The Ocoda Chronicles Book 5 Paladonians

by Daniel OConnell

  Cooley sighs, saying, “Luv, a lot of us have had to deal with a lot of pain and loss over the past few years. Some of us have adapted, while others struggle to deal with it, but then there are a few that would rather die than be away from their loved ones anymore.”

  White, realizing just what his wife is saying, asks, “Rachel, are you saying this is one of the original crew?”

  Cooley shakes her head, thinking for a moment. I have to at tell him who we are after, at least that, but I have to hold back on revealing too much, or who knows what could happen. She reluctantly replies, “Yes luv, its Gabe’s friend Captain D’Souza, and from what I saw in my vision for the past few years he has been on every recovery mission for the Bentonians. He has personally saved so many families it almost staggers the mind, but regardless of how many he has saved, he has also been responsible for ripping families apart, and as a result, he began having psychotic breaks from reality. He now thinks if he creates a paradox he will be able to return to his family.”

  White, alarmed, asks, “D’Souza? Are you sure Rachel? I just saw him a few days ago and I never saw him look so happy.”

  Cooley responds coldly, “Luv, I know more than I wanted too.” Cooley pauses, thinking to herself. In every conceivable vision, I see only, D’Souza, or Reg’s death. I don’t understand it, but if D’Souza lives, then Reg dies. She lets out a deep breath, saying, “Reg, this is going to sound crazy. Hell, I can’t even begin to fathom it myself, but you will need to kill him.” Cooley pauses as she struggles to justify her actions, saying, “If you don’t kill him he will eventually create a paradox.”

  White lowers his head in total shock, asking, “Rachel, I have never questioned your visions before, but there has to be another way, can’t we just imprison him?”

  Cooley, emotional drained, puts her arms around her husband, and says, “I wish there was another way, but if you don’t kill him we all die.” Cooley begins thinking to herself. I can’t tell you that it’s you or D’Souza. I know you all too well Reginald Whitefeather, and you’d risk your life thinking you could overcome my vision, but I’ve learned one thing with my time in the Flower stone, and that is her visions are absolute.

  Cavalier reports, “We are approaching the gateway. I have accessed the network and will be opening a portal shortly. Currently, I show six recovery teams from each moon in orbit of the Earth. The recovery ship for the Bentonians is in very low orbit near Europe. Shall I hail them?”

  White, alert, responds, “Negative Cavalier, I don’t want to tip our hand to them.”

  Cooley bites her bottom lip and aversely says, “It won’t matter luv.” Cooley holds back the tears, stating, “D’Souza killed his crew. He destroyed the ship's life support system. All three hundred crewmembers are dead.”

  White is beyond dumbfounded after hearing Cooley’s statement, asking, “Rachel! What the hell is going on?”

  Cooley begins sobbing heavily, saying, “D’Souza is only one of many future visions I’ll probably have.” Emotionally taxed, she holds back her tears, stating, “The Flower stone showed me an infinite number future events, but to protect my mind from going mad it put psychic blocks to prevent me from going bonkers. However, when an event comes to pass that threatens our people, and our future, my mind is given access to what we need to do. I can see all the events as they happen, or will happen. I’m sorry luv, but D’Souza is quite mad, and he is going to kill anyone that gets in his way, and if you don’t kill him, then the only alternative is we all die.”

  White shakes his head, obviously overwhelmed with the concept of Cooley’s story. He turns towards her slowly, asking, “Where do we go then?”

  Cooley, still trying to contain her emotions, says, “Just get us to Earth luv. “

  Cavalier passes through the gateway racing towards Earth at full speed, and within a few minutes, Cooley is starring out at Earth, as Cavalier begins to descend into the upper atmosphere. She stares long and hard out the cockpit. Finally, she states, “Romania luv. D’Souza is going to kill Trajan at the battle of Dacian Fortresses on the Orastie Mountains. We don’t have much time.”

  Cavalier reports, “I am currently scanning the area and cannot determine Captain D’Souza’s location. It is more than likely he is using an altered cloaking field.”

