The Ocoda Chronicles Book 1 Paladin Read online

  Carla, whom Shi Reies is holding in his arms starts to cry, as her arms start to become very warm. Several bruises begin to appear on her neck, face, and hands.

  Shi Reies panicked yells, "Colonel, the little girl... She is feeling the effects!"

  Shi Reies then softly whispers to Carla, "Be brave Little Flower. I will not let anyone hurt you." Shi Reies says to himself quietly, "This brave child, her innocence in this war is in danger. I curse these creatures, if I could just face them in one on one combat, I would rip them limb from limb."

  Jackson yells out, "Klaus, get us out of its firing range now!"

  Klaus spins the ship hard once again, swinging at a ninety-degree arc in the blink of an eye, once again straining the inertial dampers beyond their limits. Several crewmembers are hurt by such an extreme maneuver. Unexpectedly, the result gives Anders a full weapons spread, at optimum range.

  Anders doesn’t wait for a better shot. He fires all nine Heavy cannons, and twelve Medium cannons, and they hit their mark.

  Kitanna yells out, "Its shields are down, it has taken moderate damage. It’s lost most of its forward guns, but it’s still charging at us at flank speed, it's powering up its remaining weapons to fire."

  Anders yells back, "It won’t get the chance." He fires fourteen torpedoes. Four are intercepted by T-Challa Light plasma cannons. The remaining ten hit their target.

  Kitanna shocked yells out, "It's going to explode! We’re too close!"

  Klaus moves forward, trying his best to outrun the blast. However, the Dreadnought explodes, and the shock wave hits Paladin.

  Paladin’s shields finally drop, and the hull takes minor damage. Carla screams out in pain. Cooley leaves her post to help Shi Reies comfort her.

  Jackson stands from his chair slams his fist down and says, "Anders, Klaus. I want all these ships out of my universe right now." Sorry Caleb, I tried my best to protect her.

  Kitanna yells, "Colonel, we still have three Heavies in a holding pattern just out of range behind us."

  Jackson then grabs the com, "Val! I don’t care how you do it, but I need our shields back up now."

  Val calls back, "Yes Colonel, I’m working on it."

  Kitanna calls out, "The remaining fleet is still heading to the moon. They will be in firing range in seven minutes. Those three Heavies are now moving in a pursuit pattern, just staying out of our effective firing range."

  Jackson calls out to Commander White on the com, "Reggie, get in Cavalier and have it loaded with one of our nukes. I want you to go out cloaked, and take care of those three Heavies behind us."

  Six minutes pass quickly, as Klaus moves the ship into firing range of five of the fourteen remaining ships. Anders locks onto them firing a full volley of Heavy, Medium plasma charges, and a full complement of torpedoes. Anders continually targets their less shielded aft sections easily disabling their aft shields, and exposing their engines. The three Heavies and two Mediums cruisers explode, taking out the other nearby ships, or simply causing them to twist out of control. Klaus keeps closing on the remaining nine, as Anders destroys the remaining crippled cruisers from his first volley.

  Kitanna calls out, "They will be in firing range of the moon in less than a minute."

  Anders gets a lock on two more Heavies, and two Mediums, firing on all four ships. The Heavy and Medium cannons arc true to their targets, ripping the two Medium cruisers apart and heavily damages both Heavies. Klaus keeps moving at flank speed. He closes on the remaining ships.

  Kitanna announces, "We have the three Heavies closing on our aft at flank speed. We have two more Heavies turning one hundred eighty degrees."

  Anders locks onto the damaged Heavies, and fires a full spread of torpedoes. Klaus keeps moving forward at flank speed.

  Kitanna again announces, "We are closing too fast on those damaged Heavies! They're locking weapons."

  Anders smiles and says, "Have faith, oh loud one this ain’t my first rodeo."

  The torpedoes hit their targets, decimating both Heavies into momentary fireballs.

  However, at Paladins top speed, Klaus ignorantly rushes through the shock wave and debris left behind from the ship's explosion. This causes Paladin additional minor damage to its hull.

  Carla once again screams out in pain, as her skin starts to bubble and burn.

  Cooley yells to Klaus, "Klaus you bloody idiot! Can’t you see she’s suffering from the blast! Watch what you’re doing!"

