The Ocoda Chronicles Book 1 Paladin Page 15

  Onatof impressed says, "Well, it’s so simple and very smart. Val your approach to problem solving never ceases to amaze me, Caleb was very wise in making you his chief engineer."

  Val embarrassed replies, "Thank you for the vote of confidence Professor, but I am not in your league."

  Onatof laughs, saying, "In time my friend, you will surely better me."

  Back on the Bridge, crewmembers scramble from place to place, while Jackson goes to Caleb and asks in a low tone voice, "Caleb, do you have any battle tactics that they may use against us?"

  Caleb, focused on the battle before him, replies, "They are scavengers Colonel. I expect that they will try and capture us first to see if our technology is of any use to them, so, I’m guessing they will attempt to take down our shields then board us."

  Jackson concerned asks, "Any chance they can do that?"

  Caleb smugly smiles, and says, "I doubt they can, but I’m sure they will try. Expect them to send in the Light, and Medium cruisers first. They will try to soften us up. They will be expecting their technology is superior and that we are easy prey. The Dreadnought and Heavy cruisers will sit back at their extreme range firing away at us, should we prove to be more than they bargained for."

  Jackson thinking asks, "Can we intercept their communications. Maybe try to decipher their battle plans?"

  Caleb exhales answering, "About four hundred years ago, the T-Challa conquered a world that had a very advanced form of communication. The X’ena’s have never been able to jam it, or intercept anything from it."

  "Hmmm.” Jackson says, "It might be of some value for us to capture one of these ships eventually."

  Paladin interjects, "T-Challa ships are set to self-destruct if captured Colonel. The best you might be able to do is board one, and then steal the device. You would never be able to take one of their ships for very long."

  Anders arrives on the Bridge. He heads to his station and with much anticipation, he hit’s a button on his keyboard with a very satisfied grin.

  Klaus noticing asks, "Are you really that happy to face this fleet?"

  Anders smugly replies, "Yes, especially, since I just loaded twelve torpedoes in five seconds at the push of a button."

  White, who is standing near Cooley says, "Very nice Commander, very nice."

  Jackson then addresses the Bridge crew, "Klaus, I want you to make best speed towards the Dreadnought and the Heavy cruisers. Don’t worry about the Light and Medium cruisers.

  Anders, don’t wait for a command to fire. If you have a target, you have orders to shoot it, but don’t shoot at anything until we are in close range, remember, I don’t want the T-Challa to know what are true strengths are. Colonel Benton and Commander Shi Reies, if we lose shields expect boarders. Have your people in groups of four, heavily armed and all over the ship. Lieutenant Cohen, I need you to keep your mind focused on the sensors. Expect anything, and I don’t care what it is, I want to know about it. Lieutenant Cooley, do whatever you can to try and break their communications."

  Caleb sits in his chair, and says privately to Jackson "I’ll just sit here, and look pretty." I think this is going to work out. I think I can trust him.

  Jackson smiles and says, "You have a lot of work ahead of you then.” That’s a start. He actually tried to be funny. I think he is starting to let his guard down with me.

  Finally, the last hours pass. Paladin moves towards the approaching fleet with their shields raised and weapons charged, and just as Caleb predicted the Light and Medium cruisers, charge forward.

  Paladin calls out ranges and weapons lock. Anders holds his fire until they fire on him. Klaus maintains speed, course, and heading straight towards the Dreadnought.

  Finally, the Light and Medium cruisers reach their weapons range and fire head on. Klaus maneuvers starboard, slightly avoiding the brunt of their attack.

  Klaus overwhelmed, yells out, "Damn, so many!"

  Anders laughs, "Not for long."

  Paladin calls out, "Shields are down to eighty-six percent."

  Anders locks on to the cruisers, firing a full volley of torpedoes mixed with Heavy, and Medium plasma cannons in close support. It’s a widespread assault. All twenty torpedoes launch quickly, but the extreme speed of the plasma cannons charges leads the attack. Six Heavy plasma charges strike three of the Medium cruisers. Taking down, or heavily damaging their shields, a split second later twelve Medium charges strike through the remaining T-Challa's first wave. One of the already damaged Medium cruisers erupts ripping it in two. The T-Challa are able to shoot down five torpedoes, but the rest all hit their marks. The explosive force is blinding. Klaus is unable to see anything. He calls out, asking, "Kitanna! Am I clear?"

