Hello, my name is Jack.\u00a0 There are times when I realize that everything I\u2019ve known about life is wrong.\u00a0 When everything I know about an entire race is wrong.\u00a0 The Peloran are a very calm race, always nice from what I\u2019ve seen, always courteous and careful.\u00a0 Send them into combat though, and that is when you see what the Albion designed them to be.\u00a0 Utterly fearless warriors capable of looking death in the face and smiling back.\u00a0 That day, I learned I could do it too.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Jack strummed his guitar, singing a favorite song about beaches and sun and fresh lake breezes.\u00a0 And beer and girls of course.\u00a0 Put beer and girls in anything and it got better after all.\u00a0 The girls agreed, cheering him on as they danced with the very lucky boys on the beach.\u00a0 He could only assume the beer agreed as well.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t protest his singing at least.<\/p>\n
The sun was gone below the horizon, but warmth still radiated off the sand and he drove his bare feet down into it.\u00a0 A two-meter bonfire lit the beach, driving back the chilly wind coming in off Rainy Lake with waves of heat that warmed the skin with each flicker of flame.\u00a0 He breathed deep between verses, enjoying the warmth on his bare chest.\u00a0 He held his seat on the wooden stool, strummed his guitar, and sang on.<\/p>\n
Jack cocked his head to the side in confusion as he realized the very joyful song about beach parties had taken on a melancholy tone.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know why.\u00a0 It was a happy song, and it had been every time he\u2019d song it before.\u00a0 Now it felt\u2026sad.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know why, but soldiered on.\u00a0 The boys and girls drinking and dancing around the bonfire didn\u2019t seem to notice his melancholy, having as much fun as they always did on Friday nights.<\/p>\n
Jack continued to sing, strumming his guitar, and watching the party go on.\u00a0 A beautiful young lady with blonde hair and a yellow sundress fluttering in the twin breezes off the lake and the fire walked out of the crowd towards him.\u00a0 He recognized her in a moment and nodded his head.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t break the song though.\u00a0 If he did that, the party would end, so he kept it going behind her.<\/p>\n
Betty walked up to him, turned to look at the party, and placed a hand on his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI can see why you love them,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n
Jack smiled in between phrases, and sang on.\u00a0 He scanned the crowd and saw all of his friends there.\u00a0 There drank Big John, the muscular man you always wanted at your back when furniture needed moving.\u00a0 There danced Chris, the wiry man you always wanted nearby when you started a fight.\u00a0 The University of Minnesota\u2019s starting quarterback, Jesse sat on a log, a girl in each arm laughing at his jokes.\u00a0 His delivery was actually good enough he could have a real future there if he tried.\u00a0 Dave tossed another log on the fire, causing it to blossom up into the night and highlight the numerous burn scars on his body.\u00a0 He was the one you always wanted around if you had to start a fire and all you had was a concrete block and a bucket of water.<\/p>\n
Sarah danced up a storm on the edge of the beach where the waves rolled up to her ankles, her long hair flying wild in the firelight.\u00a0 She was a city kid and had been to dance school since she was seven.\u00a0 She wasn\u2019t the strongest girl out there, but was real good at bringing a crowd to its feet when she wanted to.\u00a0 Kelly stood by the coolers, arched back as she finished another glistening bottle, drinking another boy into the sand.\u00a0 She came from a farm, and while she looked soft and huggable, she could throw a right hook that would send the boy that mouthed off to her into next week.\u00a0 Hillary and Taylor both sat in the sand next to the fire, knees digging in deep and their toes flexing beneath their very shapely hind ends.\u00a0 They had the lungs of natural sopranos accustomed to the stage and would relieve him on the guitar whenever he felt like stopping.<\/p>\n
Jack sang on, wondering why he felt so sad when he was right here, in the one place in the world he loved the most.\u00a0 Partying with so many good friends with so much good music and literal crates of good beer on an awesome beach with a pyromaniac-fed fire.\u00a0 It was heaven.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know why you\u2019re sad,\u201d Betty whispered in his ear.<\/p>\n
