Kitanna concerned asks, “What risks are there in this?”
Ronin replies, “As Carla adapts and grows her power grows with her. We are connected and we feed off each other. Her powers are still unstable and we may have issues in releasing, and recovering, excess energy. Until that is resolved, we will have power surges.”
Sanchez confused asks, “Are you saying she draws power from you to increase her own powers?”
Ronin, replies, “Indirectly, yes and no apply as answers to your questions Commander Sanchez. Carla and I are connected as such; she does draw power from me to fuel her increased psychic powers, but I in turn feed off her energy as well. Our energy is connected in many ways to each other. We share our energy.”
Carla finally speaks, “When we powered up the weapons and shields I could feel the energy coursing through me like never before, and with so much energy. Well, I thought it was worth an attempt to try and clear the psychic plane of all the T-Challa. Hopefully attempt to make contact with Earth.”
Kitanna wondering asks, “Carla why is it that the T-Challa are able to interfere with you now, here in this sector? Why can’t they do the same thing in our territory?”
Carla replies, “T-Challa have a very limited range for the use of their psychic powers, and currently we have hundreds of millions of them around here.”
Sanchez wondering about the T-Challa delayed response during this last battle asks, “What happens to the T-Challa when you defeat them on the psychic plane?”
Carla replies, “They are not connected to their avatars in the same way I am, so when I destroy their avatars it only stuns the T-Challa in this realm. Albeit for a brief time, but the Queen’s connection to her avatar is similar to me, and her power is similar to mine. However, she much like her offspring have a very limited range.”
Kitanna says, “Ok Carla, I need you to check out the aliens’ story. Make sure she’s not carrying one of those Meli things with her and then see if she is hiding anything else too?”
Doctor Cabral says, “Captain, I think we should wait till her wounds heal first.”
Carla responds, “No, Doctor I’ll be fine.” My father would never stop to rest. I have to push myself just as he would.
CHAPTER TEN
PAIN
Carla enters the holding room with Ismail and the Doctor. Doctor Cabral begins a detailed scan of the alien, saying, “Well, she seems to have suffered some massive traumas in the past as well as a very recent beating. She appears to have two cracked ribs and a dislocated shoulder. Her inner anatomy is very similar to ours. With exception of her brain and there are a few other organs which I don’t quite understand.”
Ismail concerned for the alien asks, “Are you in pain?”
The alien replies, “I will recover Ismail. I wish not to be a burden to you, but I can see I have brought much trouble to you. If it will remove any shame which I have brought to you, I will surrender my life to your leader.”
Carla, standing in the doorway replies, “Come on now. Enough of that talk. We are not the T-Challa.”
The alien replies, “No, the T-Challa are gods and my people are just servants. I have now offended them by my actions and my people will be made to pay dearly for my lack of faith.”
Carla is in shock of the blind terror this alien has of the T-Challa as she asks, “I need to look into your mind. Will you allow me?”
The alien obediently replies, “Yes Hybrid, I will not refuse you.”
Carla now very annoyed, says, “Okay, I told you its Carla, ok? Carla is my name.”
The alien lowers her head in fear, saying, “Please forgive me names are for gods and heroes. We are not allowed to use them or have them.”
Carla now irritated, says, Ok, this is taking way too long.” She begins to glow blue and opens her eyes as the blue energy ripples from them. The Condara eyes glow yellow as the two psychically connect.
Carla enters her mind and sees her kneeling with head bowed low. Carla uncomfortable, says, “Ok will you get up, please, I don’t get worshiped ok.”
The Condara keeps her head lowered rising up slowly. She keeps her eyes pointing down as she says, “Do what you need to Mistress Carla.”
Carla focuses into her mind, and pulls out millions of images. She sees a cloning bank with thousands of slaves being created every day. She moves through her life rapidly as she witnesses thousands of atrocities that this poor Condara has experienced during her lifetime, and she feels the beatings she suffered every day of her life. Her constant fear for her life and she finds the evidence of her innocence. She sees her scanning the T-Challa guards mind and learning of the planned trap.
