Part 6:

"Alright Captain. We're as ready as we can get. I've removed the technology that Com-" Lieutenant Commander Tachaon began, but turned into a hasty cough. "Excuse me. I've removed the technology that the traitor put into the shield grid and engine arrays. The mark 6X hyperdrive has been modified, and is ready to engage. I've done the math, with my entire department looking over my shoulder, and the computer agrees with it. I've quadruple checked all the connections, the programming, and the modifications to the warhead. I've done everything but do a test run, since that would burn out the engine beyond our ability to repair it with onboard supplies. I've removed the warhead component from the chassis just incase I missed some kind of connection between the two, and dissembled it. It shouldn't be possible for it to detonate. All we can do now, is wait."

"Very well Lieutenant Tac-er, Lieutenant Commander Tachaon. Sorry, forgot that I gave you your promotion. Tell me, did you really offer to take all four of them to bed with you?" Kane grinned a big grin, knowing that Tachaon hated it when he brought up the party. The captain had officially rescinded the normal restrictions and allowed Tachaon and his friends to drink to extreme excess, and excused them from the duty roster afterwards.

"Please Captain, I was drunk as a skunk, can't everyone just forget about my party?" Tachaon grinned just as much. They'd done this several times already, and were becoming fast friends.

"Come now! I hear they took it quite well-especially since they invited their friends to join the private party!"

"Captain, PLEASE, we were ALL drunk!"

"Yes, I imagine that's why McGuillity was so willing to help out with the overflow. Tell me, how did you manage that many in one night?" Normally the conversation stopped there, but Tachaon had come up with a new reply that would let it continue a little longer.

"One at a time. Just one at a time." Kane froze as he realized that the ball was back in his court, and returned the sally.

"One at a time, huh. Lets see, at about... call it ten seconds each, that would have taken you several hours last I heard!"

"Captain, there's not that many people on the entire ship, let alone that many women. Or more importantly, women who can't resist my devilish charm!"

"It seemed like none of them could resist... and I would have thought all could. But lets save this for later, it is time for us to report to the bridge. You first." Kane gestured at the door.

"Aye aye sir!"

* * * * * * *

"Stand by! Starlane interface in five minutes! All hands, stand by!" Captain Kane glanced at his new first officer, Tachaon, as he placed the warning over the intercom. They were a FAR more effective team, even if Tachaon had trouble commanding his department from the bridge. Captain Kane decided he preferred the switch. "Forward weapons control, your status?" Tachaon began to go down the checklist, checking that every station was ready. He didn't skip a single item, excluding forward weapons bay 1, where the new missile was laid out. Due to the radiation, there wasn't anyone in that compartment to answer anyway. Tachaon was soon finished. "Captain, all stations are as ready as possible. Some stations are not at optimal capacity due to taken during combat, but all are at best current capacity. Time to interface: one and a half minutes. Your orders?"

"Transfer engine control to the computer. Place me on intercom."

"Aye aye sir!"

"This the captain speaking. All hands, this is the captain speaking. We are about to try the impossible. No ship has ever managed to survive a starlane transition with all of its hyperdrives off line, but we are going to try. Ladies and gentlemen, this is quite possibly the most important breakthrough of the decade. If we succeed, we may well have smaller craft capable of interstellar travel than have been seen in any navy since pre- Antaran days. Excluding, of course, the New Orion's fleets. Do your best. Time to wormhole is 30 seconds. Do your duty. That is all."

"15 seconds to interface!" the con officer cried out. "Stand by on engines!"

"Standing by! Engines are running hot, ready to engage immediately after starlane exit!"

"Computer! Initiate countdown!"

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0." The computer's monotone voice chanted.

Outside, a burst of light and coherent gravitation opened a crack in space- time leading to otherspace, and a ship slipped through, carrying a small portion of otherspace with it.

On the bridge, all was silent. They hadn't even felt the shiver that always occurred when exiting or entering hyperspace. There was just silence. "Did we make it?" a nervous rating asked.

Captain Kane activated the intercom. "Ladies and gentlemen, it has been brought to my attention that a few of you are wondering if we survived. Judging by the fact that I have the Yevon colony on the forward view screen and I am talking to you, I would say that we did indeed survive the transition. We will begin an immediate emergency approach to the Yevon colony to check on their evacuation status and receive emergency repairs at the star base. It is my decision that all crew will be granted liberty there as soon as possible, assuming that the station has not yet been abandoned. There will be a survival party at ship's expense, as usual. Captain out."

They had made it. Captain Kane smiled, realizing that he may soon be enjoying a very different position. The response to his query should be available. He wondered if the offer was still open.

Interlude:

The ships soared through the starlane, at speeds no mind could encompass, and yet they could tell they weren't moving as swiftly as their prey. Already he had made it out of the far side, one full of its years before they could reach it.