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“But my things!” The little girl cried, stretching one hand towards a stuffed toy.

“They’re gone, honey,” the woman said even though everything was still there. But she and Thammah knew that this whole building was considered unclean now. “They’re gone.”

Thammah followed after the girl and mother out of the apartment. Her right arm still hung limply at her side. She would have to pop it back in. She’d only done it once before high on stims. But she’d do it again cold, stone sober now if Jace needed her. But, hopefully, he would have handled his Khul, too. They’d exchange war stories.

Jace? Jace, can you read me? She sent. I’ve killed the Cetix. No one was infected. Repeat: I’ve killed the Cetix. No infections.

But Jace did not reply.

Meanwhile, on the Osiris above Haseon…

“How long will it take for the shields to draw down and our main weapon to charge?” Jack asked.

24.27 Earth seconds, the Osiris answered.

Now that it had agreed to let Jack be responsible for killing all of them it was quite a bit more agreeable and chatty. Jack wondered if he would hear any confession from the AI. Though what kind of confession could the Osiris make? Probably ones that would matter.

“And how many hits can we take before it’s game over?” Jack asked as he started to pilot the Osiris.

Any hits will likely cause damage. I have had all the crew go to interior quarters, which will be 70.12% safer than anything near the outer hull, the Osiris replied. As to full destruction of this vessel without shields, that depends on the weaponry the Hive uses and the locations it hits.

“Guesstimate, Osiris,” Jack said as he started to maneuver the big ship as surreptitiously as possible alongside the other ships.

The Hive would likely think that the Osiris was attempting to lure it in to take out the smaller ships. But what he was doing was making room for those ships to get between the Osiris and the Hive when they fed the shield energy to the main weapon.

I do not guesstimate. But I would urge you not to get hit more than three times, the Osiris answered.

“Good to know. Will the Khul realize we are powering down shields? Will their sensors tell them that?” Jack asked as he watched the Hive carefully.

Yes.

“Oh, well, excellent. All to plan then,” he responded.

Was it coming closer? It would have to or they would have to in order to make sure that their one shot counted.

One shot. Jesus, Jack thought, but there was a Devil-may-care smile on his lips.

He had not flown experimental planes for a living without being an adrenaline junkie. Death was always a possibility. But the stakes weren’t just his life this time. It wasn’t even just the Osiris and its crew or the crews of the other struggling vessels. If they failed, the war against the Khul was lost.

But this is the right call. I know it is. What I said to the Osiris is true, Jack reminded himself.

They were, essentially, in an impossible situation. Damned if they did. Damned if they didn’t. Losing Jack wouldn’t just cripple him and Diane forever--a yawning well of anguish rose up in him at the thought--but it would cripple the Osiris, too. And the Osiris and Jace were the Alliance’s--and Earth’s--only chance to stop the Khul.

“Matzen, have you picked which ships can give us some cover for the 24.27 Earth seconds it will take for this bad boy weapon to get ready to fire?” Jack asked.

Matzen, of course, didn’t even crack a smile. “Yes, my vessel and three others can provide cover--”

“As well as mine,” Diane cut in. “Our vessel has the most shields left.”

Jack wanted to say, “No, absolutely not.” But he didn’t even as the words stuck like cut glass in his throat. Instead, he nodded, “Understood, Diane.”

For the first time Matzen reacted. He blinked slowly and tilted his head to the side. “Your vessel does have the most shields, Colonel Parker, but…”

“But what, Commander Matzen?” Diane asked softly. “You didn’t think that Jack or I would risk ourselves in this?”

This seemed to confuse Matzen more. “You are… mates. To do so with no show of distorted Xi is… quite Thaf’ell. I did not expect this of humans.”

“I know you’ve been told a lot of things about humans, Matzen, but if we live through this, I’m going to ask you to do something for me,” Jack said.