“It looks like that things weapons are warming up.”
“Okay, hold until the last minute.
The only way to make this a success is if it’s a supr...”

Suddenly His face is on all the monitors. Every monitor. And he speaks. His voice, I will never forget it. It’s like...Oh hell. Fuck it! I’m not gonna let some patsy undead preacher from hell freeze me up like a freakin’ baby doll.
(continued below)

“FIRE IT ALL! NOW!”

His face is gone and the whole ship has this weird purple glow to it. At first I think I am dead, but then I hear Amelie’s beautiful voice.

“Major, we can’t hold him off much longer. You have to act now. Kliim and Gimli aren’t strong enough to fight it.”

And then I understand. I don’t have to bring them all down with me. I’m not supposed to. It’s my soul, not theirs. I run forward, burst open the hatch, climb down into the beak and strap myself in.

“Major, please.”
“Don’t worry Amelie, you’ll be all right.”

I separate the beak from the ship and launch forward, doing what is probably the stupidest thing of my career. I fly right in between that fucker and the pirates and open up every single weapon port I have.

Continue...