The Ocoda Chronicles Book 1 Paladin Page 16

  Jackson asks again, "So are you up for this Cale, or should we try and go around them?" He seems to be ok, but I know he’s pushing himself hard.

  Caleb answers, "We’ll be fine Jackson. You do your job and we’ll do ours here."

  The next few days pass quickly, Benton and Shi Reies, take practice drills with the boarding pods. They practice repeatedly, setting up their three hundred manned assault teams into squads of five, and more.

  Elsewhere, Jackson goes over the attack plan with Anders and Klaus. They will be expecting the same T-Challa tactics as before. The Lighter, and Medium cruisers should precede the Heavy cruisers.

  Jackson reluctantly decides, saying, "This time we will use our range advantage, and cripple one of their Medium cruisers, while decimating the others." Hate to give that up just yet, but Paladin and Caleb are running out of time fast. I wonder how much Caleb is really pushing himself.

  Jackson continues with his plan, "After which, me and White will go in cloaked and heavily armed with four torpedoes each, set at full yield, just in case one of the Heavies slips passes Paladin."

  Anders confidently responds, "Nothing is going to get past me Colonel. You can bet the farm on that, sir."

  Jackson smiles at Anders.

  Meanwhile, hours later in Onatof’s lab, Onatof with Cooley’s help have come up with a scanner to detect the elusive communication device, giving the boarding parties the best chance to get in fast, and get out even faster.

  Dr. Qui Shi walks to Caleb’s quarters ascending the lift. Entering, she sees Caleb still in deep concentration. He is sweating and trembling slightly. She approaches quietly.

  "Yes, Doc.” Caleb says,

  Dr. Qui Shi startled responds, "I’m sorry Caleb I didn’t mean to disturb you."

  Caleb says, "It's ok Doc, I know Jackson told you to keep an eye on me. It’s getting harder to block out all the conversations that take place on this ship."

  Qui Shi confused asks, "You can hear every conversation on the ship?"

  Caleb replies, "Yes, usually I can block them out. However, it’s been really difficult with all the concentration that I have to focus on everything else."

  Qui Shi curious, asks, "So this is why you never ask how your daughter is doing in our sessions?"

  Caleb replies, "I would have known anyways Doc, she won’t speak to me, so I know she won’t speak to you either.” She’s a good woman. Tries very hard to help, but I think I frighten her.

  The battle is about to start, as Jackson and White power up and cloak Templar and Cavalier. Each is carrying one hundred fifty heavily armed Marines, and Special security forces in their boarding pods, which are attached to their ships under carriage.

  The boarding pod is designed to launch from the undercarriage of the support fighter like a missile, penetrating a ship’s hull to allow armed personnel to invade, and with any luck, capture an enemy ship.

  Only fifteen minutes until the T-Challa are in firing range of Paladin.

  On the Bridge, Caleb goes over Jackson’s plan and says to Anders and Klaus, "Slight change of plans Klaus, I want you to plow through their first wave, and head to the Heavies at flank speed. Anders I want you to hit the Medium cruisers and Light cruisers at close range. Don’t give away our range advantage on these small fish just yet. You will wait until we are in our maximum firing solution of the Heavies before you give away our range advantage." I know this is gonna hurt like hell if they get through my shields, but I can’t let my weaknesses be the cause of anyone’s death.

  Anders asks, "Should I inform Colonel Jackson of the change in his plans?"

  Caleb replies, "Yes, tell him"

  Cooley relays the attack plan changes to Jackson and White.

  Jackson calls out over the holocom, "Why the change Caleb?"

  Caleb replies, "The Heavies will try, and circle around us. If they see our range advantage, then I will have twice the work just chasing after them. Paladin can easily handle the first waves opening volley. Afterwards, we will close in on the Heavies and blast them before they can plan a way to overcome our range advantage."

  Jackson concerned, replies, "You sure you can handle the first wave.” I know you’re just trying to prove to everyone that you’re ok.

  Paladin replies, "With great certainty Colonel."

  "Anders.” Caleb says, "When we get into range of the Heavies, focus your first volley on three cruisers at a time, then only fire broadside. They shouldn’t be prepared for our range, and you should be able to easily destroy six before they can react."