He jerked, almost losing the song, but held it and the party went on.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t belong here.\u00a0 He looked at her and read the understanding in her eyes.\u00a0 She\u2019d never been to the parties.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t belong at the parties.\u00a0 They weren\u2019t her world.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t belong here either, Jack,\u201d she added with a sad smile.<\/p>\n
He felt a shudder of dread go through him, and almost lost the song again.\u00a0 Somehow, he continued to sing, and the party lived on.\u00a0 His friends continued to have fun.\u00a0 He looked away from Betty and tried to feel like he was part of the party.\u00a0 It just didn\u2019t work though.\u00a0 No matter how hard he tried, he felt like he was on the outside looking in.\u00a0 Only the song and the guitar in his hands felt real.<\/p>\n
Betty stepped behind him, moved close, and placed both hands on his shoulders.\u00a0 He stopped singing at the realization that she felt more real than the guitar.<\/p>\n
The song went on, the party went on, his friends continued to have fun, and he cocked his head to the side in wonder as he realized he could see himself singing.\u00a0 He looked down to see empty hands, and back up to see the other him playing the guitar.\u00a0 He felt Betty bend over until her lips hovered next to his ear.<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand why you want to be here,\u201d she whispered.\u00a0 \u201cIf I\u2019d grown up with this, I would too.\u00a0 It really is a wonderful life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack watched himself sing and willed a beer bottle into existence.\u00a0 He lifted it up and watched the fire reflect off the water drops on its side.\u00a0 He popped the top, leaned back into her body, and chugged it down.\u00a0 It was great.\u00a0 The best beer he\u2019d ever had.\u00a0 No.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t.\u00a0 He lowered the bottle and frowned at it.\u00a0 He\u2019d just drunk the best beer he\u2019d ever had a few minutes ago.\u00a0 He concentrated, smiled, and leaned back to take another chug.\u00a0 A thick, honey sweet beer flowed from the bottle and he finished it with relish.\u00a0 \u201cWe could stay here,\u201d Jack said after lowering the bottle, not entirely certain what he meant.\u00a0 Somehow though, he knew it was true.\u00a0 If he decided to, he would never have to leave this party again.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs this truly all you want?\u201d Betty asked.<\/p>\n
For a split second, the party flittered out of focus and Jack had to fight to bring it back.\u00a0 \u201cWhy?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cWhat could possible be better than this?\u201d<\/p>\n
Betty sighed and let out a long breath that tickled his ear.\u00a0 \u201cUs,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n
The bonfire disappeared and he saw both of them standing on an observation deck on a starship, looking out over the Earth far below them.\u00a0 He shook his head, and the party came back into focus.\u00a0 \u201cWe could be us right here,\u201d he answered, focusing on the him who still sang.\u00a0 He concentrated and Betty faded into view next to that him.\u00a0 She belonged there, just as much as he did.\u00a0 They could both live forever in the party, never looking back to anything that might hurt them.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, we could,\u201d Betty said in his ear.\u00a0 \u201cWe could settle<\/em> for this if you wish.\u00a0 But we could be so much more<\/em> out there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d Jack said, feeling the world want to shift below him again.\u00a0 Stars and fire filled his view for a moment, but he shook his head and the party returned.\u00a0 \u201cWhy should we?\u00a0 This is what we want in the end, right?\u00a0 So why face everything it throws at us, hoping we can get this in the end, when we can just\u2026take it now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs<\/em> this what you want, Jack?\u201d Betty asked with a sad sigh.\u00a0 \u201cI know a part<\/em> of you does.\u00a0 But another part of you wants so much more than this.\u00a0 So who will you choose to be?\u201d<\/p>\n The bonfire shattered and faded and both of them sat in a ship, flying through the heavens to anywhere they wanted to go.