  Kitanna replies, "You’re on course to the Dreadnought and the Heavy Cruisers Commander Meyer, there is nothing but debris between us and them."

  Anders smiling says, "Those weren’t even a filling appetizer. I really hope the main course has some meat on its bones."

  Klaus continues at flank sublight speed, heading directly towards the Dreadnought when the T-Challa open fire again.

  Klaus once again maneuvers Paladin hard to port, but the attack strikes Paladin hard.

  Klaus yells out, "Ahhh hell!"

  Kitanna says to Klaus, "You can’t dance around all of their attacks."

  Paladin calls out, "Shields down to fifty-five percent."

  Anders yells out, "Colonel! That Dreadnoughts weapons range is close to our own, should I return fire now?"

  Jackson looks to Caleb and asks, "Can you take much more of this?"

  Caleb grits his teeth slightly as he tries to hide his discomfort replying, "Only one way to find out." I can feel the impact on the shields. Stings a bit, but not like a direct hit on the hull.

  Paladin, hearing Caleb's thoughts replies, "You shouldn’t feel it at all Caleb. The shield damage shouldn’t transfer pain to you. Just a slight sensation would be normally felt."

  Jackson yells out, "Hold your fire until we are closer. Focus everything on that Dreadnought."

  The Heavy cruisers all fire at the same time as the second volley from the Dreadnought. Klaus swings hard a stern, pulling Paladin downward avoiding almost the entire volley. The extreme maneuver, however, is very unsettling to the crew.

  Anders angrily yells, "Hold her steady Klaus! Damn it, I lost lock."

  Klaus, focused on controlling the ship replies, "Sorry."

  The ship is now broad side and an easy target, but it has an optimum firing solution.

  Kitanna yells out, "Our shields are down to forty-six percent, they are powering up for another volley."

  Anders quickly reestablishes a lock on the Dreadnought, as well as two of the Heavy cruisers. Without hesitation, Anders fires all nine Heavy cannons and all twelve Medium cannons from the starboard side. Twelve torpedoes arc from the bow twisting towards the Dreadnought. The blackest darkness of space is briefly ignited as the blast propels through the battlefield.

  The nine Heavy charges travel true, five of the Heavy plasma charges hit the two Heavy cruisers. One penetrates its shields, and travels completely through its hull and then hit’s the Dreadnought behind it. The other four all hit the Dreadnought dead on. The twelve Medium cannons travel directly into the Dreadnought, followed moments later eight of twelve missiles all striking the Dreadnought.

  The two Heavy cruisers also suffer multiple torpedoes strikes, crippling them both. The third Heavy cruiser is maneuvering into a firing solution.

  The Dreadnoughts shields drop, but takes only moderate damage.

  Anders shocked, says, "Damn that thing is one tough ship."

  The Dreadnought and the last operational Heavy cruiser fire, Klaus continually maneuvers Paladin hard, trying to avoid the T-Challa’s blast. Inertial dampers are pushed to their limits, but eight of twelve plasma beams hit Paladin.

  Paladin calls out, "Shields down to twelve percent."

  Caleb, feeling the impact grabs at his side, telepathically saying
to Paladin, "Paladin, yeah, this is starting to hurt."

  Jackson caught in the moment yells out, "Anders! Get those ships out of my universe NOW!"

  Anders, overzealous, answers, "With pleasure sir."

  Anders fires both forward Heavy turrets at the Dreadnought, and all Medium turrets at the Heavy cruiser. He launches eighteen torpedoes, full spread at both ships.

  The damaged Dreadnought cannot maneuver fast enough, as all six beams rip through her hull exiting the opposite side of the massive ship. Of the twelve Medium charges, six hit dead on.

  The Heavy cruiser's shields drop only to sixty-seven percent. It attempts to shoot down as many torpedoes as it can, but it only stops four of the nine, allowing the rest to hit. The torpedo assault knocks down its shields, and causes heavy damage incapacitating it.

  Anders looks to Jackson and Caleb, smiling from ear to ear, saying, "They are both crippled sir should we finish them all off?"

  Jackson smiles, stating, "I said I want them out of my universe. Are they still in my universe, Commander Anders?"