  Klaus shakes and turns, saying, "Sorry Little Flower, I will try to do better."

  Cooley yells, "Try! No, I don’t think so! If I so much as see one single tear from this little angel’s face.... I am going to kick your bloody ass from here to kingdom come!"

  Jackson looks over at Cooley shocked, saying, "Lieutenant, I think that energy would be best served on the T-Challa instead of the young Commander. Don’t you think?” She reminds me of my boot camp drill sergeant.

  Cooley, who is emotionally overwrought, replies, "Sorry sir."

  Benton, adding his two cents, "Hell no, I want her to drill my Marine’s next mission."

  Jackson glares his disapproval at Benton, shaking his head. That’s just getting too bizarre. I was just thinking that.

  Benton confused replies, "What? I’m just saying that’s all. Geez, what’s up with him?"

  Kitanna then calls out, "Four Medium, and one Heavy cruiser will be in firing range of the moon in twenty seconds."

  Anders locks onto the last cruisers and fires, full spread, focusing on the Heavy cruiser, six Heavy and twelve Medium plasma charges arc towards the cruisers. The Heavy takes the brunt of the impact. Six Heavy plasma charges hit the aft section hard, ripping through its shields, and into its main reactor. It explodes in a massive fireball, once more sending out debris and striking the nearby Medium cruisers, at that same moment Paladin’s twelve Medium plasma charges strike into the fleet. Three of four suffer heavy damage and begin to slow. Losing their shields, and taking moderate engine damage. The fourth and final cruiser's shields hold, as it continues at flank speed towards the moon base.

  Commander White, hidden in Cavalier finally sneaks in behind the three pursuing Heavies. He arms his nuke as he begins to close in on the ships at top speed. Cavalier starts prepping the hyperdrive maneuver.

  Kitanna, voice hoarse from yelling so much, weakly yells, "The three Mediums are disabled, the last one is in firing range of the moon base, it’s targeting the surface now."

  Anders locks onto it with five torpedoes, and fires. The Medium cruiser takes evasive maneuvers, making an emergency dive to the moon's surface, trying to shake the torpedoes.

  Unfortunately, for the cruiser, three connect ripping through its shields, and causing heavy damage, added with its own momentum, it causes the cruiser to smash full speed onto the moon’s surface, far away from Bach’s hidden lab.

  Anders hastily locks on to the disabled cruisers, finishing them off in quick order.

  At that exact moment, the last three Heavies pick up the nuclear reaction behind them. They begin to scan the area to lock onto White, but they run out of time. White fires his payload, and hits hyperdrive. The three Heavies have no chance. They disappear in a flash of bright white light.

  Jackson sits back in his seat, and breathes a sigh of relief.

  Paladin announces, "All enemy combatants are destroyed. I have suffered minimal damage on the outer hull, which will self-repair within the hour."

  Jackson looks over to Shi Reies and Cooley, who are comforting Carla, and asks, "Is Carla ok?"

  Shi Reies replies, "She will be fine Colonel, she has a few bruises. However, sir, I think I should bring her to med-bay."

  Jackson smiles "Go ahead, then.” Thank god she is ok, brave little girl, must take after her mom.

  Klaus leaves his post, and runs to Carla, saying, "I am truly sorry Little Flower, I did my best to prevent any suffering."

  Cooley replies, "She’s ok luv, I’m sorry for losing my temper back there. You’re j
ust so young I forget you’re a Commander."

  Klaus lowers his head and says, "It’s all right, Lieutenant, I’m used to it."

  One hour later, Paladin reenters orbit around the moon.

  Jackson takes Templar down to the X'ena base, with Val and Benton, to Bach's hidden laboratory.

  They land and head to the shaft. Val looks down, saying, "I’m not very good at rope climbing."

  Jackson chuckles and says, "Going down is easy Val, it’s the coming up part you’re going to have all the fun with."

  The three men quickly descend the central access shaft to Bach’s chamber, where they see the Marines, Doctor Qui Shi, Onatof, and the alien X'ena called Bach.

  Then all three hear in their heads, "Such aggression was it so necessary to destroy every last one of the T-Challa?"

  Val shocked, asks aloud, "Did everyone hear that?"