\u00a0 His heart leapt for joy in his chest at the idea of being free to go wherever he wanted.\u00a0 The ship faded and flames and stars filled his eyes again.\u00a0 He looked away and the bonfire came back, but this time the party seemed further away than before.\u00a0 He could return if he wanted, but it would be hard.\u00a0 He would have to close all the doors behind him to do it.\u00a0 And somehow, somewhere, he knew he could never turn back if he made that decision.<\/p>\n Jack frowned and turned his head to look at Betty.\u00a0 He felt afraid and he didn\u2019t know why.\u00a0 \u201cWhat happened?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n She bestowed a beaming smile on him.\u00a0 \u201cThat<\/em> is a question you should never stop asking,\u201d she said and he felt her joy slip into him until she gave him a hard look.\u00a0 \u201cBut you know what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack\u2019s heart quailed at the thought and he took a step back towards the party in reflex.\u00a0 It came closer into focus and he realized he was more than afraid.\u00a0 He was terrified.\u00a0 \u201cDo<\/em> I?\u201d he asked, trying to keep the terror from his voice.\u00a0 Her look of complete understanding and acceptance told him he\u2019d failed utterly.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course you do.\u201d<\/p>\n The party flickered but he shook his head and the party came back into view.\u00a0 All of his friends, everything he\u2019d lived for all of his life, right here.\u00a0 It was all for the taking.\u00a0 All he had to do was take the step and he would never have to leave again.<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t take the step.\u00a0 He met Betty\u2019s gaze.\u00a0 He trusted her.\u00a0 She smiled.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s never easy to face what we don\u2019t want to face.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack chewed on his lower lip.\u00a0 \u201cSo what don\u2019t I want to face?\u201d<\/p>\n Her smile turned grim.\u00a0 \u201cYour death.\u201d<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t jerk away from her.\u00a0 He let out a long breath and nodded his agreement.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t really anything to say after all.\u00a0 She was right.\u00a0 He pulled in a deep breath, steeled his nerve, and closed his eyes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jack opened his eyes as the flash of jumping between hyperspace and normalspace faded away.\u00a0 He gasped at the massive Shang warship filling the sky in front of him.\u00a0 It was less than a kilometer away and he could actually see<\/em> the individual weapons turrets spinning towards him.\u00a0 They had jumped in too close.\u00a0 Way, way, way<\/em> too close for his comfort.<\/p>\n \u201cChaaaaaarge!\u201d Hal shouted and every weapon in the squadron opened up as the ships accelerated towards their target.<\/p>\n The Peloran were insane.\u00a0 This was crazy, and yet every fiber of Jack\u2019s being thrilled with life as they charged into battle.\u00a0 That terrified him more than the battleship before him bristling with weapons and completely willing to crush him like a bug.\u00a0 Far, far more.<\/p>\n \u201cOh fu\u2026.\u201d He started and the universe turned on its side as every weapon in the squadron fired at once.\u00a0 Over a hundred grav cannons, fourteen of them massive capital ship versions, ripped into the Shang\u2019s flank.\u00a0 Hundreds of breacher missiles followed them in, causing more breaches in the deflection grid with their waves of explosions.\u00a0 Kinetic lances flashed through the holes and impacted at relativistic speeds, causing shockwaves of vaporizing metal that reverberated the ship as if hit by nuclear warheads.<\/p>\n With the deflection grid largely breached, the laser turrets on warships and fighters alike began to play across the entire length of the ship at maximum rapid-fire rate.\u00a0 Jack didn\u2019t know how many lasers fired at the ship, but he could count the thirty-six that the Cowboys fired, and that was from only nine fighters.<\/p>\n Peloran battleships carried around eighty fighters he knew, with the smaller ships carrying far fewer.\u00a0 All told, a full squadron of Peloran ships would usually have at least three hundred fighters of various classes, from light interceptors to heavy anti-ship fighters.\u00a0 The five Peloran ships weren\u2019t a full squadron of course, but they should carry two hundred between them.