  White groans, saying, “Damn Tofs and their altered PCD’s. They’ve been selling them on the black market all over the Paladonian moons. I really need to put a stop to this.”

  Cooley more concerned at the mission at hand, says, “Focus luv, you can play the governor when we get back.”

  White hastily studies the topography, asking Cavalier, “Can you determine where Emperor Trajan is then?”

  Cavalier reports, “Negative, we do not have enough data to determine who Emperor Trajan is. However, I have determined the location of the headquarters of the Roman legion assaulting the Dacian fortress of Capalna. This is the most likely whereabouts of the Emperor.”

  Cooley grabs two Paladonian shift cloaks and says while passing one to White, “Let’s go luv. We need to hurry.”

  White exhales heavily, stating, “Rachel, I really hate this phase shifting crap.”

  Cooley smiles, saying, “Don’t worry luv, I won’t let you pass out.”

  White grabs his plasma rifle and several stun grenades, saying, “Passing out isn’t the issue anymore Rachel. I finally overcame that part of it a while back, it’s the losing my lunch that sucks.”

  Cooley, grossed out by White’s comment, says, “Ewww luv, I really could have done without that image.”

  The two shift down a hundred yards from the Roman camp. Cooley cautiously scans the area, looking for D’Souza. All Paladonian cloaks all work on the exact same frequency, and thus allows for all those cloaked the ability to see each other. However, the Tof and Rooke governments have been secretly building prohibited technology, such as altered PCD, (Personal Cloaking Device) which are able to be unseen by Paladonian scans.

  White surveys his surroundings and sees a high cliff, which overlooks the command center of the Roman legion. He turns to Cooley, saying, “Rachel, I’m going to that cliff to set up a sniper position. If he tries to enter the camp, I should be able to detect him.”

  Cooley is suddenly overwhelmed with a vision, seeing an image of the future, and unexpectedly becomes lightheaded. She quickly steadies herself, saying, “Ok luv, I’ll try and locate him down here. Just be careful.” I hate this, I know what's going to happen, but I can’t tell him. I know he will try to save him, and in doing so, he will die and I will not let him die.

  White smiles, saying, “I’ll be fine. You just need to stay out of sight and safe.”

  Cooley, saddened by what she is going to do, says, “Just be careful Reg.” I want to tell him so badly, but I can’t.

  White quickly shifts over to the cliff, which is over fifteen hundred meters from the Roman encampment. However, the plasma rifles effective range is over ten thousand meters and with the laser-assisted scope, which allows even the novice sharpshooter to become an expert.

  White sets up his rifle and starts looking over the camp with the scope. He studies every aspect of the terrain, trying to gauge just where D’Souza, who is a well-trained marksman himself, would make his attack. He takes his eye out of the scope and raises his head thinking. Where and how would I go to execute a man and escape without being caught?

  White suddenly realizes that the best location for such an attack is right where he is. He quickly jumps up and grabs his rifle, springing to his feet. Unfortunately, for White, D’Souza was indeed hiding on the very same cliff in waiting. D’Souza promptly jumps up from his hiding place kicking the rifle from White’s hands.

  D’Souza, with a crazed look in his eyes yells, “Nice try White, but you’re no match for me!” D’Souza slowly pulls out his knife, saying, “Let me show you how a real man fights.”

  D’Souza jabs his knife towards White, as White dodges the thrust grabbing D’Souza’s arm, holding
the knife away from his body.

  White quickly tries to activate his shifter to pull them both back to Cavalier. However, D’Souza is faster. He flips White to the ground, freeing his hand. D’Souza then lunges on top of White with his knife ready to plunge into White’s chest.

  White fortunately raises his legs, kicking D’Souza over him and almost over the cliff. D’Souza reacts quickly, shifting behind White, grabbing him, and plunging his knife towards White's chest once more.

  White grabs D’Souza’s arm again and strains to hold him at bay. He yells, asking, “Captain! Why are you doing this? You’ll kill us all.”

  D’Souza, focused on killing White, says, “You don’t know the truth White. They lied to us. They all lied to us.”