  Caleb jumps up and says, "Wait! Leave one." This will get them chasing us.

  Jackson looks back, and asks, "Caleb?" What is he doing?

  Caleb replies, "I need it to alert the rest of their fleets about us."

  Anders says, "I say blast them all to hell."

  Jackson sternly replies, "Keep your comments to yourself Commander."

  Anders smirks as he quickly destroys the Dreadnought and two of the Heavy cruisers. Leaving the last one crippled.

  Caleb walks over to Cooley’s station. He takes her headset and says a single word, "Gantu’am!"

  Cooley surprised, asks, "Wait, why wasn’t that word translated? What did you say, sir?"

  Jackson walks over and asks, "What did you say to them Caleb?" Come on man, not this alien bull crap again. We’re a team, start acting like one.

  Caleb smiles and says, "I just guaranteed they will be chasing us with everything they got." I probably should have told Jackson what I was going to do.

  Caleb leaves the Bridge, heading to Dr. Qui Shi’s office to get his daughter Carla.

  Jackson looks to Cooley and says, "Sometimes I wonder if he isn’t on some sort of death wish and we are on the trip with him."

  Cooley confused asks, "Sir, do you know what it is he said?"

  Paladin interrupts, "Caleb had ordered me not to translate that word so it would be heard from his voice. The word he used is the greatest insult you can say to a T-Challa warrior. The last race to use it was called the Alechs. They said it to the T-Challa when they were able to damage a Light cruiser. In retaliation, the T-Challa sent every ship they had to destroy their world. No living Alechs has ever been seen since."

  Jackson, frowning, asks, "You plan on telling me what the damn word means Mr. Paladin?"

  Paladin answers, "Loosely translated it means unworthy to battle, or inferior, to a T-Challa no greater insult exists. You can be assured on that insult alone, plus the fact that we have destroyed another one of their fleets the T-Challa will not hesitate to send everything they have after us. Especially, when we left one of their ships crippled, which is also a form of great dishonor to the T-Challa. They will be sending our message and our dishonor to their home world, and to every ship in their fleet."

  Anders smiles and says, "Bring it on. We’ll dice them up, and, serve them up raw."

  Jackson pauses, sighs and says, "Definitely going to need a vacation when we get back." Caleb really needs to put me in the loop, or he can find a new first officer.

  Fourteen days have passed since the last battle, when Kitanna picks up twenty-five incoming ships about a week away from intercept.

  Kitanna calls out, "Admiral, sir, I have twenty-five incoming T-Challa ships, they’re at least fifteen Heavy class cruisers. I’m not sure about the rest, they could be Light, or Medium class cruisers. I should be able to confirm in a few hours."

  Caleb sits in his command chair in deep thought, seemingly oblivious to Lieutenant Cohen statement. My god, I can’t stop hearing everyone talking. This is getting to be too much, and the strain is really taking its toll on me now.

  Commander White noticing Caleb’s condition looks over to Kitanna and says, "Good work Lieutenant. Inform us the moment you have the data on the other ten ships."

  White looks up at Caleb and notices Caleb is sweating and shaking slightly. Oh no, it’s starting.

  "Admiral, sir.” White says to Caleb, as he waits a minute.

  After a few additional moments, Caleb still does not respond.

  White then slowly approaches Caleb, placing his hand on his shoulder. He stirs Caleb slightly, asking, "Excuse me, sir?”

  Caleb opens his eyes and says, "I’m fine Commander, I heard the Lieutenant. Please take the Bridge; I’m going to my quarters." I need to get away from everyone.

  White concerned waits for Caleb to ascend to his quarters above the Bridge, and then he calls out on the com, "Colonel Jackson, can you please report to the Bridge sir?"

  A sleepy Jackson annoyingly replies, "Reggie, this better be an emergency or one really hot looking alien lady up there, because you really ruined one hell of a dream." Damn, I never get any sleep.

  White in a somber tone replies, "Sorry sir, but its Caleb, I think you need to get up here."

  Jackson rubs his face, sighing heavily, "Ok Commander, call Qui Shi and Onatof as well. If I have to get up, then they should get up too. Let’s share the fun." I knew this was going to happen. Damn, I hate it when I’m right.

  One hour passes, when Jackson, Qui Shi, and Onatof enter Caleb quarters.