\u00a0 After casualties, he figured maybe seventy heavy fighters remained for the five ships.\u00a0 Another fifty light interceptor fighters boiled out of their launch tubes, and the laser arrays of every fighter went to rapid fire.\u00a0 At an educated guess, he figured there were probably somewhere between three and five hundred lasers firing from the fighters alone.<\/p>\n And of course there were the five warships.\u00a0 He flew close enough to the Guardian Light<\/em> that he could see the warship\u2019s point defense lasers physically moving along the runes to their firing positions on the forward hull of the massive battleship.\u00a0 The Peloran were leaving their flanks exposed for a single devastating strike, he noted with a corner of his mind.\u00a0 At full capacity, the Peloran battleship was rated for three hundred point defense laser arrays, while the other ships had impressive arrays of their own.\u00a0 Of course their point defense networks had been mauled in the previous fight.\u00a0 Still, he thought as many as five hundred lasers bridged the gap between the Peloran warships and the Shang flagship.<\/p>\n Kinetic lances were a visible blur of motion followed by an explosion of debris.\u00a0 Missiles were too for that matter.\u00a0 Grav beams weren\u2019t technically visible in their own right, but like a black hole they sucked everything around them into their beams.\u00a0 Every spare piece of garbage in orbit rushed into the beams that somehow managed to be darker than space.\u00a0 On its own, that would have been impressive.\u00a0 But when the better part of one thousand lasers fired across the distance of a mere kilometer in a kilometer-wide strobe pattern, Jack saw something he\u2019d never known was even possible.<\/p>\n Lasers were not visible.\u00a0 Not even as visible as a grav beam.\u00a0 But their effects most certainly were<\/em> visible.\u00a0 Armor designed to absorb damage from a hundred different types of punishment covered the ship, though the grav cannons and kinetic lances had already pierced it in many places.\u00a0 Still, most of the armor was still there when the laser barrage initiated.\u00a0 The armor had not been designed to take the entire weapons output of the better part of a Peloran Battle Squadron at point blank range.\u00a0 The armor melted under the assault, turning white hot and pouring away from the ship into the gravitic beams.\u00a0 As the armor went away, the lasers burned further in and deck after deck melted or evaporated into gas.\u00a0 Usually the gas would have inhibited the lasers\u2019 effectiveness, but the gravitic beams sucked that in too, and the lasers continued to dig deeper and deeper into the ship.<\/p>\n Puff after puff told the tale of another deck evaporating under the assault until they reached the core of the Shang ship where its primary power generators rested, usually protected from any conceivable assault.\u00a0 The generators exploded, breaking the back of the Shang battleship, and spewing wreckage out in massive waves of debris.\u00a0 The lasers melted or vaporized the debris, the gravitic beams sucked it in, and the battleship simply came apart, each piece melting or evaporating and falling into the very<\/em> visible gravitic beams.<\/p>\n Jack had no words for it.\u00a0 He\u2019d never imagined anything like it.\u00a0 No book or lecture on war had prepared him for combat so devastating in such a short amount of time.\u00a0 He\u2019d never imagined he would be close enough to see it with his own eyes, without any magnification at all from the cockpit systems.\u00a0 And he\u2019d never imagined in his deepest darkest fantasies just how much he would enjoy<\/em> it.<\/p>\n And then he did<\/em> have a word.\u00a0 It was just one word, a word he\u2019d learned in Texas that fit the situation perfectly.\u00a0 It was a very long word.\u00a0 \u201cYeeeeeehhhhaaaaaawwwww!\u201d<\/p>\n The Peloran Battle Squadron flew into the disintegrating battleship, flames filled his vision, and Jack hauled the stick to the side.\u00a0 Debris scattered everywhere, bouncing off deflection grids, and Jack and Betty flitted back and forth and up and down as they sought a safe route through the hulk of an exploding warship.<\/p>\n And then the other Shang finally reacted.\u00a0 It had taken them time, far more time than he\u2019d expected.\u00a0 Of course, when he took the time to consider it, it made sense.\u00a0 Who would have been insane enough to jump inside<\/em> a major Shang fleet formation after all?\u00a0 He suppressed a mad giggle of delight at the shock they must have felt.