  Jackson and White are in position cloaked behind Paladin.

  Then White concerned at Jackson silence asks, "Colonel, what’s on your mind? You’re never this quiet."

  Jackson reluctantly replies, "That obvious, eh Reg?" Jackson sighs, saying, "I’m just thinking Caleb is pushing himself to perform and probably making things even worse by doing that. So I’m thinking if this Bach thing isn’t there we all die."

  White slightly stunned replies, "Ahhh sir, next time I ask you what you’re thinking, just tell me to shut up and mind my own business."

  Finally, Paladin closes in on the T-Challa fleet, and as expected the Light, and Medium cruisers charge in first.

  Anders locks on to them, waiting until they fire first. His hands scurry across his screens as he sets up all twenty torpedoes for max yield, while trying to isolate one Medium cruiser from the mass assault.

  Kitanna calls out, "They are charging weapons."

  The T-Challa cruiser’s fire a full spread, Klaus maneuvers hard starboard, avoiding several charges but still maintains maximum speed. Unfortunately, seventy percent of their charges hit.

  Paladin calls out, "Shields down to seventy-one percent."

  Anders fires a full volley at the first ten ships. They successfully shoot down seven of the twenty torpedoes and scatter hard to avoid the brunt of Paladins plasma cannons. However, the assault is still devastating.

  All five light cruisers explode. Three Medium cruisers take critical damage. Rendering them useless, and the remaining two take light damage, and are still operational. They immediately return fire.

  Klaus then maneuvers hard to starboard, avoiding some of their charges, but still the majority of their assault hits.

  Paladin announces, "Shields are down to sixty-four percent."

  Anders locks onto the remaining two Medium cruisers as he focuses the base of his attack on one, trying to incapacitate the other with low yield torpedoes.

  The first Medium cruiser explodes, while the second loses engines, and its shields, taking heavy damage.

  Anders calls out to Jackson, "There’s your bird Colonel, I sliced her open for you she’s hot, juicy and just waiting for you."

  Jackson and White then circle in cloaked as Paladin continues towards the Heavy cruisers.

  "Reg!” Jackson calls out, "Take your pod, and hit near the Bridge. I’ll take mine, and hit the mid ship."

  White replies, "Copy Colonel."

  The two ships circle around looking for a good location to launch their boarding pods. Jackson finds his mark first, as he calls down to Shi Reies, "Ok, strap in everyone."

  Jackson launches his pod, and as soon as it slips past Templar’s cloaking field, it becomes visible to the T-Challa. The boarding pod has a spiked tip, which is designed to penetrate a ship’s hull, and then open from that tip, thus allowing the assault force access. Shi Reies’s pod hurls at incredible velocity, as the pods inertial dampers kick in allowing for maximum protection to its occupants. The pod is designed with a sophisticated buffer field, protecting its crew from the hard impact.

  The pod strike’s the ship hard, penetrating the hull as it is designed to do. The assault team readies for their initial entry, they ready their weapons, and open the tip, throwing out several grenades that explode, destroying the wall and a large section of the deck plating, killing four T-Challa warriors.

  White calls down to Benton, "You ready down there? Jackson has alread
y launched, and Shi Reies’s people have a foothold."

  Benton yells back, "Just shoot us in there Reggie. There’s no way I’m letting Shi Reies beat me to the communication device."

  White shoots the pod right below the Bridge. The pod hits its mark perfectly, as Benton and his Marines charge the decks of the Medium cruiser, laying heavy fire down on everything that moves.

  Benton notices the heavy gravity, "Ok Marines, we have a heavy grav situation, so it’s like walking on a beach with a hundred fifty extra pounds strapped to your ass."

  "Hey Shi Reies!” Benton calls out over the internal com, "Loser buys for the winner. So you better not get killed, cause being dead is no excuse to skip out on my beer tab."

  Shi Reies laughs as he replies, "I do not drink alcohol my friend, so you will have to buy something else for me after you lose."

  Both teams meet very light resistance. The T-Challa have never been boarded before, as this T-Challa crew, is taken by complete and total surprise. None of the assault teams are initially injured, as they easily plow through the very light resistance of the confused T-Challas.

