Frasier shocked, asks, “Did you say Caleb hid them?
Ismail also confused asks, “Ella why did Caleb hide them?”
Ella responds, “This man called Caleb. He discovered them over two thousand years ago. They are called the Phace’mal.”
Ismail looks over his readings and asks Frasier, “Captain, permission to have Abe review these readings?”
Frasier in complete awe at the amount of crystals says, “Ah yeah, go ahead Commander.”
Ismail contacts Ronin, “Captain Meyers, we have a developing situation here and need to have Abe look over this data, ASAP.”
A minute transpires as Abe appears on the holocom, asking, “Yes Ismail, what have you got for me?”
Ismail responds, “Abe we found an old device masking these aliens, we’re told Caleb himself hid these creatures. Over two thousand years ago.”
Abe looks over the data for a minute and his eyes go wide and says, “Holy cow. This is unbelievable. I need to get down there now.”
Kitanna asks, “What is it Abe?”
Abe still in awe replies, “Caleb had good reason to hide these creatures. They emit so much energy that just a single one could power a fleet of ships for a thousand of years. With more than triple the power currently used by us.”
Ella very frightened, says, Yes, master Abe, but to use this power would kill them.”
Abe says, “The device is a variant of an X'ena camouflage technology, but on a massive scale. This had to be the odd energy signature I was detecting earlier.”
Ella says, “They know who you are Master Abraham, and they know of many others like you. They say they were told that you would come and protect them from the T-Challa.”
Abe turns to Kitanna and says, “I can’t do anymore with the engines without Carla’s help Captain so I may as well shift down there.”
Kitanna reluctantly says, “Captain Frasier, I'll have Abe ready to go as soon as we have engine power restored.” The com closes.
Kitanna says to the com officer, “Get me Doctor Cabral on the com please.” A moment transpires, as Doctor Cabral appears on the holocom. Kitanna asks, “What is the status of our Little Flower Doctor?"
Cabral reluctantly replies, “She's still sore from the ship damage, but mending quickly.”
Kitanna asks, “Can she report to duty, yet?”
Cabral looks over at Carla says, “Captain, I would like her to stay for a while, but I understand the situation. So I'll let her decide.”
Carla, who was lying down sits up and says, “Kitanna I'll be up shortly.” Carla stands up feebly and says to the Doctor, “I'm not sure what hurts more. The ship damage or that big chunk of metal you pulled out of me.”
Cabral very concerned asks, “Your father’s power was that of healing why is yours not the same as his?”
Carla replies, “I don’t know why it isn't Doctor Cabral, but I sure wish it was.” Carla heads out to the Bridge in a slow systematic process.
Cabral concerned asks, “Carla are you sure you don’t want to rest for a bit?”
Carla turns smiles and says, “I’d like to say yes, but being able to? Well, we both know I can’t.”
Carla asks telepathically, “Ronin, have you learned why I can’t get the ship to function as easily as my father and Paladin could?”
Ronin replies, “Mistress Carla I can only do as you tell me. I cannot teach you what I do not know, but I know the key to full power and control is in you and you alone.”
Carla, upset says, “Yeah, well, I don’t know how to either and you'd have thought my father, the man who always thinks of every possibility would have another way to teach me other than that broken machine down in engineering.”
Carla finally makes it to the Bridge. Sore and hiding her pain she asks, “Yes Kitanna what can I do for you?”
Kitanna is very concerned about Carla’s health, but realizes she needs to push her. She says, “Carla we need main power, and until you turn it back on Abe can’t do anything more.”
Carla sighs and says, “Ok, I'll try, but it’s so difficult to access it.” Carla closes her eyes and focuses on the power core. She pushes past the pain and locates the power core inside her mind. She concentrates on turning it on. She feels the pain, as she pushes with all her might until in agony she screams out on the Bridge. Then, with that outburst, main power starts again.
Abe quickly looks over the ship's internal sensors and says, “We're in business. She’s started the dual core reactor and we should have main power online in an hour and the engines back up in twelve more.”
