The Ocoda Chronicles Book 1 Paladin Page 25

  Caleb sighs, saying, "Between a rock, and a hard place."

  Jackson, realizing the severity of their overall situation says, "Ok, we’re out of here. We’ll head back to the waste disposal room."

  Jackson and Benton wait for the door of the stellar-cartography room to open. After almost an hour has passed, a T-Challa finally enters. Allowing Jackson and Benton too quickly slip out into the corridor. They head to the lift, and once again wait for a T-Challa to enter. There they wait, watching several T-Challa walk by, until finally the lift door opens, and a T-Challa warrior exits onto the floor. Once again, the two slip into the lift, and move to the far back. The hatch closes behind them. Benton looks at the controls, trying to figure how to make the lift travel down. Unexpectedly, he and Jackson both hear a soft sounding beep.

  Jackson looks at Benton and both shake their heads,

  Bach, understanding what the noise means says, "The beep you heard is the cloak alarm. You have only thirty minutes left, until you will need to change out the power cells. Unfortunately, you will become visible on their sensors for a brief moment during the change. I’d suggest you do this quickly."

  Jackson asks mentally, "Bach, if we do this, what should we expect?"

  Bach answers, "Depending on what they see, and if they even notice, they will possibly send a warrior to investigate the disturbance. You will have to change the power packs every three hours, so they will have three more additional times in which you could be detected."

  Jackson thinking asks, "Any place you can think where we might be able to mask our bio signatures?"

  Bach says, "Yes, the engine room. The power reactor they use puts off so much radiation that it should mask you. I suggest that you use the lift and travel down there."

  Benton asks, "How do we operate it?"

  Bach explains, "You can move the lever down, and hold it until it reaches the bottom."

  The two grab hold of the lever, pulling it down. The lift descends quickly until it reaches the bottom. Benton then slides his probe through the door and sees one T-Challa wounded, approaching the lift. They wait until he opens the hatch and then slip past him, as he closes the hatch. They move quickly deep into the engine room. It is extremely hot, the lights are very dim, and a red glow covers the area.

  Bach then informs them, "You will need to go to the hottest place in the room. Their sensors will not pick you up there, your suits should protect you from the radiation for a few minutes, but the heat will be a massive strain to your delicate human bodies."

  The two move towards the back of the engine room where they crawl under a large power conduit. The heat is almost unbearable. Both Jackson and Benton scan the area, and when they are sure the area is clear from sight, they switch out the power packs. The process takes less than ten seconds.

  Both men move quickly from the back of the engine room and to the outer corridor, as they do, they witness two T-Challa warriors fighting each other in a violent match. A few more T-Challa approach, and appear to be cheering on the fight. The fight goes on for over thirty minutes and the crowd of T-Challa grows larger.

  Finally, one of the T-Challa rips the head off the others body. It holds it up, and growls a deep guttural roar, as the blood of its victim pours over its body.

  Then all the T-Challa spectators start ripping the limbs, and guts from the corpse, as they quickly begin devouring the dead T-Challa warrior.

  Bach, who can still see what they are seeing says, "I’m sorry, but this is their way Colonel."

  Jackson says to Bach, "Bach, your people really think that what we’re doing is not justified?"

  Bach answers, "Well, Colonel, we believe there exists the potential for good in all creatures, as well as evil."

  Jackson curious, asks, "So why are you helping us?"

  Bach replying, "To be honest, I don’t know the answer to that question, I feel your noble efforts to save my people deserve some respect from me, and I feel I should help."

  Benton asks, "That means you're gonna use your powers to help us kill these ugly suckers?"

  Bach replies, "No, Colonel Benton, but I hope to prevent your deaths."

  Jackson looks around the engine room and notices another T-Challa corpse recently ripped, shredded, and piled on the corridor floor.

  The two continue searching around the engine room when Benton sees a T-Challa sleeping near a series of levers. He walks over near the behemoth T-Challa, and notices a succession of gauges connected to those same levers.

  Bach says, "Colonel Benton, the valves you are looking at are the heat distribution control. If you could adjust any of them upward, it should cause the ship to heat up more quickly. This should force their vessel to exit hyperspace much earlier."