\u00a0 They ignored the British in the distance now, and all of their missile fire slashed in towards the Peloran Battle Squadron and the one Avenger that Jack and Betty flew.\u00a0 He felt for a moment like he was in the bright center of the universe, the focus of everything that lived, as the missiles swarmed in, and he twitched to the side to avoid them.\u00a0 Many impacted with the debris of what had once been a battleship.\u00a0 Other missiles navigated the debris and smashed into Peloran warships, and the deflection grids flickered.\u00a0 The Peloran ships\u2019 point defense filled space before them with a wave of exploding missiles.\u00a0 None made it through from that direction.\u00a0 The missiles from every other vector came in without any active defense though, dodging and weaving through the debris of the former flagship.\u00a0 Many hit the debris, and explosions surrounded the squadron.\u00a0 But wave after wave of Shang missiles found their way through the ruins and exploded, ripping the Peloran deflection grids apart with gravitic interference.<\/p>\n The Shang lasers opened up then, seeking to do to the Peloran what they had done to the Shang flagship.\u00a0 Shang debris and Peloran armor melted and vaporized under the assault, atmospheric gases belching out into space.\u00a0 Already badly wounded by the earlier fighting, Jack watched the Peloran ships writhe under the assault.\u00a0 He licked suddenly dry lips, knowing they couldn\u2019t take this assault.\u00a0 They just couldn\u2019t<\/em>.\u00a0 The only<\/em> good thing, if it could be called a good thing, was that they were surrounded.\u00a0 Every Peloran weapon had struck one side of one target, while the Shang ships fired on multiple Peloran ships, from all sides.\u00a0 The damage they took was horrendous of course, but it had to burn through all<\/em> of the armor on all<\/em> sides, not simply the armor on one vector.<\/p>\n The Avenger jerked and screamed around him and he winced against the pain in his ears.\u00a0 Stars exploded behind his eyelids and he blinked them away.\u00a0 \u201cOw!\u00a0 Ow!\u00a0 Ow!\u201d Betty shouted, beating her body against the flames that covered their fighter with her hands.\u00a0 He held on tight as the fighter spun away from whatever had hit them, his eyes locked on Betty.\u00a0 She froze and looked up at him with wide eyes.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Jack,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n Jack felt something else smash into them and he recoiled from the explosion.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jack opened his eyes and he met Betty\u2019s gaze.\u00a0 \u201cI always thought the Peloran were real boring,\u201d he said with a shake of his head.\u00a0 \u201cTurns out they know how to throw some real killer parties.\u201d<\/p>\n Betty laughed, a pure soprano laugh that tinkled off the sand at their feet.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Jack.\u201d\u00a0 She looked at the party and the bonfire, and shook her head in mirth.\u00a0 \u201cYou do amaze me.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI will always try.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood,\u201d Betty returned<\/p>\n \u201cOh!\u00a0 I thought we\u2019d lost you!\u201d a voice interrupted and Jack turned to see Kelly bouncing out of the party towards them.\u00a0 She waved her hand back to the party.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re here!\u00a0 The Boundary Waters, Jack!\u201d she shouted, and the moon shown down on the water as far as the eye could see, glinting starlight on its surface.\u00a0 It truly was paradise.\u00a0 \u201cFish and love and life and the party<\/em>, Jack!\u00a0 You don\u2019t need all that pain and fire and stuff!\u00a0 Just stay here!\u201d<\/p>\n He let out a long breath as he followed her words.\u00a0 He could live forever, right here, and never miss a thing.\u00a0 He never had to risk anything again.\u00a0 And there was so much more than just the party.\u00a0 The party flickered away and he saw so many things flashing around him.\u00a0 He and friends fished in the Boundary Waters.\u00a0 His mother and father sat on the porch of their house.\u00a0 More scenes flashed through and he felt the wish to stay and live it all fill him.\u00a0 Everything could be his, no fear, no loss, if he just stayed here.<\/p>\n \u201cAll you have to do is give up how amazing<\/em> you could be in life,\u201d Betty said, interrupting his vision of perfection.\u00a0 \u201cThis is what you know<\/em>, Jack,\u201d she said with a wave towards the party and Kelly.