Then Carla decides to look for a piece of the Meli. To make sure the alien is clean. The probe is deep as the Condara tries to block Carla, as the probe begins to cause her pain. She yells out aloud and psychically, “Please Mistress! Have mercy!”
Carla replies telepathically, “I have to probe deeper. You must not resist or it will only cause you more pain.”
Carla pushes through her defenses and finally makes her way to the deepest part of her mind. There she finds a small piece of the Meli.
Carla alarmed focuses on the threat. She armors herself up and prepares her psychic blades.
Onboard the ship, Abe sees the ship's energy power more than triple as Carla draws more energy. Abe panicked calls out to the Bridge, “Captain! We are building up major power levels again. I am going to try to redirect this energy back into the engines. You may notice a slight increase in speed.”
Before Kitanna can even respond the ship increases in speed. So much so, that the inertial dampers are barely able to compensate, as crewmembers are knocked to the ground. A brief moment later, the inertial dampers finally compensate.
Sanchez stunned yells out, “This is slight!”
Kitanna alarmed, says, “Get me Carla at once! Find out what is going on.”
Back in the psychic realm, Carla is confronted by a black bulbous psychic creature. It oozes all around the Condara’s mind. It finally speaks, asking, “Do you think you can kill me Hybrid?”
Carla says confidently, “Thinking has nothing to do with this Meli.”
Carla begins to slice the Meli without any effect until Carla finally tires. She notices the Meli piece is actually feeding off her power.
Carla confused hears Ronin say, “The creature is only a piece of the Meli Mistress, and it's growing off of our power but it is only siphoning off small amounts. I would recommend that we force too much power at it in one motion. This should destroy it.”
Carla concerned asks, “What of the Condara?”
Ronin replies, “Unknown if she will survive Mistress, regrettably the alternative is to keep the alien in stasis for all-time and you must learn how to defeat this in order to save Qui Shi Jackson.”
Carla, aggravated, begins focusing as much energy as she can into her blades, as she prepares to strike in one fell swoop into the Meli.
Back on the ship, the energy levels are spiking, as Abe tries everything that he can, to redirect the excess power. He calls up to the Bridge, “We are going to overload the engines if she keeps this up. You need to find out what she is doing and stop her.”
Kitanna yells out, “Ronin I need a status now!”
Ronin calmly replies, “Captain, we will be exceeding safety limits for a few moments. I highly recommend that all hands prepare for sudden deceleration in ten seconds.”
Sanchez eyes go wide as he yells out, “All hands hold on!”
Back in the psychic realm Carla has built up so much energy that the Meli piece screams in fear, saying, “No Hybrid if you kill me you will kill the host.”
Carla opens her eyes, as they glow an intense blue with energy rippling around her and her blades. She plunges her weapons into the Meli and releases the energy in one massive discharge.
The Meli piece is destroyed, and in that instant, the ship loses engine power and drops from hyperspace. Hundreds of relays and
conduit blow apart throughout the ship.
The Condara screams out in complete agony as the Meli tries to take her with it, but Doctor Cabral immediately shocks her system bringing her heartbeat back.
Inside Carla’s psychic world, she kneels down unprotected as the energy dissipates from her psychic avatar. The Condara awakens in terror and sees Carla prone and undefended. She approaches cautiously and asks, “Mistress Carla are you well?”
Carla looks up and sees she is completely undefended. She jumps back and powers up her psychic armor, asking, “Well, that depends on what you are feeling?”
The Condara confused asks, “Mistress? I am humbled by your kindness in sparing my life and only wish to thank you for removing that vile thing from my mind.”
Carla curious, asks, “Do all slaves have these things implanted in them?”
The Condara replies, “No Mistress, just my people as we can read other aliens minds. So it watches what we see and reports back to the Queen.”
Carla even more curious, asks, “Did it ever have any influence on you, or did it ever make you do anything against your will?”