  Caleb concerned states, "That’s too dangerous, if that T-Challa wakes!"

  Jackson smiles, saying, "Well, I have an idea about how we can wake him."

  Bach asks, "Wake him? What are you trying to do?"

  Jackson grabs a piece of the dead T-Challa corpse lying in the corner, and throws it at the back of a very large T-Challa warrior. It hits the T-Challa, who turns growling. Looking around, the massive beast can only see the sleeping T-Challa, as Jackson and Benton are cloaked. It charges angrily at the unsuspecting sleeping T-Challa, and begins pummeling it to death. It throws it towards the ground, and begins ripping its arms from its torso, and so another crowd of T-Challas once again begins cheering.

  Benton, taking advantage of the situation, grabs a lever, pushing it upward. He does this ever so slowly, as to not attract attention. He and Jackson pause, as they wait to be sure they have not been detected. After a minute, they both grab another, and push it upward as well. They continue the process until…

  "Colonel, please stop!” Bach says alarmed, "You have more than tripled the heat buildup in their engines. They will be forced to come out of hyperspace in just a few hours. I suggest you hurry to the waste disposal room."

  Jackson and Benton move around the slaughter, making their way back to the lift. Twenty-six minutes pass, when the lift opens, and a cart being pushed by a deformed looking T-Challa exit’s the lift. His cart is full of waste, and debris. Jackson signals Benton to wait and watch the T-Challa, as he goes, picking up the remains of the three corpses, tossing them on his cart. Slowly it moves back to the lift. When it opens the lift, Jackson and Benton follow the T-Challa, as it moves the cart into the lift, and travels up three levels, where they all exit the lift.

  Jackson recognizes that they are on the level of the waste room, which they entered from before. They continue to follow it to the waste room, and slip inside behind the creature. They hide in the room waiting for the T-Challa to leave.

  After several minutes, the T-Challa finally leaves the room. Benton then puts his scope under the door, and watches the corridor. The two then sit down and wait.

  Bach then speaks to the two men, "Thank you both for what you are doing to help my people, although I do not condone the violence. I have come to see that your race is good at its core, and whatever my people can do to help your race to survive, we will do."

  Jackson now more educated over the past few months, says, "Bach, to be honest, my people are very selfish as a whole. They still have a lot to learn about the universe, and if it wasn’t for Caleb… Well, we probably wouldn’t be here, but I’m glad we are."

  Caleb, who is listening says, "Hey Jackson, thought you should know we are all still linked through Bach, so we all can hear your thoughts."

  Jackson irritated, says, "Uhmm, yeah, that would have been good to know a few minutes ago."

  Caleb smiling says, "Don’t worry about it Colonel, considering what Paladin thinks of your style humor, he is rather amused with you now."

  Benton smiles and looks at Jackson.

  Bach curious, asks, "You don’t want me to translate what you’re thinking Colonel Benton do you?"

  Benton surprised, replies, "Ahhh, no, damn, I forgot we were hooked up for stereo thought reading here."<
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  Two hours pass, and only a few T-Challa have even walked by the hatch of the waste disposal room.

  Cooley then intercepts a message from the Super Dreadnought to the escort Dreadnoughts reporting that they are experiencing engine issues.

  Then Kitanna tells Bach, "They're showing signs that they’re about to decelerate out of hyperspace."

  Bach tells Colonel Jackson, "Colonel, its time you two get in the waste disposal tube. They will be coming out of hyperspace soon."

  Jackson and Benton open the waste disposal hatch, and slide down into the garbage and debris.

  Benton looks to Jackson and whispers, "At least we don’t have to smell it." Jackson just shakes his head.

  Cooley says, "The Super Dreadnought has signaled it will be dropping out of hyperspace for a few minutes to correct the issue with its engines."

  The T-Challa fleet drops out of hyperspace. Then the waste disposal tube lowers, and jettisons its refuse including Jackson and Benton.

