Part 36 (2/2)

Waves of T'kaan fighters closed with the Kraaqi fighters that Becky led.

”They're everywhere!” Becky shouted.

The s.h.i.+p in Becky's sights exploded, but even as she looked up for her Kraaqi allies, she saw more of the three horned s.h.i.+ps diving on her. Her fighter shuddered under direct hits and suddenly the s.h.i.+eld alarm screamed-her s.h.i.+elds were completely down. She kicked her s.h.i.+p hard over and dove away from them.

Without s.h.i.+elds, she knew she was a sitting duck.

”I need some help here,” Becky said with a surprising calm.

Kyle destroyed another fighter and tried to turn to help Becky. But two more T'kaan cut him off. As he twisted away, he saw her out of the corner of his eye. He watched the three horned s.h.i.+ps even as they fired. Helplessly, he stared at the tracers as they streaked straight for Becky's unprotected s.h.i.+p.

The universe seemed to stop.

Jaric fired andturned, trying to find Becky's familiar s.h.i.+p. But his s.h.i.+p suddenly shuddered under moredirect hits. Jerking the controls he dove down and below the sudden hail of blaster fire. He tried to maneuver toward the dot that he knew was Becky's s.h.i.+p on his sensor screen. But he couldn't as his s.h.i.+p shuddered again with direct hits.

Jaric turned his s.h.i.+p away as he screamed his rage.

Mother's sensorspinpointed Becky's s.h.i.+p, and her merciless attackers. Even as she pushed her mighty engines and made them scream in protest, she was processing all possible attack vectors and deciding which would bring the most desired result-to save Becky. All her guns turned and focused on the targets attacking Becky, but they were out of her range.

Just out of reach.

Becky jerked hers.h.i.+p hard and then stared into the laser lances coming for her. Straight for her.

”Mother!” She cried.

Mother raced towardthe sensor marker that was Becky, her engines straining past the red line. She bent every process to this one, great task-to protect her child, a job she was well equipped for, something she had done so many times. Something...

The sensor marker that was Becky's s.h.i.+p suddenly disappeared.

Mother was confused for the second time that day and her circuits began to overheat with intense activity. She started a Level Four diagnostic on her main sensors even as her guns belched death and destroyed the three horned fighters that had been attacking Becky's s.h.i.+p.

Within seconds, the diagnostics returned, completed. They were surprisingly clean as she raced past the blossoming explosions.

Mother quickly recalibrated her sensors and she scanned the area again. Still, she could not locate Becky's s.h.i.+p.

More alarms sounded inside her flickering, electronic soul.

She recalibrated her sensors a third time. It only took a few seconds, yet it seemed like an eternity. She continued to strain, to search... to search in vain for her lone girl-child.

When her recalibrations failed again, she began filtering out all s.h.i.+ps, even Kraaqi, only searching for human configurations with her sensors. Only human s.h.i.+ps.

Two s.h.i.+ps appeared.

Mother's processors suddenly spiked into super-activity as she calculated all possible solutions to this inexplicable problem. Alarms screamed down her darkened corridors as displays flashed with streamingmountains of data. Her processors leveled off at one hundred percent utilization.

But the answer was obvious to her.

”Kyle. I am damaged,” Mother said. ”You must lead Becky and Jaric out.”

But Kyle could no longer see in order to get away, not through the tears blinding his vision. And he could not answer Mother because of the lump that filled his throat.

Over the comm link Jaric cried out loud as he pulled his triggers, destroying the T'kaan s.h.i.+ps that still dove at him in wave after endless wave.

Chapter Forty-Three.

Rawlon was furious; both with himself and the entire universe.

Kraaqi warriors did not run from battle- that single thought silently haunted him.

Here he was, Admiral of the greatest fleet ever a.s.sembled- his only order a general retreat, leaving the maternal Mewiis alone to fight the battle for him. Clenching his eyes tightly shut, he cursed himself.

Behind him, he heard the familiar steps of his First Officer approaching.

Rawlon's body jerked with shock as Curja screamed out loud just behind his head. With surprising strength, Curja slammed his fist into the console next to Rawlon's chair which caused sparks to erupt from the damaged electronics.

Rawlon's eyes met Curja's. Curja glared back with burning anger.

”Have the humans disengaged?” Rawlon asked, suddenly feeling a strange and sickening tightness in his stomach. But somehow he didn't want to know what Curja was going to tell him. He wanted him to leave; to order Curja to return to his station.

But he couldn't.

With a flash of insight, the age-old proverb went through his mind- 'Even a warrior fights the bitterness of tragedy to the very end. '

”The humans...” Curja began.

”Our brethren!” Rawlon shouted in anger, causing every head on the bridge to turn towards him. ”Tellme of the humans-Brethren of the warriors Kraaqi.”

Curja looked down, remembering the sacred honor that had been bestowed on the humans during the recently completed rite ofSa'DaK by Rok and the Band of the Stars.

”I will know,” Rawlon growled ominously.

Curja looked up with a warrior's stoic gaze. He spoke with a sadness in his voice.

”The human female, the one called Becky, is dead. An honored death in battle.”

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