First Strike

The night had never seemed so long and dark to Tarina. Her heart ached with an emptiness she knew could never be replaced. With her legs curled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around a pillow, she lay there. She had been told that the ship Sheridan had been traveling in had been declared overdue and was presumed destroyed in action. Alone in her room, all of the lights were off. In her hand was a picture of them taken during a visit to Paris during a break at the academy. It was one of her most beloved and cherished memories.

  The door to her room opened slightly, letting the light from the hallway shine inside. “Tarina, it’s me, Wendy.”

  “Please leave me alone,” said Tarina.

  “I know, but I can’t. Colonel Wright has called for all of us to assemble on the flight deck ASAP.”

  Tarina sat up and wiped the tears from her face. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

  Wendy closed the door, plunging the room back into darkness. Tarina did not want to, but she had no choice. She flicked on a light, walked into the bathroom, and washed her face. Tarina straightened out her uniform and joined Wendy in the hallway. “What’s going on?” Tarina asked.

  “No idea, but we had best hurry.”

  A minute later, they joined their fellow pilots. A wild and animated discussion was brewing. Someone said that the Kurgs had attacked another star system while another spoke of saboteurs detonating bombs at Fleet Headquarters on Earth.

  Major Fareed walked in and told everyone to take a seat on the bleachers behind them. A couple of seconds later, Wright entered the hangar floor. Everyone rocketed to attention. Wright stood in front of his people and locked his ice-blue eyes on them. “Folks, one thing you should never do in the military is sugarcoat bad news. It only leads to misunderstandings that can complicate things down the line. So here it is. The war to date has gone spectacularly bad. All along the Disputed Zone, we have suffered defeat after defeat. Several systems have already fallen to the enemy.”

  He paused to gauge the news on the faces of his pilots. If it bothered them, they didn’t let it show. “Fleet intel has intercepted messages coming from the Derran system which seem to indicate that the Kurgs are struggling to pacify Derra-5, a planet, which fleet had expected to fall by now. In fact, if the messages are to be believed, it is a real burr under their saddle and fleet wishes it to remain so for as long as possible.”

  “Sir, what of the rumors of Kurgan agents operating in the fleet?” asked a short, broad-chested lieutenant. “Can we trust communiques coming from the Kurgan forces on Derra-5?”

  “Absolutely not,” replied Wright. “That is why we have been tasked to take a look at Derra-5 in order to confirm or deny this information.”

  An excited murmur ran through the squadron.

  “People, I know that not all of you are ready for this assignment, so here is how it is going to go down. I will take two Avengers with me. The remainder of you will remain behind to complete your training under Major Fareed.”

  A cocky captain with short blonde hair and a skin-tight flight suit stood up. “Sir, who are you planning to take with you?”

  “Not you, Bradley. You’re not ready yet.”

  Deflated, the blonde-haired pilot sat down.

  “I will fly one of the Avengers with Lloyd as my navigator. Tarina with Wendy as her navigator will fly the second ship. Folks, this is not open to discussion, so don’t try and corner me after this meeting is over to try to get me to change my mind. I expect the flight crews to rendezvous back here in thirty minutes. We have a fast transport ship to catch that will jump from here to the furthest edge of the Derran system.”

  Wright dismissed the pilots. “Tarina, please walk with me for a minute.” When they were out of earshot of the other pilots, he turned to face her. “I’m sorry, I just heard about your loss.”

  “Thank you, sir,” she responded, fighting back the tears.

  “Think of this as your chance for payback. If it’s true and Derra-5 is still holding out, fleet undoubtedly will kick into high gear. I bet they will plan to give the Kurgs a severe drubbing there if they can. However, they can’t do a thing until they know what is going on there. That is why I picked you. You’re the best instinctual pilot I have; that and fact that I thought you’d like the opportunity to stick it to the enemy.”

  Tarina smiled. “Yes, sir, I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.”

  “Good. Pack your things and meet me here. The flight to the Derran star system will take three days at full speed. After that, we’re on our own. If you haven’t already, fill out a will.”

  Wright carried on, leaving Tarina alone in the now empty hangar thinking about what he had just said. Her heart was a mix of emotions. It still ached for Sheridan; however, a burning desire for revenge was brewing deep inside her. Whatever happened next, Tarina wanted payback and she intended to collect for the death of the only man she had ever loved.

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