  Benton grabs Jackson, and uses his suit thrusters to lower them both down to Paladin below, as they land on the ship’s deck. They move over to the airlock, as quickly as they can. However, the T-Challa fleet heads back into hyperspace leaving Paladin behind.

  Jackson uses his com, and says, "We’re in Paladin, you can jump to hyperspace."

  Caleb answers, "We know Colonel, but we’re changing course, and heading directly to X’enablanca."

  Fifty-nine hours later, and only five hours until the Super Dreadnought is set to detonate. Caleb looks out and sees X’enablanca for the first time. The planet is surrounded by a large blue energy field. Caleb studying it says, "Well, Bach, I would say you have a beautiful planet, but that blue shield kind of blocks the view a bit."

  Kitanna then announces, "We have twenty-five Heavy cruisers, and ten Rail gunships in orbit. They are focusing on that weak spot of the shield."

  Jackson curious, asks, "Kitanna what’s the status of the main fleet?” If this doesn’t work, that main fleet will destroy us in mere minutes.

  Kitanna answers, "From what I can scan. There are thousands of ships, and they have an active gateway. It has been open since we reached X’enablanca. It’s on the farthest side of the solar system and sir. According to Paladin’s latest data, that gateway is open to its maximum setting, the power it’s using is incredible."

  Cooley, then adds, "Colonel, I’ve been able to determine that the fleet is waiting for that Super Dreadnought to arrive. It should be arriving in just a few hours."

  Onatof adds, "If that bomb goes off with the gateway open as much as it is, it will be the equivalent of a sun going supernova."

  Bach alarmed, says, "That will destroy the dwarf planet their base is orbiting."

  Caleb smiling adds, "And if we’re lucky every one of their ships too."

  Jackson looks at Caleb, "You think we have any luck left?” He’s gotta be feeling it too, this feels like the end of the road.

  Caleb smiles, "Maybe just a little.” I hope, but I think Jackson knows our chances aren’t too good.

  Onatof curious, asks, "Why would they set their base so far away from X’enablanca?"

  Bach answers, "My people can create a field that disrupts gateway usage within a certain range of our planet, so that is as close as they can use a gateway to my home world."

  A few hours later, the Super Dreadnought arrives.

  Kitanna announces, "The Super Dreadnought is heading to the orbital base."

  Cooley adds in, "I’ve picked up that’s its requesting to be refueled and for additional crew to be added."

  They watch from the Bridge on the holoscreen as the gigantic ship docks with the station. The holoscreen shows the countdown, which is down to four minutes.

  Caleb gives orders to Cooley, "Lieutenant Cooley, the moment they detect the buildup I want you to jam their com systems again."

  Jackson says to Caleb privately, "Cale, they will know were here when we do that.” We're pushing our luck.

  Caleb turns his head and says, "Yes, but they won’t have enough time to coordinate an escape."

  The crew watches as the timer hits three minutes.

  Bach says to Caleb, "Caleb, my people are in contact with me now. They thank you for your attempt to save them, but request that you try and find a more peaceful way."

  Caleb smiles and says, "Do you really think that there is a peaceful way?"

  Bach answers, "No Caleb, but the ruling council has to ask."

  Two minutes, and the bomb is armed and starts to build up towards critical mass.

  Benton asks Onatof, "Hey Professor big brain, did you take into your big head, that we placed that in their planetary missile room? There was some pretty serious heavy ordinance in there."

  Onatof’s eyes go wide. He turns to Bach and asks, "Bach are their missiles nuclear?"

  Bach also shocked, says, "Yes, and antimatter too, and extremely more explosive than your own. You can add that most of their ships are equally loaded"

  Onatof quickly starts checking calculations on his holopad. He looks up, and says in a panic, "Move the ship! Move the ship now! What a fool I am. I should have thought of that."

  Klaus doesn’t wait for the command. He quickly pulls the ship away behind X’enablanca.

  Cooley says, "I won’t be able to jam them at this range."

  Jackson concerned asks, "This will be a much bigger blast?” How big is this gonna be?

  Onatof frustrated replies, "I didn’t take into considerations the entire ships weapons ordinance. It will magnify the blast three, maybe five times."