The Condara replies, “I tried my best to avoid it, but it would always watch me, reporting everything back to the Queen. It seemed to thrive on my pain and anger, but it never seemed to be able to make me do anything.”
Back on the Bridge, Sanchez gets back to his feet and yells out, asking, “What’s our status? Where the hell are we? More important is this roller coaster of a ride over?”
Ronin replies, “Commander Sanchez we have covered virtually two weeks of our journey in just a few minutes. However, we have overloaded many of my main systems. I have switched those systems over to the secondary backup systems. Currently we have two T-Challa fleets approaching rapidly. They are approximately three days out. At present, we are four weeks from the next habitable planet. Hopefully it will have the resources needed to sustain the crew.”
Kitanna annoyed replies, “Commander, get our shields up and get our fighters out there. Let’s make sure we are secure and somebody go find me our Little Flower before she does some real damage.”
Carla and the Condara return to the real world as Carla exhausted says, “Damn, I feel like crap.”
The Condara is frightened with so many devices around her. She looks in panic at Ismail and says telepathically, “Please I mean no harm.”
Ismail smiles, calmingly he replies, “We are not trying to hurt you…” Ismail pauses, as he realizes he needs to give this creature a name, “We are going to need to give you a name so we can talk to each other.”
The Condara replies, “I am a servant, I am not worthy of a name master Ismail.”
Carla, feeling exhausted smiles as she gets up, saying, “Ismail, will you give your new girlfriend a name already.”
Ismail uncomfortable for perhaps the first time stumbles across his words, “What… err, I don’t know what you’re talking about… I mean… oh hell. Carla!”
Carla looks at the alien who is now somewhat confused, but slightly happy at the emotion expressed by Ismail, saying, “Well I say we call you Ella.”
The Condara looks up in shock and asks, “Mistress Carla, I thank you for my name.”
Carla smiles and says, “Well, if you don’t like it you can choose another.”
The alien replies, “No Mistress, I wish not to offend you. I just hope it pleases master Ismail.”
Ismail still in shock at this embarrassing situation says, “Uhmm… I don’t… I mean its fine. It’s a nice name… I mean its fine...”
Carla laughing now says, “Ismail it’s so nice to see you so uncomfortable.”
Carla leaves, heading down to engineering to see Abe. On her way down, she comes across several fighter pilots and crew members whose thoughts are virtually impossible to block as she hears, “There’s that freak.”, “That’s the reason we are all in this hell.”, “Her father started this nightmare.”, “Captain Frasier is right, she is a freak.”
Carla looks up at these men and women, her eyes fill with tears, she uses her enhanced speed and runs away. One of the crewmembers thinks aloud so that Carla can hear, “Run you freak. Run as far away as you can.”
Carla now emotional runs as fast as she can and races into the back of the engine room and curls up, hiding behind the power conduits in the engine room.
As she sits their upset she sobs softly as Ronin asks, “Mistress why are you upset, I don’t understand how those words can hurt you so Mistress?”
Carla, upset and crying, says telepathically, “Ronnie, just leave me alone, please, I’ll be fine in a little while.”
Ronin concerned seeks out and quickly finds Abe close by stating to him, “Abe, Mistress Carla is hurt, and I cannot help her.”
Abe, who is focused on restoring power to the ships multiple systems replies, “I have damage control on the repairs, she should be good to go in a day.”
Ronin says, “Master Abraham that is not what I’m speaking of. She recently overheard the thoughts from some of the crew and became very upset. She is currently hiding under power conduit seven to the main port side engine.”
Abe stops what he is doing, asking with a heavy sigh, “Ronin, what were they thinking that caused her to become so distraught?”
Ronin replies, “The crew members were thinking of her as a freak, and that Captain Frasier was correct in his assessment that Carla and her father Caleb are responsible for this current war.”
Abe lowers his head grits his teeth and says, “Ronin, I will deal with Captain Frasier personally later.”