  Suddenly a plasma charge is fired from behind both men. D’Souza goes limp, as his lifeless body collapses to the ground.

  White instantly turns around to see an emotional Rachel, holding a plasma rifle. She lowers her head and says, “I’m sorry luv. I, I didn’t have any other choice.”

  White looks down at D’Souza seeing his lifeless body lying prone next to him. He looks up to his wife Rachel and asks, “You knew he was up here?”

  Cooley lowers her head and says, “The probability was the highest that he would be up here. When you pointed out where you were going I suddenly saw the image of him attacking you and of me killing him. I couldn’t tell you though, if I had luv, the result would have been different, and he would have killed you. I’m truly sorry luv, but if D’Souza lived you would have died, and when I’m forced to decide on you living and a madman dying. Well luv, you know who I’m going to choose you every time.”

  White, thinking of everything that just happened, including D’Souza’s last statement asks, “Rachel, the Flower stone put all these visions in your mind. How do you know they’re the truth?”

  Cooley smiles, saying, “The Flower stone has never lied to us, it has no reason to lie Reg. We are nothing to its power. If it wanted to destroy us, it could have done so at any time.”

  White, still uneasy takes in a deep breath and says, “Rachel, I wish I could believe in that Flower stone like you do, but I have my doubts. However, I believe in you and that’s good enough for me.”

  Cooley smiles back, saying, “Ok luv let’s get him back to Cavalier, we’ll need to bring back the Bentonian recovery vessel too.”

  White shakes his head, sadly stating, “Gabe will be heartbroken over this. D’Souza was a dear friend to him.”

  Cooley places her hand on White, saying, “We have lost so many friends. I hope that we can keep the ones we have left.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  DISSENTION

  Several months have passed since the fateful day, which lead to Benton’s good friend Captain Brian D’Souza’s death and many have been left wondering just what really happened, and why, questions, which Cooley refuses to speak of, even to her husband, Reginald White.

  The council is currently meeting for its annual report, as White calls the assembly of leaders to order, saying, “Everyone please be seated. We need to get started now as we have a lot to cover.”

  Dorian stands up, looking about, ever so callously, asking, “And just where is our illustrious founder, Caleb? Will he not be joining us today?”

  Benton, who is so easily annoyed by Dorian, responds, “Listen up twiddle dumb, I know you and the other dummy don’t usually come to these meetings, but you should have the commonsense knowledge to remember Caleb doesn’t participate in them.”

  Edgar stands with a heartless smile, stating, “Commonsense knowledge? Counsel Benton, your mastery of the English language is always a pleasure to endure. Nevertheless, perhaps our illustrious dictator should visit us today, as we have evidence of his tampering with the development of our individual civilization.”

  Dorian adds, stating, “Against his very own promise not to interfere with all our cultures.”

  Odette is surprised by Dorian and Edgar’s statement. She stands up, asking, “And just what is this evidence you have? From what we know about Caleb he has hardly been seen in.” Odette pauses as she looks to her fellow Council members, turning back, asking, “My goodness how many months has it been now?”

  Dorian looks to Edgar, asking, “Well then, please explain to Counsel Edgar and myself how both of our moons best scientists have been plagued with forgetfulness?”

  Edgar, now showing his irritation, states, “It is as if someone was purposely causing them to make mistakes, or forget their projects. We quickly became concerned, as we had seen this back in the previous timeline, and as a precaution we placed psychic scanners throughout our worlds, detecting strong psychic activity coming from this very moon.”

  White, studies both Dorian, and Edgar, for a moment, and cautiously asks, “So you believe Caleb is responsible for this?”

  Edgar coldly replies, “His demon child wielded unlimited psychic power. Obviously he too must possess similar abilities.”

  Uari sighs aloud, stating, “You idiots are grasping at straws. Caleb has to make physical contact to use his psychic power, and he is in no way as powerful as his daughter.”

  Dorian sneers at Uari, stating, “Well, perhaps it could be one of those aliens, which Caleb has been secretly bringing and hiding in the quarantined part of this very moon.”