\u00a0 \u201cOut there is what you have never imagined<\/em>,\u201d she added with a wave of a hand towards the lake and the battle raged around the party.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is beyond<\/em> that moment, Jack?\u00a0 Do you want to know?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you want, Jack?\u201d Kelly asked and sat down on a freshly created wooden stool next to him.\u00a0 \u201cSomething you could lose in a second?\u00a0 Or something you could have forever, right here?\u00a0 All of us?\u00a0 Your friends?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack shook his head and hesitated.\u00a0 They were both right.\u00a0 He supposed that was what made the decision so hard.\u00a0 He blinked as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks.\u00a0 He really did<\/em> have to decide.<\/p>\n \u201cCome with me and find out what\u2019s out there,\u201d Betty said with a smile and held her hand out for him to take.<\/p>\n \u201cStay<\/em> with me and live forever,\u201d Kelly answered, leaned into him, and planted an electric kiss on his mouth.\u00a0 Jack froze as his mind exploded.\u00a0 Everything but Kelly disappeared in the blink of an eye and reached out to pull her close without hesitation.\u00a0 The stools ceased to exist and he fell onto the warm sand, Kelly landing on top of him.\u00a0 Red hair spilled around him, the sent of sweet jasmine floated in the air, and fire consumed him as he felt the rush of tongue on tongue.<\/p>\n And then he froze as ice flowed down his spine.\u00a0 The fire faded and he knew in that instant he was truly dead.\u00a0 For the first time in his life, he looked Kelly in the eyes and didn\u2019t want to fall asleep in her arms.\u00a0 If he fell asleep, he wouldn\u2019t wake up again.\u00a0 He lifted her carefully, separating their lips, and she cocked her head to the side, confused.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u00a0 Don\u2019t you want this?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack let out a long breath, the smell of jasmine faded, and the party came back into focus with his understanding.\u00a0 He lowered her into the sand next to him, pulled his hands out from under her shirt, disentangled his legs from hers, and with an iron purpose pushed himself back up onto his feet, never taking his eyes from her.\u00a0 She scrambled to her feet as well, straightening her shirt, and watched him, a look of stunned rejection on her face.\u00a0 \u201cI thought I did.\u201d\u00a0 He shook his head, without hesitation, waving his hand towards the him playing the guitar.\u00a0 \u201cHe<\/em> does.\u00a0 But I just realized that I\u2019m not him anymore.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want what he wants.\u201d<\/p>\n Her eyes glinted in the firelight.\u00a0 \u201cThen what do<\/em> you want?\u201d she whispered, pain in her voice.<\/p>\n He rubbed his chin and looked at her, chewing his lip.\u00a0 \u201cNot just this.\u201d<\/p>\n Her eyes narrowed, she took a step back, stood tall, put a hand on her hip, and examined him for several seconds before saying anything more.\u00a0 \u201cWell, we can offer more if you want.\u00a0 How about Sarah<\/em>?\u00a0 Or Hillary?\u00a0 Or maybe you want Taylor?\u00a0 Hell<\/em>, we\u2019ve got a whole party<\/em> here,\u201d she said, her voice hard and arms outstretched.\u00a0 The bonfire exploded to twice its height behind her.\u00a0 \u201cWhy pick and choose<\/em>?\u201d she asked and every girl at the party turned to walk towards them.\u00a0 \u201cI can give you anything<\/em> you want, Jack,\u201d she said and he understood in that moment that every word she spoke was truth.\u00a0 He also understood one other point.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not Kelly,\u201d he said, his voice clear and calm.<\/p>\n Kelly pursed her lips.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u201d\u00a0 She waved a hand towards where Betty stood.\u00a0 \u201cAnd she\u2019s<\/em> not Betty.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack turned and examined Betty from head to toe with a quick glance.\u00a0 \u201cYeah.\u00a0 I guess that goes with the territory.\u201d<\/p>\n Betty smiled and gave him slight nod of approval.<\/p>\n Jack turned back to Kelly.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve got a good pitch by the way.\u201d\u00a0 He rubbed his chin.\u00a0 \u201cUp until the end at least.\u00a0 The fire\u2019s a bit much.\u00a0 But I really would<\/em> do anything for Kelly.\u00a0 Hell, I would for all<\/em> of these girls,\u201d he added with a wave towards the others.