Abe leaves his post and says to a crewmember, “Finish up this conduit.” Abe heads down to the main port engine room.”
On the Bridge, Kitanna impatiently asks, “Where is our Little Flower Commander?”
Sanchez replies, “Captain, I received a report about ten minutes ago that she was seen on deck sixteen. She has not responded to any hails. Ronin will not respond to my requests to her location Captain.”
Kitanna takes a deep breath and says, “Sanchez take the com. I’m going down below.”
Kitanna enters the lift and sets it to descend to the engineering deck and as it descends she asks, “Ronin I know you can hear me, what’s wrong with Carla? Was she injured during this power flare up?”
Ronin responds, “No Captain, Carla freed the alien now called Ella of her Meli tracker. It was a very difficult operation, but that is not why she has requested solitude at this time.”
Kitanna confused asks, “Is Abe with her?”
Ronin responds, “Yes, Captain. He has just located her hiding behind conduit number seven located in the main port side engine room.”
Kitanna concerned asks, “Hiding?”
Ronin replies, “I do not understand why she has chosen to isolate herself after hearing the thoughts of a few crew members.”
Kitanna stops the lift and enraged she asks, “These comments that were said, they upset her?”
Ronin responds, “Yes, Captain, Mistress Carla became very upset hearing their thoughts.”
Kitanna punches the side of the lift and says, “Ok Ronin, show me how to find them.”
Back in the engine room, Abe crawls his way to conduit seven. He sits down next to Carla and sighs heavily.
Carla doesn’t bother to look up, she simply yells, “Abe! Go away! I just need to be alone. Please.”
Abe unconcerned says, “Sure thing just pretend I’m not here like you always do.”
Carla, now becoming angry says, “Abe, go away before I make you go away.”
Abe sighs and says, “Carla you know I use to hate you so much. You have been in my life since the day I was born and it’s because of you I had to learn to make so many sacrifices. Whether it was time from family or friends, your needs always came first, and that made me hate you even more, then all that X’ena knowledge started to make its way into my head, and then I learned what it was like to be looked at as different. I couldn’t make any friends in s
chool. Everyone thought I was a freak, I hated you and your father even more, and then a few years ago, I realized something. You know what that was?”
Carla looks up briefly. Her face covered in tears. She replies, “What?”
Abe answers, “That we are the same. We’re alone in the universe, except for each other.”
Carla, upset, says, “That’s bull crap Abe, you have your parents, and Val has the same abilities as you do. You’re not alone.”
Abe unrelenting says, “My parent’s shared their love with both of us. You can say that you’re alone, but all that says to me is that their love wasn’t good enough for you, and for Val, he is way older than I am, so when I say we are all alone, I meant that we are both so young and growing with all these gifts, and we have no one else is close to our own age. All we have is each other.”
Carla gets up tucks her head into Abe’s chest and says, “I don’t mean to say your parents love wasn’t enough for me, and I’m sorry for always putting you through so much. It’s just so hard for me now. More than ever before, and I think people will like me and accept me like my father was, but instead all I can hear is I’m a freak, and I’m the one responsible for this war.”
A voice from down on the engine room deck scoffs and says, “Little Flower your father was the most hated, and loved man I have ever known.”
Carla and Abe both spooked at the sudden appearance of Kitanna, they are unable to say anything before she continues, “Carla, your father never cared what anyone thought of him. I use to feel that it was an act with him, but after knowing him for so many years, I figured out something about him. He only cared about us, you, me, Jacks, Qui Shi, all of us. Everyone else’s opinions never meant anything to him.”
Carla, upset says, “Well, I’m not my father.”
Kitanna says, “No my child, you’re not. You’re much, much more than him, and he knew that. He not only saw your importance, he prepared for it. You need to accept that everything that has happened to the human race is because of what your family did for us. Every day the human race survives is because of you and your father’s sacrifices, and the opinions of a few short sighted idiots shouldn’t matter to you.”
The Ocoda Chronicles Book 3 Ronin Page 11