  "Gabriel.” Shi Reies calls out, "These T-Challa are very big ugly creatures. They remind me of the pictures of your sister you have in your room."

  Benton, laughing, replies, "You are so going to pay for that you big ugly giant.” Benton says to himself, "Man, he’s been hanging around me way too much."

  Shi Reies’s team makes its way to the main computer room. Finding several different devices that appear to look promising, they start to scavenge them quickly. The scanner Onatof built register’s the components to be part of the communication system.

  Benton meanwhile, has effortlessly found his way to the Bridge. Though that’s the only easy thing, he has found, as his team is at this moment, facing heavy resistance. Two of Benton’s Marines are initially wounded from a T-Challa plasma blast. Their environmental suits rip open. Fortunately, for the men their team seals the damage quickly rushing them back to the pod.

  Benton and the rest of his squad take four high charged thermite grenades, rolling them at the entrenched T-Challa warriors.

  The explosion kills the T-Challa, blowing the entryway wide open to the Bridge.

  Benton and his squad lead the charge, blasting the four remaining T-Challa on the Bridge. The rest of the Marines, using Onatof’s device, locate and begin removing the communication devices from the Bridge.

  Cooley alerts them on the holocom, "Kitanna is picking up a power surge on the ship, it will reach critical in eight minutes."

  The two teams alerted to the pending destruction double time it back to their boarding pods.

  Meanwhile, back on Paladin, Klaus closes to max range of the plasma cannons turning Paladin broadside. Anders immediately locks onto the closest three Heavies cruisers. They stay stationary, believing they are out of Paladins effective range.

  Anders locks and fires all nine Heavy, and twelve Medium plasma cannons, followed by twenty torpedoes.

  The Heavies are not expecting the extreme range. They’re completely surprised, as the first three Heavies have no time to react. The plasma energy rips through their shields, and into their hulls causing heavy damage. Destroying one, and crippling the other two. However, the twenty torpedoes that follow right behind all strike both remaining Heavies. They are so severely damaged they cannot shoot down any incoming torpedoes. Overkill is an understatement. The remaining twelve Heavies hastily scramble.

  Anders quickly launches yet another salvo on three more Heavies. The plasma charges strike their shields, knocking them down, and then ripping into their hulls destroying two Heavies while severely crippling the third. It floats helplessly.

  The nine remaining move towards Paladin at top speed, trying to close the distance before Anders can fire again.

  Anders is relentless, as he locks onto three more, firing once again, with fifteen torpedoes in addition to his plasma charges. The T-Challa maneuver wildly trying to avoid the charges, unfortunately for them, they do not succeed. Two more of the Heavies are crippled, while the third suffers heavy damage, but continues towards Paladin.

  Kitanna calls out, "They’re charging weapons."

  Anders fires one last time before they can close the gap. Twelve torpedoes, nine Heavy, and twelve Medium plasma charges plow through space at the incoming fleet. The beams easily cut through the two damaged Heavies from the previous attacks, while cutting into three others, four torpedoes hit the lead Heavy cruiser while the other eight strike the one behind. Both the cruisers explode, leaving only five Heavies operational.

  The remaining five Heavies fire over thirty charges of plasma at Paladin, including their versions of space torpedoes, sixty in all.

  Anders activates the Light cannons to fire. He shoots at the incoming volley of torpedoes. Klaus quickly maneuvers the ship hard to starboard at flank speed.

  Because the Heavies are at the edge of their range Klaus is easily able to out maneuver their incoming firing solution. The plasma charges all miss. Anders easily shoots down over forty torpedoes, while ten lose lock due to the extreme range. However, ten strike.

  Paladin calls out, "Shields are down to thirty-four percent."

  Caleb winces in slight pain, "Paladin I felt some pain with that. It seems to get worse once the shields take a lot of damage."

  Paladin replies, "Sorry Cale, but the strain is increasing on the emitters. Usually you would not feel pain from impacts on the shield. However, our current health issue’s seems to be having a greater effect than anticipated."