  Benton replies, "Yeah, it talks telepathically Val. We hear what it says in our heads."

  "IT!” Bach disgusted says, "I am not an, it! Lieutenant Colonel Gabriel Benton."

  Jackson interjects, "Excuse us Bach, but we have never encountered aliens before. What do we call you, other than Bach?"

  Bach lights up brighter and levitates over to Jackson.

  Then Bach says, "hmm, Bach will do I guess. We do not have gender as your race does."

  Jackson says, "Paladin has told us your people’s pacifist nature, so I don’t wish to offend you with our aggression, but the T-Challa don’t negotiate."

  Bach replies, "Yes, I am fully aware of the T-Challa Colonel Jackson. I am also aware of everything that has transpired with your journey. All that Paladin has seen is now part of me."

  Jackson bothered, asks, "Then maybe you can tell me why Paladin was programmed to self-destruct like he was?"

  Bach replies, "Paladin, as you call him, was created by me to help the different races against the T-Challa, without the need for aggression. I however, could not find a way to make that happen. Therefore, when the T-Challa destroyed this colony on the planet below, I sent Paladin to X’enablanca. Hoping someone there could finish my work. Instead, they allowed it to be used for violence anyways. It was there that they installed in its coding a fail-safe. This fail-safe was designed to break down the connection between X'ena one hundred fifty-two transmogvirus and its host. Their goal was to prevent X’ena one hundred fifty-two from being used against other worlds, but only after a certain time had passed."

  Qui Shi surprised interrupts, asking, "Didn’t they know it would kill him?" This seems reckless for such peaceful people.

  Bach replies, "I don’t believe they did Doctor Qui Shi. Our knowledge of your civilization was based on a different race of man, some two hundred thousand of your years ago. So reckless, yes, but I doubt it was intentional."

  Qui Shi shocked, realizes that Bach had read her thoughts.

  Jackson asks, "Can you get Paladin out of the little girl without hurting her, and put it back into Caleb?"

  Bach replies, "I have repaired the program, Paladin will no longer breakdown in Caleb’s system. It should be an easy process to reinstall Paladin back into Caleb. The little girl should not feel any discomfort during the process."

  Onatof says, "Bach, would you please tell the Colonel what you were telling us about your people."

  Bach says, "Yes, I understand that your mission was to try and help the X’ena’s. I can assure you that although it is appreciated, it is not necessary."

  Jackson dumbfounded asks, "Why?"

  Bach replies, "Our planet X’enablanca is doomed, it may have only twenty years before it will explode. We have powered our shield from the planet’s core for eons, and the effect has made the planet uninhabitable to all the other creatures that once lived with us. Most recently, the core has become unstable, and as a result, my race will die in less than twenty years."

  Jackson asks, "Why not leave the planet? Surely your technology must be able to allow you a means of escape?"

  Bach replies, "No, this is not an option for my people. Over half the T-Challa fleet lies in wait just outside our solar system, and to lower our shield takes thirty-nine hours. During which time the shield becomes weaker, thus allowing the T-Challa an opportunity to invade our world. Once on our planet, they will easily steal our technology, once again advancing their own knowledge, and becoming an even greater threat than they are now."

  Jackson says, "Well, we can’t let that happen, the only advantage we currently have is your technology. Should the T-Challa gain any more of your people’s knowledge, it would be devastating. Besides, Caleb wanted to repay the X’ena back for the favor your people did for us. I didn’t agree with him at first, but I’m thinking after destroying almost one hundred of their ships over the past months, we have a pretty good chance of helping your people."

  Bach replies, "Very noble of you Colonel Jackson, but foolish nonetheless, you have only won by trickery, and extreme luck, and you are running out of surprises quickly. The T-Challa have never known defeat until you arrived. Since your arrival, they have lost every encounter with your ship. I fear for your people Colonel Jackson. The T-Challa will do whatever it takes to destroy your race now."

  Jackson smiles, shaking his head, saying, "Ah, what the hell, we’re pretty close to your world anyways. Why not go visit the locals, maybe bust a few more T-Challa ships into space junk on the way."

  Bach replies, "Paladin’s observations of you are correct, you are very reckless. Well, if you are going to go to my world, may I, as your people say, hitch a ride?

