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“I look forward to doing anything if we survive this,” Matzen admitted, which had Jack giving out a bark of laughter.

“Good. Well, I’d ask you to trash all your ideas about humanity. Just put them in the bin and start fresh,” Jack told him. “It will be much easier on you. You won’t have to show surprise all the time.”

Matzen actually cracked a smile. It was small, but it was there. He inclined his head. “I will do that. Now, are we ready?”

Jack’s right hand hovered over the red button that would start the transfer of power. The Hive was definitely creeping closer. It was curious. He met Diane’s eyes on the screen. She looked beautiful and serene as if she were preparing to take a walk on a sunny beach. She smiled at him.

“I love you, Diane,” Jack said, not letting his voice crack.

“I love you, Jack,” she answered.

Neither of them said anything else about getting through this or it was all going to be all right. Nothing else needed to be said. If there was anything after this life, he would find her. Nothing would separate them for long. And they would do whatever they could from beyond this plain to help their son.

“Ready, Matzen,” Jack said.

And he pushed the button. There was a handy graphic depiction of the energy moving from shields to the weapon that the Osiris had created for him to see. He watched as one section drained while another filled up. But in a second or two, other things were moving.

Matzen and Diane’s ships along with three of the others flew between the Osiris and the Hive. The Hive was also moving. And firing. The first barrage was the lesser weapons that sent a spray of green laser blasts towards the vessels. It was the equivalent of a shotgun blast, which had less precision and strength at the current distance. But several blasts hit one of Matzen’s vessels. Immediately, the ship’s shields sizzled and went out. There was no protective glow around it.

“Matzen, get that vessel out of the way!” Jack urged.

Matzen was already ordering the vessel to move, but another barrage hit it. Blooms of fire escaped the ship. Though there was no sound as it was space, Jack imagined the sound of wrenching metal and Thaf’ell screams as the vessel was blown open and debris and people started to stream out.

Diane’s ship moved to take that one’s place. She was using the whole of her side to shield the much larger Osiris. Jack felt his mouth go dry. The Hive was moving in more quickly now. More blasts coming like fireworks towards them towards a finale. He glanced down at the two indicators to see how much power had transferred. Half! Only half!

Diane’s ship was peppered with laser fire. The shields sizzled and lit up everywhere the blasts hit. They were dimmer each time.

“Diane, you’re done! You’ve got to get out of there!” Jack urged.

But another barrage was coming. So much faster now. Too fast. Jack felt his heart lodge in his throat as everything seemed to slow. Diane’s ship was going to be hit. Her shields would not hold. He was going to lose her. He was going to lose his wife. He was…

Matzen’s vessel was suddenly between the Hive and his wife’s ship. She was able to dive while Matzen’s vessel took a beating. He glanced at the indicator. More than three-quarters of the way. And the Hive was closer. And Matzen’s shields were going… going… gone…

“Pay attention to me, you motherfucker!” Jack growled under his breath as he piloted the Osiris out from behind the other vessels.

The Hive immediately began to fire towards him, ignoring Matzen and the other injured ships. It could mop them up afterwards with no worries. No, it had bigger prey.

It is preparing its largest weapon, the Osiris said. If we are hit two times--

“Gotcha! No more odds! Let me concentrate!” Jack laughed wildly.

Despite being huge, the Osiris moved easily, like a dream, but he supposed that had to do also with being in space. There was no atmosphere to get in the way. He saw a bright light appear in the center of the Hive. It was the main laser weapon powering up.

You are flying us straight towards the weapon’s trajectory, the Osiris said.

“Yep!” Jack grinned.

If the Osiris thought that then the Khul would too. The moment the blast left the Hive he was already diving and going to his left. The blast went wide. Jack grinned as he thrust the throttle up and barreled towards the Hive once more.

You avoided that blast because you had enough distance between us and the Hive. You are decreasing that distance. We will no longer be able to evade if you get much closer, the Osiris informed him.

“Exactly. But they won’t be able to evade either,” Jack said.

The Khul must have realized what his plan was then, because it started to veer away from him. He glanced at the indicators for the power transfer. One bar remaining. He turned towards the Hive and pushed the pedal to the metal. The Osiris surged ahead, cutting the distance between it and the Hive in half. Another glowing light was appearing on the Hive.

They will fire on us in 3.2 seconds, the Osiris said.

“Fire on them in 3,” Jack commanded.