  "That’s almost half the solar system!" Anders stunned states,

  Kitanna says, "Sir they have detected the buildup, and we are too far to jam their communications. Some of the ships are starting to move away."

  Paladin announces, "Twenty-five seconds until detonations."

  Jackson says to Anders, "Drop the cloak, and raise the shields, ready all weapons."

  The cloak drops as the ship powers up its shields,

  Paladin announces, "We have been scanned by multiple targets, they are closing on our position. The bomb will be exploding in five, four, three, two."

  The holoscreen goes bright white in the distance of the star filled horizon. The explosion is easily seen and it is massive.

  Kitanna yells, "We have multiple targets coming towards us! They’re trying to outrun the explosion!" She catches her breath, then continues, "I’m having difficulty getting more detail with the amount of interference from the explosion."

  Anders yells, "We have shields up, weapons charged, and all torpedoes are loaded and ready."

  Kitanna says, "We have twenty-five Heavy cruisers closing. Their shields are up, and they are moving towards us at flank speed. Over fifty of their ships survived the explosion. Most appear to have their shields down, and some others have moderate to severe damage."

  Jackson yells out, "Cooley, get that jammer up and running now!” Well, almost a hundred ships, we might have a chance.

  Anders locks onto four Heavy cruisers, and fires the full volley of plasma cannons.

  The cannons tear down their shields and rip through their hulls, destroying three of the four cruisers while damaging the fourth severely. At this point Anders has perfected his skill at penetrating their weak spot in the engine section shielding.

  Kitanna says, "Ten of the Heavy cruisers have left the area."

  Bach says telepathically to everyone, "T-Challa never intentionally retreat, they’re up to something, be wary of this maneuver."

  Jackson yells, "White, take Templar, and get it loaded with a boarding pod. Benton, get your best Marines and use those personnel cloaking devices. I want you to board one of those damaged Dreadnoughts, and do as much damage as you can.” We need everything we got.

  Jackson turns, yelling, "Klaus! Get us into firing range of those damaged ships now!"

  White and Benton rush off the Bridge, as Klaus moves quickly into a firing solution of the T-Ch
alla fleet.

  Jackson grabs the com, "Val, I need you to load Templar with two nuclear torpedoes now," Where’s Caleb, why is he just sitting there?

  Val replies, "I’ll get right on it."

  Anders locks onto several T-Challa ships, and fires a complete spread of torpedoes and plasma cannons. The attack is devastating to the damaged T-Challa fleet, destroying several Heavy and Medium cruisers.

  Kitanna says, "We have three Dreadnoughts moving into firing range."

  "This is Commander White," White says over the com, "We are waiting on the nukes, estimating four minutes until we will be moving out."

  Anders locks onto the closest Dreadnought and fires, eight of twelve torpedoes are shot down. The plasma charges hit its already weakened shields dropping them. The Dreadnought is badly damaged.

  Kitanna says, "They're returning fire."

  The three Dreadnoughts fire a full spread of plasma, and torpedoes. Klaus pulls the ship up at flank speed trying to out maneuver the massive T-Challa volley, over thirty torpedoes are shot down while Klaus out maneuvers many of the charges. However, ten torpedoes and several plasma blast strike Paladin.

  Paladin calls out, "Shields are down to twenty-two percent."

  Jackson turns to Caleb and says privately, "There are almost a hundred ships. I think we bit off more than we can chew.” Come on man. Don’t go alien on me now. I need you in the game.

  Caleb sits as he watches everyone run across the Bridge. For him it appears that time is slowing down. He feels the pending outcome of this battle, as he takes in what Jackson has said. He thinks to himself. Why is this happening? I feel like I’m reliving this, as if I have done this before. What is happening? Is this what happens before the end? You relive your life.

  Anders locks weapons onto the already damaged Dreadnought and fires. The Dreadnought tries to maneuver out of the way, but Anders assault strikes the middle of the damaged ship and it explodes, heavily damaging the center Dreadnought in the wake of the explosion.

  White comes over the com, "Were exiting the hangar bay, we will be moving on the damaged Dreadnought. Try not to blow it up while we’re on it."