\u00a0 He stared at the him on the guitar for a long moment and felt the truth settle into his soul.\u00a0 \u201cI love \u2019em all.\u00a0 I guess that\u2019s why I can\u2019t stay.\u00a0 Someone<\/em> needs to fight for \u2019em out there.\u201d<\/p>\n Kelly\u2019s eyes opened wide in recognition, and then they turned hard.\u00a0 \u201cStay here now, Jack,\u201d she growled.\u00a0 \u201cLive with us forever.\u00a0 This is your last chance.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack smiled back as calmly as he\u2019d ever smiled in his life.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Kelly\u2019s face twisted with anger.\u00a0 \u201cYou can\u2019t run from me, Jack!\u201d she growled.<\/p>\n Jack felt his smile grow wider and he chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll never<\/em> run from you.\u201d<\/p>\n Kelly blinked, the anger fading from her face.\u00a0 She took a step back, studied him again, and shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cI misjudged you,\u201d she whispered.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you were a boy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was,\u201d Jack said and looked at the him playing the guitar.\u00a0 The other him stopped and they shared a long gaze.\u00a0 Jack nodded and the beach partying guitarist faded away.<\/p>\n Kelly moved in to touch him, raised herself on tiptoes, and looked him in the eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be watching you,\u201d she said, her breath warming his lips.\u00a0 Then she and the party faded away.<\/p>\n Jack let out a long breath and spun in the sand to face Betty.\u00a0 \u201cWell.\u00a0 I know<\/em> who she was.\u00a0 But who are you<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n Betty smiled back.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m<\/em> the one who didn\u2019t misjudge you.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack chewed his lip.\u00a0 \u201cActually, she nailed me perfect.\u201d\u00a0 He frowned at the spot he had been playing the music from.\u00a0 \u201cHe would have stayed.\u00a0 But I\u2019m not him anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n Betty smiled.\u00a0 \u201cThen who are<\/em> you?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack frowned and turned to see a ray of multihued light appear, the end of a rainbow illuminating the beach and the waves.\u00a0 He concentrated and a black western suit and hat appeared on his lanky frame.\u00a0 He straightened his tie and tipped the hat towards Betty with a wry smile.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a Cowboy.\u00a0 Beyond that, I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 Would you like to help me find out?\u201d Jack asked, feeling more alive than he\u2019d ever felt in his life, bathed in a rainbow\u2019s light.\u00a0 He breathed in the fresh air after an early morning rain and held his elbow towards her.<\/p>\n \u201cI would love to,\u201d Betty answered in an approving tone and slipped an arm inside his.<\/p>\n \u201cWell then, I suppose we should get back to livin\u2019,\u201d Jack said, and they walked into the rainbow together.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jack\u2019s eyes snapped open and he saw the multi-hued light of hyperspace.\u00a0 He gasped and heard a whistling of air that filled any spacer with dread.<\/p>\n \u201cJack!\u201d Betty shouted, sounding odd.\u00a0 \u201cCan you hear me!\u201d she shouted again.\u00a0 He focused his eyes on her hologram, sundress flapping in the wind, arms held tight around herself, and it clicked.<\/p>\n They were losing air.\u00a0 Her voice wasn\u2019t carrying right in what was left.<\/p>\n He pulled in a deep breath, his lungs struggling against the thin air, and he saw spots.\u00a0 \u201cI can hear you,\u201d he said, his voice hoarse.<\/p>\n She raised one arm and pointed to his left.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t fix it, Jack!\u201d she shouted.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t have anything left!\u201d<\/p>\n Jack glanced to the side and saw the spiderweb in the canopy where something had hit them.\u00a0 Outside, a ruined ship flew by, followed by another and another.\u00a0 They were spinning.\u00a0 He blinked, his mind in a fog he recognized as oxygen deprivation, and he tried to remember what he had to do.<\/p>\n \u201cJack!\u201d Betty shouted and he turned to look at her.\u00a0 She pointed down towards his feet.\u00a0 \u201cGet the kit!\u201d she shouted.