Carla exhausted holds her side as she suffers in pain, saying, “Ok, I think I have it under control as best I can.”
Sanchez, looking at the sensors says, “Captain we have the rest of the T-Challa fleet closing on us rapidly. They’ll be here in four days.”
Kitanna confused asks, “The three disabled Dreadnought ships which we blasted the hell out of?”
Sanchez responds, “No Captain, this is the second fleet. It appears that they have increased their speed like the first fleet they are running their ships to near overload. I currently scan ten Super Dreadnoughts, and ten standard Dreadnoughts, all closing on us.”
Kitanna sighs and says, “Well, at least we can outrun them.”
Later in the day, Abe gets the phase-shifter online and shifts to the planet below. Frasier and Ismail immediately greet him.
Ismail says, “Abe whatever that device was its toast now. I don’t know if you can fix it.”
Abe sighs and says, “Well, take me to it.” The three men walk over as Abe marvels at the crystals. He asks Ella, “You said they know who I am?”
Ella replies, “Yes Master Abraham. They were foretold of your arrival, and that you would be able to fix the device should it ever break down.”
Abe finally looks at the device, and says, “Well, it’s definitely X'ena technology. Looks like a cross between a PCD and a camouflage screen, but it looks completely worn out. Some of these parts are way beyond anything I've seen. I wish Val were here, I’m sure he could easily figure this stuff out.”
Frasier says, “Well, we don’t have time to fix it. We need to get these supplies back to the ship, and get out of here before that second fleet gets any closer.”
Abe still annoyed at Frasier, says, “Not really an option Captain.”
Frasier confused asks, “What do you mean?”
Abe replies, “Caleb spent a great deal of time hiding these creatures from the T-Challa for a very good reason, and if we leave them to be discovered the T-Challa will have no mercy on them. They will use them and their amazing power to obliterate our ships. We have no choice but to hide them, and we must do it quickly, before they can get into scanner range.”
Frasier uncaring says, “Abe, you have one day, because we have another option too.”
Abe enraged stands up from the device and approaches Frasier, saying, “That’s not an option Captain, its mass murder of entire species, and I can assure you that I can make that impossible to happen.”
Frasier eyes go wide as Abe closes within an inch of the Captain's face.
Back on the ship, Kitanna gets the report of the situation on the planet below. She meets with Carla in her ready room. Kitanna asks, “Carla how are you feeling?”
Carla painfully replies, “Tired Kitanna, but I know we need to keep pushing.”
Kitanna concerned asks, “Carla has Ronin told you about what we found on the planet below?”
Carla unconcerned replies, “No, we still don’t talk as my father and Paladin did, why, what did you find?”
Kitanna surprised about Carla's last statement asks, “Forget about what we found for a minute. What do you mean you don’t talk like Caleb and Paladin did?”
Carla unaware of the importance says, “Well, we just don’t. He tells me of stuff when I need to know it, and that’s it.”
Kitanna very concerned says, “Carla please sit down. Please.”
C
arla sits as Kitanna says, “Carla, Paladin and your father we're so connected it was almost scary. I mean he could feel everyone move on the ship. He could hear every conversation, and he knew everything that was happening on his ship. Are you telling me that you can't do that?”
Carla unsure replies, “No, I can’t. At least not like my father did, but that maybe because I’m not trapped on the ship like my father was. You know I can pull Ronin out of the Yorktown.”
Ronin interjects, “Mistress Carla has limited her connection to me Captain.”
Kitanna more confused asks, “Carla why? Ronin is part of you. Why are you pushing him away?”
Carla pulls her legs up in the chair and takes a deep breath and answers, “Kitanna I'm afraid ok. It’s as simple as that. I'm afraid if I let myself go as my father did, I could be trapped on this ship my whole life, and that’s five thousand years.”
Kitanna smiles and goes up and consoles Carla, saying, “Little Flower if I could take your place you know I would, but no one can, so we need you. Now please try, because if you don’t, a whole lot of people may die.”
