Steve on his shoulder.
“
Lieutenant, while you might be enhanced, you do have your limits.”

             
Then Mark left Steve to his thoughts.

             
Soon the sound of footsteps approaching made Steve look up.               Lieutenant Kimino Sukita walked toward him, carrying two steaming cups that, from the smell, could only be coffee. Standing up, he smiled as she approached. Kimino smiled back at him as she handed him one of the cups.

             
“
Any luck?” she asked.

             
“
No, I’m starting to think it isn’t possible. Every time we seem to be making headway, the programming of the Shenkar nav system seems to recognize the foreign program and blocks the connection.”

             
“
Well, I am sure that if anyone can find a way, it will be you. I have faith in you,” she said, smiling.

             
Steve only slightly smiled as he sipped his coffee.
“
I don’t know, Kimino. I am worried about letting everyone down. The Shenkar fleet should be just about to Earth by now.”

             
Kimino stepped closer and softly cupped the side of his face with her free hand.
“
No matter what, I know you will have tried your best. You have no fear of letting me down.”

             
Steve smiled at this, and he placed his free hand over hers.
“
I love you,” he said.

             
Suddenly realizing what he said, he got all uncomfortable. He withdrew his hand and stepped back, fearing he would scare her off from his open expression of his love for her.

             
Kimino didn’t step back or forward; she just stood in the same spot looking at Steve, her mouth open slightly, a look of surprise on her face.

             
“
Ummm . . . I’m sorry, I . . . uh . . . well . . .” Steve stammered.

             
Steve wasn’t given a chance to finish what he was trying to say as Kimino quickly set her coffee cup on a nearby utility box and threw herself at Steve. Dropping his coffee, he caught Kimino as she pressed her lips to his, kissing him deeply. After what Steve felt was the most passionate kiss he had ever experienced, Kimino broke the kiss and looked into Steve’s eyes.

             
“
I love you, too. Sorry, didn’t mean to freak you out, but you just surprised me. I always swore to myself I would never let myself get involved, that my career would come first, but you changed all that. I love you more than anything,” she said with tears in her eyes. “Steve, marry me. Let’s have the Admiral do it. I don’t know what the future will bring us with our current situation, but for the here and now, I want to be your wife.”

             
Steve smiled.
“
You do know the Admiral is probably sleeping right now?” he said.

             
“
Well, then, why don’t you take a break and we can go celebrate our honeymoon first?” she said, a mischievous smile on her face.

             
Steve didn’t even have to think twice about this option. Grabbing her hand, they hurried off to his quarters.

             
Many hours later, Kimino lay dozing and naked in his arms as Steve stared at the ceiling. He smelled the flowery scent of her hair and couldn’t imagine wanting to be anywhere else at the moment. He would never have thought he would end up with a girl like Kimino. She was incredibly beautiful. If he were to meet her on the street, he would never have had it in him to speak to her. To look at her, he would have thought her to be a model. In truth, she had been a model when she was eighteen. However, deciding she wanted more for her life, she had enlisted in the Japanese Air Force. It just showed that even two people so different could find something in common, even on a base level.

Steve gasped at a sudden thought. Slipping out from under Kimino as quietly as he could, he grabbed his clothes and quickly dressed.

              “
Running out on me?” came Kimino’s groggy voice.

             
“
No, I just thought of something that might work. It involves working with a base code that could fool the Shenkar software,” Steve said excitedly.

             
Kimino sat up quickly, the sheet falling away, revealing her nakedness as she came more awake.

             
“
Really?!? Well, what are we waiting for? Let me get my clothes and I will join you, if that’s okay.”

             
Steve didn’t say anything; he couldn’t think of anything except how beautiful she was, especially here standing naked before him. Suddenly, a pillow hit him in the head and he realized he had been staring at her.

             
“
Sorry, but you are quite distracting, being so beautiful.”

Smiling, she got out of bed and quickly dressed.
“
It’s okay. I like the way you look at me. Now let’s go.”