  Anders locks onto the five remaining Heavies, firing. He hits two dead on with a massive plasma charge volley, destroying them. The remaining three split up, trying to avoid the incoming torpedo salvo. Two of the Heavies try to shoot down the torpedoes, while the other tries to pull out of range. They fail, as all take serious damage. One is crippled while the other two still operational, charge weapons. They prepare to return fire on Paladin.

  Kitanna tells Cooley, "That Medium cruiser is going critical, tell them to get out."

  Just at that moment Jackson and White are still cloaked, as they successfully sneak up on the two remaining Heavies, and at close range, they fire all their torpedoes, hitting hyperspace to avoid the shock wave of the blast. The Heavies do not have time to react. The torpedoes hit both Heavies and they explode.

  Back at the Medium Cruiser, Shi Reies and his crew reach their pod easily and without much if any significant resistance.

  They enter their pod and hit the recall button. The pod hatch slams shut, as the escape thrusters activate, blasting the pod out from the side of the ship some four thousand yards. Twenty seconds later the thrusters stop. The pod then drifts in the dead of space, waiting for pick up.

  Benton once again is not as lucky. Eleven T-Challa warriors pin down his Marines, cutting off his escape access to the pod.

  One of the Marines, who were already inside the pod, pulls out an anti-tank launcher. He dives out, exposing himself at the wall of T-Challa warriors, which are blocking Benton and his fellow Marines. He fires as he lands on his side. The rocket propelled charge hit’s the ceiling of the corridor, blasting it open to space.

  The vacuum of space pulls out most of the T-Challa warriors into space. Unfortunately, five are able to hold on long enough for the pressure to equalize. They immediately fire, hitting the brave Marine several times.

  Benton and his squad, also waiting for the pressure to equalize charge the last five T-Challas, killing them quickly, with rapid firing plasma charges. They grab the severely wounded Marine, carrying him into the pod. Benton then hit’s the recall button.

  Benton rushes to the side of his wounded Marine, saying, "Come on buddy hold it together. We’ll get you home."

  The moment the airlock seals Benton calls out, "Paladin! We have a medical emergency. We have several wounded, one is critical. We need emergency pick up now!"

  Jackson and White return quickly, locking onto the pods. Jackson g
rabs Benton’s pod. He heads back first calling out to Paladin, "Have Dr. Qui Shi meet us in the hangar. I’m coming in hot." Damn it, we’ve been so lucky until now.

  Jackson brings Templar in at top speed, landing so fast that he leaves only a millimeter between Templar, and the hangar bay wall when he stops.

  Paladin telepathically communicates to Caleb, "The Marine will die Caleb. His injuries are just too severe for the mobile cellular regenerator to handle quick enough. You are the only one that can save him."

  Caleb looks over to Anders, saying, "Mr. Anders the Bridge is yours, get us back into hyperspace, and back on course."

  Caleb runs to the hangar deck, but not as fast as he had in the past. His body aches, and his wounds begin to bleed once again. He finally arrives on the hangar deck. Exhausted, he sees Dr. Qui Shi frantically working on the dying Marine.

  Caleb walks through the group of Marines. They easily make room to let him approach.

  Benton sees Caleb, and asks, "Can you save him Caleb? He risked his life to save us."

  Qui Shi looks up, and yells, "No, Caleb! If you try and heal him, we don’t know what will happen to you."

  Caleb looks down at the Marine. He reaches his hands out, and touches the Marine. No one is going to die because of me. They trusted in me, I have to keep them alive.

  Jackson seeing this as he exit’s Templar’s cockpit yells, "Stop him! Don’t let him touch him! Benton you ASS! Look at Caleb, he’s dying, don’t let him do this you god damn ass."

  Jackson charges over, but Qui Shi puts her hand up to Jackson and says, "Don’t Colonel, you may kill them both if you try and separate them."

  Caleb begins to glow blue, as the Marine’s wounds begin to heal. Qui Shi monitor’s both men. Caleb vitals are virtually unreadable.

  Then a minute later Qui Shi yells, "Caleb! He’s stable. I can handle it from here. Caleb! Stop, please! Your levels are off the scale. She looks up to Jackson in a panic, saying, "He’s going to kill himself if he doesn’t stop."