  Jackson smirks says, "Sure, as long as you have gas money."

  Bach glows brighter blue and says, "Ah yes, humor, Paladin told me that you attempt to be humorous."

  Benton laughs out loud hearing this.

  Jackson smiles, he then laughs, asking, "Ok, I see we have a planet of critics here, so when can we get Caleb out of this toaster thing?"

  Bach replies, "The X’ena half of him has already healed itself. The human half of him is still damaged. I’m afraid even after he has been repaired, he will still die eventually."

  Qui Shi concerned asks, "How much longer do you expect that he will live?"

  Bach replies, "If he is lucky, I would say at best, nine hundred, maybe one thousand."

  Jackson confused, asks, "Hours, days, months?"

  Bach confused by this question replies, "Years."

  "YEARS!" everyone shocked, says aloud.

  Bach surprised, replies, "Yes, I’m sorry, but if Paladin had merged earlier in his development he may have lived some three, or four thousand years. Nevertheless, Paladin did sacrifice ninety percent of its own life force to merge with Caleb. Did Caleb not tell you about this? He was aware of it?"

  Jackson shakes his head, "No, he didn’t tell us.” Wow, I just realized that means he will be stuck on Paladin for a hell of a long time.

  Onatof says, "Bach, we as humans, even with the best of care only lives some ninety to one hundred years."

  Bach unaware responds, "Oh, I see. We X’ena’s live some ten thousand years, although some have lived much longer."

  Qui Shi says to everyone, "This machine is currently healing Caleb’s wounds and damaged human cells. We have at least four more days."

  Jackson asks, "Can’t Carla heal him like Caleb heals people, or can’t we just use the ships cellular regenerator?"

  Bach replies, "She is much too young, her body couldn’t handle the process and it may have an adverse effect on taking Paladin out of her. Any injury she may receive may cause unknown results from their temporary blending, as for your cellular regenerator. This device is still much faster."

  Val finally speaks, "Can we speak to Caleb? Can he hear us in there?"

  Bach replies, "No Val, his body is completely in stasis while he heals."

  Val curious, asks, "You were in this chamber?"

  Bach replies, "Yes, I have been in here for some eight hundred years. This lab didn’t have the resources to sustain me for that many years,
so I had to create this chamber to sustain my life force."

  Onatof curious, asks, "Do you need food?"

  Bach replies, "I will need sustenance in a few days. Paladin has informed me of your ship stores. Unfortunately, there is nothing there I can use, if you are willing to help me, on the planet below, there is ample resources, which will sustain me."

  Jackson says, "I will have Commander White take Cavalier down to the planet surface, and recover what you will need."

  Bach replies, "Thank you Colonel, I will upload the information to the support ships computers."

  Qui Shi asks, "Bach, may I examine you so that I may have a point of reference in Caleb’s X’ena physiology?"

  Bach instantly creates a tentacle, and briefly touches the Doctor's head. She immediately faints, as Jackson, who is standing beside her snatches her up in his arms.

  Benton and the Marines pull out their weapons.

  Jackson stunned yells, "What did you do to her?” Qui Shi?

  Bach frightened at the aggression quickly hovers away from the Marines.

  Qui Shi quickly wakes, and says, "Stop I’m ok. Wow! That was a rush of information."

  Bach then speaks, "Please, I mean no harm. Her body was shocked when I downloaded the information she requested."

  Jackson overly concerned asks, "Downloaded? She isn’t a frigging machine." Pausing Jackson looks down at Qui Shi and asks, "What did you download?"

  Qui Shi stands up, and pushes down Benton’s gun, saying, "He downloaded all their medical history. It was quite overwhelming, and I must have passed out from it. He didn’t hurt me Andrew.” Qui Shi speaks to Bach in her thoughts, "Bach, please understand we just don’t understand your ways, but we will learn."

  Jackson humbled, "We’re sorry Bach. We didn’t mean to frighten you."

  Bach lowers down to the ground again.

  Onatof asks, "Can you do that with any of your knowledge?"

  Bach replies, "Yes Professor, but I will not give you too much information. Your race is very young, and potentially dangerous. The medical knowledge I gave Doctor Qui Shi is all the knowledge of Caleb’s physiology."