             
They hurried back to the panel Steve had been working on. As he went, Steve keyed his comm unit. Soon, a groggy voice answered the call.

             
“
Mark? This is Steve. I think I have something; meet me at the terminal.”

             
Suddenly, the voice was much more alert.
“
You have something? What? Will it work, you think?” said Mark excitedly.

             
“
Just get your butt down here,” Steve said laughingly.

             
Several hours later, Steve and Mark were finishing up the program with Kimino looking on.

             
“
Okay, that should just about do it. Power up the nav system, and let’s see if we get green across the board,” said Steve to Mark.

             
“
Green across the board?” asked Kimino.

             
“
Basically, as the nav computer cycles up, it goes through a system check. If the checks pass, a green light will show on the side of the nav box, signaling a positive connection. We need all nine lights to light up to know we have done it.”

             
Mark typed into a keyboard and the nav computer hummed to life. A light humming also emitted from the small black box.

             
“
Okay, here we go,” said Mark.

             
Within seconds, a green light lit up on the side of the box, then another almost immediately. Within twenty seconds, five lights had lit up.

             
“
Looks promising,” Kimino said hopefully.

             
“
No, we have gotten five lights before. I will get my hopes up when seven have lit up,” said Steve.

             
All three once again descended into silence, watching the nav computer. Ten seconds later a green light lit up, followed quickly by another. Steve sat up straighter, his fists clenching as he leaned closer.
              “
Come on, come on,” he whispered to no one.

             
Suddenly, the eighth light came on. Steve pumped his fist slightly in triumph as he watched for the ninth light to come on. A minute passed and nothing happened, then another minute. Soon, five minutes had passed with no light. Steve’s sat back, his shoulders slumped, with a dejected look on his face.

             
“
Damn, I thought we had it that time. Mark, shut it down; I was wrong.”

             
“
Mark, wait, don’t shut it down yet . . . are you sure it still won’t light up?” asked Kimino.

             
“
Yeah, if we had done it correctly, then it should have finished its diagnostic system check.”

             
“
Under normal circumstances, but this is hardly a normal circumstance. Maybe it’s like learning a language, it needs time to do it,” said Kimino.

             
Steve looked at Kimono and he shrugged.
“
Well, I have nothing, so it couldn’t hurt.”

             
Once again, all three sat in silence and watched for the green light. And once again, five minutes passed, then ten minutes, and still no light. Mark stood and walked off, and began to pace.

             
“
We have to be so close. There must be something small we are missing,” Mark said.

             
Steve leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. He placed his face in his hands.
“
I just don’t know what we missed,” he said quietly.

Kimino began to turn to comfort Steve when she noticed something. Turning back, she noticed the slightly flickering of green light in the ninth spot.

              “
Steve, look!” she said as she shook him.

             
Steve looked up at the nav computer. Mark, who had been pacing, also turned to look. Slowly, the final spot flickered. Then the light lit up bright green. Mark hurried to a nearby computer and let out a yell of triumph at what he saw.

             
“
All systems are clear--you did it!”

             
Steve jumped up pulled Kimino into a hug and kissed her. Releasing her, he turned to Mark.
“
Call the Admiral and tell him the fold system is fully online.”

Battlecruiser
Tryliene

              Liam jogged down the passageway toward the hangar.
It’s now or never
, he thought to himself, hoping they were not too late to get to Earth. His thoughts kept returning to Leah and how she was doing. He feared he would lose her in the Shenkar assault. They just couldn’t be too late; they would either save the Earth, or he would die trying. If it came to the latter, he swore he would take as many of those bastards with him as he could.

             
Rounding the corner, he spotted Evan and Crystal jogging down the passageway. Increasing his speed, he quickly caught up with them. Seeing Liam, Evan smiled and gave a nod.

             
“
Everyone understand the plan?” Liam asked as he jogged along.

             
“
Yep, I met with the other squadron leaders earlier this week to make sure all was understood,” answered Evan.