  White laughs, asking, “So you’re going to start up with this hogwash again?” White stands up flailing his arms about slightly over acting, yelling, “Caleb is supposable populating this moon with aliens, the very moon which I have governed and watched over for years. Is that what you’re saying?”

  Dorian, now angered, demands, “So if you continue to claim no knowledge of their existence, perhaps we should investigate the quarantined section of the moon ourselves, and see what Caleb is doing.”

  Benton stands up, saying, “Look you bumbling idiots, the area is off limits per Caleb. If you want to ask him what he’s doing, then ya can ask him when he shows up with his ugly mug of his.”

  The room rapidly breaks out into total chaos, as the council members begin arguing with each other.

  White sits down, calling out in his mind to Allie, “Allie can you hear me?”

  Allie, who seems aware of everything, responds, “Yes Uncle Reg, I can hear your thoughts.”

  White concerned asks, “Allie, where is Caleb?”

  Allie, indifferent, responds, “Father is still far from here Uncle Reg, I do not know when he will return.”

  White, now getting annoyed, asks, “Allie, are you causing the Tof and Rooke scientists to forget things?”

  Allie, carefree in her answer, replies, “Yes Uncle, Father has ordered me to restrict the Paladonian’s scientific advancement as much as possible.”

  White is shocked by the answer, stating, “Allie, I know Caleb has you doing lots of different things, but from now on can you please let me know about them.”

  Allie responds, “Yes Uncle, but I will have to ask Father if it is alright to include you.”

  White, frustrated on all ends with Caleb and Allie, and with the council, angrily stands in the council room, yelling, “Enough!” He pauses, as the room comes to order. He sits back down, stating, “I will discuss your concerns with Caleb when he returns.”

  Edgar asks defiantly, “So until then we are under possible threat of psychic attack? Obviously we were foolish to think that you would actually do anything.”

  White stares down Edgar for several moments. He stands approaching him slowly. His eyes never leave Edgars, as Benton begins to stand. White, without moving his head sternly points for him to sit back down, as White doesn’t remove his gaze from Edgar. Finally, he stands directly in front of Edgar, saying, “Council Edgar, I have told you what I will do. If you wish to challenge for my position feel free to do so, but until that day you will shut up and do as I say.”

  Edgar stares directly back into White’s penetrating gaze. The two never back down from each. Until Dorian places his hand on Edgar, sa
ying, “Of course we will wait for you to speak with Caleb.”

  White menacingly stares at Edgar for almost a full minute longer. He turns back to his seat, stating, “We have much more to discuss today. Uari could you please read your report.”

  Uari, uncomfortably stands, saying, “We have done a complete analysis on all the moons new populace and have discovered a lot of current issues with these newbies.”

  Cooley, confused by Uari’s term asks, “Newbies?”

  Uari sighs heavily, replying, “A nickname the new arrivals have been given by many of our people.”

  Cooley is clearly annoyed at this name and stares in disappointment towards Benton, who simply shrugs his shoulders, asking, “What, why you looking at me for?”

  White, still staring at Edgar and Dorian, says, “Uari please get to the point.”

  Uari clears his throat, reporting, “The newbies out number us almost ten to one and with such a huge imbalance we have some of these people plotting and planning rebellions against us. So far we have successfully been able to quash these threats, but as they continue to grow in numbers.” Uari pauses, shaking his head, stating, “Well it’s clear that there is a substantial risk of an uprising.”

  Dorian gins, obviously amused, and asks, “I’ll assume that neither my people nor my associate Counsel Edgar has had any issues on our either of our moons?”

  Uari, clearly annoyed at Dorian, sighs heavily, “Discussions with your people were brief, and as expected not very forthcoming. However, both of your moons had very minimal issues reported.”

  Benton belches aloud, saying, “Your people are threatened under your rule, and fear for their very lives. You brainwash your newbies and then frighten them into obedience. You may be able to fool the council that your people are free, but you ain’t fooling me.”

  Odette meekly speaks, “Perhaps we can get back to solving our problem with the new arrivals before we start an endless discussion on the internal politics of the Onatof and Rooke moons.”