Carla looks at Kitanna sighing as she closes her eyes focusing on Ronin, as she does, she is pulled into a different plane similar to the psychic realm, but she has never seen before, as she looks around she finds a small young girl sitting in the middle of the plane. Carla immediately moves across the plane, and sees it is a much younger version of herself. She asks, “Are you me?”
The voice of the child responds, “What do you care. I’m part of you, but you don’t want me so I stay here.”
Carla confused asks, “Are you Ronin?”
The angry little girl answers, “We are one and the same, there is no Carla, there is no Ronin. There is only us.”
Carla looks down and asks, “I don’t understand? Can you help me understand?”
The little girl obnoxiously answers, “No, I don’t want too, and neither do you. You don’t like us. You keep us locked up in here.”
Carla now even more confused, says, “I didn't know I was keeping you locked up.”
The little girl mockingly replies, “I didn’t know. Yeah, right. Just go away you don’t love us. You don’t want us. Just go away you big meanie.”
Carla, upset, says, “That’s not true. If you’re part of me, then I'm part of you, of course I love you. I have to.”
The little girl looks up and says, “No you don’t! Now go away.”
With that, Carla is pushed out of the plane and back to her body. Carla now very confused re-enters her physical body as Kitanna asks, “Carla did you hear what I said?”
Carla overwhelmed with just happened replies, “Not really, I was trying to communicate with Ronin. I think at least a part of him anyways.”
Ronin says aloud, “I'm sorry Mistress Carla, but I am not sure just what that is, and I’m unable to go there either, but it does seem to be part of us somehow.”
Carla confused, says to Kitanna, “I'll keep trying Kitanna, but it’s not easy. Whatever it is, it doesn’t like me too much”
Kitanna annoyed, says, “You need to hurry and figure this out Carla because if you fail a lot of people could die.”
Sanchez rushes up to Kitanna's room, entering he says, “Captain, we have more problems, the T-Challa ships have once again increased speed. They will be here in just under twenty hours.”
Kitanna asks, “How is that possible?”
Ronin reports, “Captain they have minimized life support and shut down all nonessential systems, also their engines are taxed to more than two hundred percent over safe operations.”
Sanchez says, “They must smell blood in the water.”
Kitanna frustrated says, “We’ll have to recall everyone from the planet. We have to leave at once.”
The three immediately return to the Bridge, as Frasier and Abe are on the holochannel. Abe says, “Captain, we can’t leave these creatures unprotected, if the T-Challa get them we’re doomed. The energy these creatures produce will re-power the T-Challa Empire for thousands of years, and make them virtually unstoppable.”
Kitanna frustrated asks, “Can you fix the device that was shielding them?”
Abe replies, “Yes, but I need some time at least a few days.”
Kitanna sits down in her chair and looks out over the Bridge and sighs as she says, “Frasier, leave the Williams behind and return with the fighters. We will load the last of nukes. We’ll have to make our stand here and fight, or die trying.”
Frasier smiles and says, “Hell yeah, Captain, now you’re talking my language.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
HEROES FOUND
Kitanna calls an emergency meeting with her command staff. Abe attends via holocom. Kitanna starts with, saying, “Captain Frasier, I need you to take your best pilots and target the Super Dreadnoughts. We need to try and take them out first.”
Ismail says, “Captain, I think we should try and board another Dreadnought as before.”
Kitanna reluctantly replies, “No Ismail, they rarely fall for the same trick twice, and I’m pushing my luck with the armed nukes shifting into the middle of their fleet like this anyways.”
Carla still sore from her previous wound from saving Abe holds her side, saying, “Captain, I think I can handle them this time. I’m sure I can better control the power.”
Kitanna sighs, saying, “Carla I know you want to believe that as much as we all do, but I also know that you are pushing your limits. So until you better get control of what lives inside you Carla we can’t count on you, at least not at the one hundred percent we need from you.”
