Total Betrayal (Deep Space Endeavor) (30 page)

             
"Don't worry, from what I've been told, there's nothing the great Jesse Marcos can't do." She prodded Soldier to go eat his breakfast.

             
"This might be too big for even me, sweetheart. I'll do my best, but if things go bad, we'll have to get you to
Endeavor
and get as many people as we can to the Kalephi Galaxy."

             
"It won't come to that," She handed him a cup of coffee and a muffin, then she hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Now, get going, you don't want to be late to your meeting." Jesse left with a smile as he heard Lana sternly say, "Lady, sit."

             
After ten grueling hours of meetings, trying to figure out how to save the planet from not one, but three separate groups that want to destroy it, Jesse was ready for bed. Unfortunately, he was going to have to get up in the morning and do it all again. Fortunately, he was going to have a late dinner with Kimi before trying to find that elusive old friend known as sleep. Sun was staying over with Lana so Jesse had Kimi all to himself. He could put off rest just a little while to spend some time with the woman he loved. She greeted him at the door with a kiss that made him want to abandon sleep altogether, and then she took his hand and led him to the kitchen where a savory-smelling mushroom chicken meal awaited them. He was so tired, and his leg was still hurting, but he loved every minute of his time with Kimi.

             
"How are the battle plans coming along?" Kimi asked with a concerned look in her eye. He found it odd that the typical "how was your day" type questions a normal couple might share were so vastly different for them, but he loved her more for it.

             
"They're not, not really anyway. I don't see how we're gonna be able to beat two thousand ships. We only have two hundred forty-one ships plus
Endeavor
. We have an additional hundred fifty freighters, transports and cargo vessels that we are pressing into service, but that's not really going to be much help. Every one of our assault shuttles will be out among the fleet. Two or three of those together can take out a gunship and we have hundreds of them, but it's not gonna be enough. Our best bet is to get the aliens and Enclave to mistrust each other to the point where a battle breaks out between them. If we can do that, all of the other tricks that Serge, Manny, Josiah and I have up our sleeves might be enough to pull our hides out of the fire." He looked around, a little worried as he finished speaking.

             
"Do not worry, Jesse, I have employed a full jamming field. We are safe to talk." She smiled as she took a small bite of the pasta she had prepared with the chicken. As Jesse visibly relaxed, she continued with a question. "You had mentioned to me the idea for taking control of the SSE ships to fire on the rest of the Enclave fleet, what if you had them instead fire on the alien fleet after you have planted a seed of doubt in their mind as to Lucien's intentions?"

             
It was so simple, how had that eluded him? He had the means all along to get them fighting one another. He would taunt them, and then simultaneously open up on them from the planet while turning the SSE ships in the Enclave's possession on the Syndicate. They would never believe Lucien wasn't betraying them after two hundred ships open up on them without warning. "Kimi, that's it. I don't know why it hadn't occurred to me, but that's the key." He leaned over and kissed her, with a new found confidence they were going to survive. "You're a genius. I can't wait to tell the guys." He kissed her again, a little more deeply and sat back down with a smile that suggested a giant weight had just been lifted off his shoulders.

             
"Glad I could help." She replied, still thinking about that last kiss.

             
"Kimi, if you had any idea how incredible you are..." Before he could finish that thought, she began kissing him and suddenly, dinner was forgotten.

______

             
Endeavor
gently landed on the warehouse floor. She was badly needed patrolling the system, but it was finally time to mount Jesse's galaxy drive. Collin stepped out into the warm summertime breeze prevalent in all of the low-lying regions of Polisia. The temperature never varied more than fifteen to twenty degrees with the seasons, and the golden grass and deep red berry bushes were always in bloom. The climate was temperate and many of Polisia's citizens enjoyed it. Nina and Jesse had made their home in the mountains where it was always winter. Polisia was a beautiful world and Collin hoped it survived the coming onslaught. He checked out
Endeavor's
landing struts as he anxiously awaited Serge, Irina and Dmitri. Collin wondered how siblings like Serge and Irina or Jesse and Nina could be so talented. He still had no idea what interests his own sister Sarah had. He mused a little sadly that he hadn't been around her as much as he should have. His musings came to an end as he saw Serge's smiling face.

             
"Collin, this is a big day, my friend."

             
"It really is," he replied as he shook Serge and Dmitri's hands and gave Irina a quick hug. Bessa came out of
Endeavor
and said her hellos as well. "This might wind up being the greatest invention in the history of two galaxies. Serge, can you imagine being able to travel between galaxies at will? Can you imagine what this could mean for trade and culture? Can you imagine how much something like this would be worth?" Collin's enthusiasm threatened to engulf him as he thought about all of the possibilities.

             
"I know, Collin. I still cannot even fathom how Jesse figured this out. I consider myself to be very intelligent, but his mind is downright scary sometimes."

             
"I think it was one of those things where it just clicked for him. A lot of his strategies are like that, too. He just seems to see the things that are invisible to the rest of us."

             
"Yes, yes, we can go on about Jesse, or we can install the drive. Which would you boys prefer?" Irina said matter-of-factly. She knew they were in awe of Jesse, but they still had a job to do.

             
"That's my mom." Dmitri proudly proclaimed. "Always the voice of reason."

             
"Always the wet blanket is more like it," Serge joked to a frown from his sister.