  "Admiral?” Jackson calls out, "We need to talk."

  Caleb is sitting looking out at the stars with his daughter sleeping in his lap. He is in deep meditation.

  Dr. Qui Shi cautiously approaches him with her medical scanner when Caleb speaks, "I’ll save you the trouble Doc it’s getting worse. I have about a week until I start losing control of the ship’s minor functions, another week after that, I will start losing control of the ship completely."

  Jackson concerned asks, "How far is Bach from us now?"

  Caleb replies, "Just about two weeks. Maybe one, but you have that fleet coming at us, and you can be sure there is another one just behind it."

  Jackson asks, "Anyway we can contact this hidden outpost?"

  Caleb replies, "Maybe, but I doubt Bach will answer." If he’s even there.

  Onatof confused asks, "Who is this Bach?"

  Jackson says, "According to Caleb, its Paladin’s daddy and hopefully he can fix Caleb there."

  Paladin speaks, "No one has heard from Bach in over eight hundred Earth years. He was one of the most brilliant scientists ever in X’ena history, if anyone can fix the cellular rejection, it will be him."

  Onatof confused asks, "Eight hundred years, is he still alive? How long do these X’ena’s live for?"

  Paladin responds, "The X’ena’s life expectancy is some ten thousand Earth years."

  Doctor Qui Shi continues her scans while everyone speaks and then interrupts, saying, "Caleb is running a high fever, his heart rate and respiration are off the chart. If he were fully human, he would be dead."

  White comes up the lift from the Bridge and says, "Colonel, sir, I think you should come down and see this."

  Jackson returns to the Bridge with White. They head for Kitanna’s station where she says, "Sir, I just picked up thirty more ships about two days behind the first twenty-five ships. I can’t be sure what all thirty ships are, but at least four of them are Dreadnoughts."

  Jackson looks over to Klaus and says, "Klaus pull up navigation course named Bach, and then plot the shortest course to it and let me know now."

  Klaus quickly pulls up auto navigation, then types in Bach. Images and course suggestions pull up on Klaus’s holoscreen. After going over the different course options, Klaus turns to Colonel Jackson, saying, "Sir, if we move at top speed in hyperspace we can avoid the second fleet, but n
ot the first.

  However, I can avoid both fleets, but it will add two weeks to reach our destination. In addition, sir, it will only give us five days before they can reach us there. We could make it there in just ten days, but we’ll have to fight our way through the first fleet and Colonel, we will have only have a four-day lead on that second fleet, and that’s only if we can maintain our current speed sir."

  "Paladin!” Jackson calls out, "You up for some combat."

  Paladin responds, "I am at one hundred percent Colonel."

  Kitanna says, "Colonel, at flank speed we will intercept the first fleet in three days. I have determined that fifteen are Heavies, five are Mediums, and the remaining five are Light cruisers."

  "Anders.” Jackson begins, "I want you to cripple one of those Medium cruisers. Don’t destroy it.” I want one of those communication devices.

  "Benton!” Jackson continues, "You, with your Marines, and Shi Reies, with his security team. You two are going to board that ship. Your mission is to find their communications room, and take everything you can with you."

  Benton asks, "What are we looking at for resistance, and what’s the crew size?"

  Paladin responds, "A Light cruiser has only seventy-five crew at the maximum, but often travel with far less. The Mediums have only one hundred fifty at max capacity but also travel with less than fifty. With their natural armor, and cybernetic implants it will let them sustain a lot of damage Colonel Benton. You may have to shoot them at least four or more times and at maximum setting to kill them."

  Jackson walks back to the lift, quickly ascends to Caleb’s quarters, entering he sees Caleb, and asks, "Caleb you think you, and Paladin can handle the assault on this fleet?"

  Caleb replies, "You will need to take both Templar, and Cavalier with boarding pods. That will give you over three hundred troops to assault one of their ships. I can handle the command here."

  Jackson walks up to Caleb and raises his hand, quickly trying to slap Caleb on his wound. Caleb’s hand blocks Jackson at blinding speed.

  Caleb responds, "I hope you were testing my reflexes, because I’m in no mood to recite regulations on hitting a superior officer.” Damn that took a lot out of me. More than I thought, but I have to prove to Jackson I can do this. I’m not going to be responsible for getting someone killed because of what’s happening to me.