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“The shield’s aren’t the only way?” Jack pressed.

The Osiris said nothing.

Jack’s eyes narrowed. “So you’re just saying no about using the shields in case it puts you in danger?”

“It’s rather comforting to think the Osiris fears death, too,” Diane remarked. “That means it won’t be so eager to risk Jace for the mission.”

Jack turned back to her. “That’s assuming Jace doesn’t override the Osiris.”

Diane shook her head and laughed softly. “I’m sure that Jace will take care of things down on the planet’s surface. We just have to take care of things up here. Any sign of reinforcements? Ours or theirs?”

The jamming is affecting the Haseon gate. While Khul ships will be able to enter this area, no others will, the Osiris responded.

“Well, that’s the most you’ve said in ages. And, of course, it’s bad news,” Jack sighed. He relayed the information to Matzen and Diane. “So it looks like it really is up to us. We cannot wait for anyone else to show up. At least, not on our side.”

“This is most disturbing,” Matzen stated as he stood at attention, arms crossed at the wrists behind his back. “That the Khul have such abilities to alter gates is not something we were aware of. It appears that there are many things we did not know.”

I am analyzing the jamming signal and will find a way to neutralize it, the Osiris said.

“How long will that take?” Jack asked.

Unknown, the Osiris responded and whether there was tartness or despair in the AI’s written “tone” he couldn’t tell.

“Okay, so we really have to make this work,” Jack said.

“Were we considering not making it work?” Matzen had lifted an eyebrow.

“Well, I was sort of hoping it wouldn’t come down to this,” Jack admitted.

Matzen was still for a moment and then nodded. “Yes, this is a desperate plan.”

“Jack excels with desperate plans,” Diane said. “If there’s life, there’s hope.”

“That’s right,” Jack nodded.

“The other ships have assembled,” Matzen said after checking his comm.

The Osiris showed Jack how the wounded Alliance fleet clustered like a half dozen wounded animals, hoping the predators would pick someone else off the edges.

“Good. Let’s hope we draw the Khul’s attention and they overstep,” Jack said, tightening his hands on the railing.

“I love you, Jack,” Diane said.

Matzen went still and then pretended as if he wasn’t listening, though Jack knew he was. It was probably “interesting” to see human mating rituals or whatever he would take this as. But Jack didn’t care. Let them see this bright spark of human feelings.

“Don’t say it like that.” Jack’s breath caught though as he responded.

“Like what?” But her voice was soft. She knew.

“Like it’s the last time,” he answered. Then after a pause, he said, “I love you, Diane.”

She smiled at him just like she had the first time they’d met. He wanted to wail. To gnash his teeth. To scream. To grab ahold of the Osiris’ controls and… and what?

The Khul are coming, the Osiris said just before Matzen told him the same.

“Okay, everybody, let’s get this party started. Osiris, we need to be light on our toes,” Jack said.

Neither I nor the ship have toes. Many creatures do not--