             
Collin brought a hover cart filled with the two machines they would be installing, Jason's timer, a couple power sources and a healthy supply of the mineral they would need to open the conduit. As soon as everything was installed and ready, Josiah would be taking
Endeavor
and a few old freighters, all with skeleton crews on a hopefully quick field trip to the Kalephi Galaxy.

             
It took the better part of nine hours, including a lunch break where Ariel threatened to unleash Carmine on them if they didn't eat, but they had finally finished. Jesse came by with Kimi to inspect the installation and run the final tests before his team would be trying to go to another galaxy. Jesse badly wanted to go, but he couldn't risk it. With two thousand ships likely to be at their doorstep in six days, he couldn't chance being stuck in another galaxy. He hated to send
Endeavor
, but he had to know if it would work because it was likely their only means of escape if the battle did not go well. Not to mention that if some old Hyperian friends were still milling about the Kaldorian system, he hoped
Endeavor
could invite them back to help. He kept that thought to himself as the primary mission was the testing of the technology. When everything had been checked and double-checked, Jesse gave the mission a go.

             
"Captain Jackson, what crew will you be taking on this mission?" He asked barely able to contain his excitement.

             
"I am keeping it small; I have Collin to pilot, Serge in engineering, Tanna on weapons, Bessa on sensors and Xanu on damage control. Manny has lent me Sanjay to Captain the
Justice
and General Kelly has given him a crew of fifteen Special Forces personnel to accompany us to the Kalephi. We will be slaving seven old freighters of varying size to the
Justice
as a test to see if multiple ships can pass through with only one galaxy drive.

             
"Outstanding, I know an event like this should have a big ceremony attached to it, but with circumstances as they are, a small send off from a few friends is all we can manage." Jesse paused and looked at
Endeavor's
crew before adding, "Captain Jackson, your mission is go!"

             
“Thank you, Colonel," Josiah replied. He was still getting used to being Captain Jackson, but he definitely liked it. He still couldn't believe that Jesse had given him permanent command of
Endeavor
, it was quite unexpected and he loved the faith his friend had put in him to captain what he had called his greatest achievement. He was fairly certain that this galaxy drive would be Jesse's new greatest achievement, and he had entrusted that to him as well.

             
"And, Jo, pass or fail, bringing everyone back is the top priority."

             
"Yes, Sir," he replied with a salute as he turned with his crew and boarded the ship. The rest of the ships, he didn't want to call it a fleet, were already in space waiting for them. Jesse watched as they took off and kept his eye on his former ship until it was into the clouds. He had a lot of work still to do and knew they would not be back for at least six hours. Ariel and Manny had arranged for Vee Fleet and the Olympians to give
Endeavor
an escort to their likely jump point and all of them held their breath, hoping this worked.

______

              As Jesse and Kimi made it back to the command center, he was surprised to see the ruling council and the military council, accompanied by Nina, Ariel, Jason and the rest of his friends. He was even more surprised when Lana came running through the assembled group to give him a hug and a big smile.

             
"What's going on, Lana?" He asked, wondering what was up.

             
"Come into the main hall, Dad, then we'll tell you." She smiled and took his hand as they walked. He put his arm around his daughter and returned her smile.

             
"So, no one is gonna tell me what this is about?" He looked to Nina and Ariel who both shook their head no. When the doors to the main hall opened, there were almost two thousand military personnel in the room. Special Forces, Naval officers, Kalephi guests and Reece was at the podium grinning ear to ear.

             
The main hall was the only room in the entire seven buildings that made up the command center that was even the slightest bit elegant. Everything else was practically utilitarian. The main hall, however, contained plush chairs with deep blue velvet cushions, plush tan carpeting and a stage complete with thick black theatrical curtains. The stage was currently bathed in soft white lighting that could become dark red or deep purple at the touch of a button, and the sound system was among the best on the planet. Reece stood behind a hand carved wood podium and several high back, hand carved, wooden chairs sat on the dais behind him.

             
"Would Colonel Jesse Marcos and both of our councils please proceed to the stage?" Reece called out as the room broke into applause.

             
They made their way to the stage while Jesse's friends and family made their way to their seats in the front row. Nina, Ariel, Lana, Kimi, Jason, Captain Snyder, Maria, Irina, Dmitri, Raina and Sun sat to his right. He looked to his left and saw Carmine, Paulie, Charlie, Cartwright and Tate as Reece took his seat next to them. He mused that he should have let
Endeavor
take off in the morning so Josiah, Collin, Bessa, Serge, Tanna, Xanu and Sanjay could all be a part of this, whatever this was.

             
Councilor Dana motioned for quiet as he began. "In the history of Polisia, no one has done more to defend her, or given more for her than Colonel Jesse Marcos and his family. It is well past time that we give him the honor due. I would like General Kelly and Admiral Collingsworth to join me at the podium as we make official what everyone already knows. Colonel, if you would join the General and Admiral." He motioned for Jesse to stand beside them as he took his seat with the council.

             
"Colonel Marcos," General Kelly began with the same deep booming voice that had made him run the obstacle course more times than he could count back when he was in training with Special Forces. "Admiral Collingsworth and I may not be a part of the Coalition military anymore, but we are the highest ranking officers in Polisia's military. Having said that, we know that you are the one that will inevitably save this planet if it can be saved, so we would like to give you the honor you would never ask for yourself. With the approval of the ruling council, we hereby promote you to the rank of Fleet Admiral. You are now the highest ranking member of Polisia's military."