Abe says, “Captain, I have the device here on the planet mostly figured out, but it will take me at least forty more hours till I can get it repaired and fully operational. Caleb did a hell of a job mickey mousing this thing to last as long as it did.”
Carla confused asks, “Abe my father was there on the planet?”
Kitanna sighs and says, “Yes, Carla, that’s why I asked if Ronin told you what was going on. We found out your father had hidden those crystal energy creatures over a thousand years ago.”
Carla confused asks Ronin telepathically, “Ronnie, why didn’t you tell me my father was involved with what was going on down on the planet?”
Ronin replies, “Mistress I do not know. It’s very difficult to communicate, especially as of late.”
Carla is then dragged into the psychic plane that holds the younger image of herself. The image snaps at her, saying, “You don’t listen to us. We told you, but you keep us locked up and now you want to know why you can’t hear us.”
The Image sticks her tongue out and then turns her back, as Carla is kicked back into reality. Surprised, she says aloud, “Damn it. This is pissing me off now.”
The room stops and looks at Carla, who is annoyed and says, “Sorry.” What the hell did I do to her to make her hate me so much?
Ismail concerned asks, “Carla what is wrong with you?”
Carla takes a deep breath and says, “Well, I think I found out what the problem is and it’s me.”
Kitanna confused asks, “Carla, would you care to explain just what you mean by that?”
Carla reluctant replies, “Well, it seems that there’s another part of me and Ronin, and it’s separate from us both, and it’s very angry at me. It says I don’t listen, and that I locked it up.”
Kitanna looks over to Cabral, who says, “I’m not sure I’m qualified Captain, and I’m very sure that this is uncharted territory for anyone.”
Frasier, who is getting annoyed at all this says, Look, I’m sure this is really important, but do you mind if I get my flight team ready. I want to launch as soon as we get loaded.”
Abe, who is still on the holocom says, “Captain, you’re going to need to intercept those ships before they get much closer because from the data Ismail got from the T-Challa Dreadnought. They would have had to reduce power to several systems, including their sensors just to maximize their hyperdriv
e as they have. Regrettably, even with that reduction in their sensors they will be in range in just a few hours, and hiding these creatures will be meaningless if they find out about them.”
Kitanna takes a moment, and then says, “Sanchez get us up and running on an intercept course. Our best speed. Captain Frasier launch as soon as you’re loaded. Now for you our Little Flower, fix whatever wrong with you and Ronin, and fix it now.”
In less than an hour, the ship moves out at flank speed to intercept the approaching T-Challa fleet.
Sanchez announces, “Captain we are less than twelve hours till we are in weapons range. Frasier and his fighters launched fifteen minutes ago and they will be in range in just under six hours.”
Kitanna looks over at Carla, who is focusing as much as she can on the ship. Ronin says, “We are operating at peak efficiency Captain, but we are heavily outgunned.”
Kitanna thinking asks, “Ronin, if you were complete, could you handle this fleet?”
Ronin replies, “I do not understand the question Captain. I believe I am operating completely.”
Kitanna says, “Ronin, when you manifested yourself and took over the Yorktown your power levels were off the scale, and on your first volley you destroyed eighteen Heavy class Cruisers and two dozen fighters in a single volley. Since then you are only operating just a little over the Yorktown’s power levels. You are capable of so much more than what we have seen, and I need that kind of power now.”
Carla, distressed, says, “Kitanna I’m trying, I really am. I just don’t understand. I really wish my father’s machine still worked.”
Kitanna frustrated, gets up, and holds on to Carla, saying, “Carla, I need you to try and get yourself in order, please.”
Carla shakes her head, saying, “I’ll try.”
Carla focuses on the ship once again. She tries to find the plane with the image of her younger self, and she is once again pulled into that realm the realm where this child sits waiting. She now sits behind a big stuffed teddy bear and says, “What do you want now.”
Carla confused asks, “Please, can you help me understand what it is that I need to do? Please, people’s lives depend on me, figuring out just what is wrong with me, please?”
The Ocoda Chronicles Book 3 Ronin Page 15