�Jean, what�s our status?�
�Good sir. At least, for now. All their ships are focused on us, but I�m sending them pings and false coordinates. It won�t be too long before they triangulate our position, though.� Good. Anything to buy them time was exactly what they needed right now.
�William, have you found anything to get us home a little faster?� William spun on his chair to face the squad leader. His face was expressionless, showing he was still in his �combat mode�.
�Yes sir. But I�m not sure we can use it.�
�Show me.� William pulled up a window, showing an image of a black sphere, with what looked like a white crescent moon shape imprinted on it. He pressed another button, and the image transferred to David�s console.
�This object�, William explained, �is some kind of space altering device. By passing a current through it, it seems to create a ripple in space. Space then folds, much like the theory on wormholes, but the exit vector is undetermined. My guess is that we just cut the power to stop.� It was risky, hell, it was flat out reckless, but they were out of options. An alarm flared, and a screen appeared to show him that a swarm of missiles had been sent to greet them. The counter next to the image read �00:00:12.87�. Damn.
�William, let�s test your theory. Get us away from these bastards, now.� William�s hands tapped furiously over the controls. Sweat trickled down David�s forehead. 00:00:05.23.
�NOW, William!� William worked faster. 00:00:02.31. Suddenly, the hull around them grew dark, and time stopped. Like pausing a replay, the ship moved around the other ships at what seemed like too fast for the little craft, with nothing else around them moving. The ship moved faster and faster, going at speeds even the Alliance�s fastest cruisers couldn�t match. N�tn�see pulled up a star map, and aimed the ship towards Earth. They were finally going home. David felt the gravity in the ship leave him, as their velocity steadied. He unbuckled his harness, and drifted over to N�tn�see. He gave David a slight nod, indicating he was fine. Hisheena, the closest thing their crew had to a medic, took David�s hand. David looked at her curiously. She pulled him towards the back of the ship, and he followed.
�Get on the table. I need to scan your wounds to see which ones need tending to first.�
�I�m fine, really.�
�Sir, excuse me for speaking freely, but just do it.� She possessed a strange sense of authority in her voice. Or was that concern? David couldn�t tell anymore, his mind felt like a bowl of scrambled eggs. He lied down on the table, and Hisheena strapped him down. She floated to a console, and tapped some commands. He felt a strange hum vibrate through his body, then leave. Hisheena raised an eyebrow.
�See? I told you. Your wrist is partially fractured, your spine is bruised like hell, three ribs are broken, and there are signs of serious wear on your Achilles tendons. Not to mention the stress levels I�m reading on your brain.� She looked at him, and in a voice only he could hear, said �I�m glad as hell we have you as our squad leader�. The words touched him. He never actually thought of himself as great, knowing that too much self-pride was a very bad thing. But he was very glad his teammates could feel that way about him.
The harness released, and he started floating off the table. Hisheena took his hand, with a firm but gentile grip. She was a lot stronger than she looked. Her eyes met his, and they just stared at each other. Her smile faded, and her eyes drifted to her data pad.
�You need rest. From N�tn�see�s figures, you should be 100% by the time we get back to Earth.� She placed a needle up to his neck, and gently inserted the needle into his jugular. The anesthetics and burning medicines filled his mind. He felt like his brain was on fire, and lost consciousness.
He began to dream. Their little ship drifted down the heavenly clouds, towards a perfectly clean landing pad. The air was full of the smells he missed: flowers, grass, and the lack of hostility in the air. Music playing, a beautiful Earth sunset to the west, the people standing at the foot of their ship to welcome them home. But he knew such would not happen. They had failed, and he had lost more than � of his squad. The most he could expect when he got home was a funeral for his fallen comrades and, if he was lucky, a new assignment.
He felt the ground shake, and awoke. His vision was blurry. His eyes began to regain focus, and Hisheena faded into view. Her soft voice filled his ears.
�Were back. The Admiral is having us dock with one of our ships. He wants a word with you in twenty minutes.�
He was feeling a lot better now, most of his wounds completely healed. He felt a feeling of dread though, as his dream had reminded him of what was his team. They were dead, and he couldn�t even give them a proper burial. They hadn�t asked for this, and he had failed as their leader. He had failed. Lost. Been conquered, beaten, stripped of his dignity. For the first time in his life, the enemy had won.
He would make sure his fallen comrades were avenged.