<\/p>\n Jack\u2019s brain connected with her words and he reached down to rip the panel next to feet open.\u00a0 He pulled a small clamshell kit out, raised it to his lap, and flipped it open.\u00a0 He pulled a clear mask off the top and planted it over his mouth.\u00a0 He heard a faint hiss and breathed deep from the small air reserve in the mask.\u00a0 He blinked, pulled in another deep, relieving breath, and pulled a patch out of the kit.\u00a0 It was a small patch of soft grey cloth, but when he threw it against the spiderweb, it felt vacuum on the other side and the cloth turned white hot.\u00a0 He felt a wave of heat as fibers in the cloth heated it up to the melting point, and the patch fused with the canopy, sealing the atmosphere in.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d Jack whispered through the mask, and gave Betty a weak smile.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s good to be back.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked confused for a moment, but then shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m just glad you woke up when you did.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack chewed his lip, looking at her for any hint that she knew about\u2026the bonfire.\u00a0 Nothing.\u00a0 \u201cYeah.\u00a0 Me too,\u201d he finally answered, mentally chewing on the bonfire and the party.\u00a0 He wondered if that was imagination or not.<\/p>\n He looked out at the multicolored hues of hyperspace and saw the Peloran ships spin by again, spewing atmosphere into it.\u00a0 All five of them drifted as if dead in space, their outer hulls completely burned away.\u00a0 The beautiful golden runes running from stem to stern were wiped away, the armor that protected them vaporized, only strips of it remaining in a few places, somehow still attached to surviving structural ribs that were themselves ripped and melted out of shape.\u00a0 He could only see three dozen heavy Peloran fighters screening the entire squadron.<\/p>\n Aneerin\u2019s face appeared on the comm. screen, looking far older than he had in the room with all the wonderful food.\u00a0 \u201cWe have done what we can,\u201d Aneerin said slowly, his voice sounding very tired.\u00a0 \u201cReturn to base now and we shall repair,\u201d he ordered.<\/p>\n Jack swallowed as he watched all five ships rotate and begin to accelerate away from the location of the battle.\u00a0 A handful of tractor beams reached out to latch onto drifting fighters, including their own, and Jack felt them stop spinning and accelerate after the battleship.\u00a0 Jack shook his head in disbelief.\u00a0 \u201cWhat does it take to kill<\/em> them?\u201d he whispered in awe.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re war<\/em>ships,\u201d Betty answered as if that explained it all.<\/p>\n Jack yawned, feeling the rush of adrenaline from the battle fading away.<\/p>\n \u201cYou should sleep,\u201d Betty said in a soothing tone.\u00a0 \u201cHal will take care of us now.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack yawned again and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cOK,\u201d he said, let out a long breath, and closed his eyes.\u00a0 His last waking thought was that hyperspace looked a lot like a rainbow.<\/p>\n A bonfire came into focus on a beach, with boys and girls dancing and two girls singing.\u00a0 Jack smiled in his dream and stepped into the party.\u00a0 He straightened his tie and searched for the blonde in a yellow sundress he knew he would find there.\u00a0 The party would fade again when he woke up, but that didn\u2019t bother him.\u00a0 This was a dream.\u00a0 He would enjoy it while it lasted, he would wake up, and life would go on until the next time he could dream.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hello, my name is Jack.\u00a0 There are times when I realize that everything I\u2019ve known about life is wrong.\u00a0 When everything I know about an entire race is wrong.\u00a0 The Peloran are a very calm race, always nice from what[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2304-forge-of-war-1stdraft","uentry","postonpage-1","odd","post-author-jack"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=446"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1830,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446\/revisions\/1830"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=446"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=446"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=446"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}