Paladin superior shields hold, as White fires his last volley at the damaged engine, shifting away to meet up with the Celesta.
Back in the psionic plane, during the battle, Caleb notices the pain the Meli is suffering, as the outside attack transferred its pain to the Meli. Caleb laughs, “So, I see you also have our weaknesses, as well as our power. Whatever damage befalls your ship is shared with you.”
The Meli unaware of this weakness screams in agony, “You will die Caleb, slowly and painfully!
I will make you suffer!”
Caleb laughs, as the Meli strikes out in rage destroying all but two duplicates. He says, “You are going to lose Meli. I will stop you.”
Paladin says to Caleb, “Cale, the plan has succeeded. Ronin’s engines are severely damaged. However, I’m also sensing the symbiot inside the Meli. It is aware of your battle. I may be able to convince it to help us.”
Caleb quickly replies, “No. Not yet Pal.”
The Meli shrieks out, “There are two ships! You did well to hide your tactics Caleb.”
Caleb says to Paladin, “Ok, tell White to detonate the psionic bomb, and get me out of here.”
The Meli finally destroys the last two duplicates, as Caleb is thrown to the ground from her psychic strike. The Meli quickly ensnares Caleb, just as it had before, and once again begins to crush him.
Caleb speaks in severe pain, “You will fail Meli. I know more about you than you think. I know how to defeat you.”
The Meli causes the entire plane to do her bidding. Controlling the very ground to bring Caleb to it, as it screams, “I will take all of your knowledge. I will make it part of me.” The Meli places her hand into Caleb’s mind, as it begins to absorb all his knowledge, but just as the Meli is starting to absorb the information, the psionic super bomb goes off. The entire plane begins to erupt, and the Meli is forced to flee.
Caleb is quickly returned to his body, and just as before his injuries are swiftly healed. He jumps to his feet, as he sees both ships from his view port. He yells out, “Paladin! Let’s get out of here now. That super carrier may be out of commission, but those fighters are not.”
White reports, “Cale, the Celesta shift engines were sabotaged.”
Caleb angered yells, “Prepare for the incoming fighters!”
As if on cue, hundreds of Medium fighters shift in, firing on both ships. Hundreds of plasma charges and torpedoes strike, as Paladin and Celesta take damage across their super structures.
Paladin announces, “Our shields on the port side are down. We have taken damage to the outer hull and several light cannons. The Celesta has taken damage to its two rear heavy cannons and most of its upper decks.”
White who is on the bridge yells, “Fire!”
Both ships fire, as the fighters quickly shift away before any can be struck, just as they had done to Ronin, a moment later, another group of fighters shift in, and fires.
White quickly recharges the superior shields. He moves Paladin to cover the Celesta from more damage. Paladin’s shields hold, at just over ninety percent, but multiple volleys hit the Celesta, damaging several more decks.
Back inside Celesta’s, engine room. Rooke has shifted to the power core, as he remains cloaked searching the engine room. After a brief few agonizing moments, Rooke finally sees several dead bodies, as one man holds a thermite bomb near the engine core yelling, “You have all betrayed Noskcaj!”
Rooke doesn’t have time to think. He quickly shifts directly behind the man grabbing him and his bomb, and shifting directly into null space. Null space is just that, a realm where nothing exists and nothing survives. Rooke releases the man into the void of null space and instantly shifts back, leaving the man to his fate.
Rooke returns to where he just was. He quickly surveys the area and sees the shift drive relays are all pulled. Rooke hastily starts to put it back on line. He yells over the com, “I’m powering up the shift drive, but we’ll have a few minutes for it to engage.”
Paladin quickly tells White, “Commander, I have calculated where the next wave will most likely shift in.”
White doesn’t wait. He barks out his orders, “Target those areas and fire!”
The crew of both ships immediately targets those locations, as Paladin indicates them. Paladin transfers power away from the superior shields and back into weapons. Both ships fire, just as over a hundred fighters shift into attack position.
Paladin is more than eighty percent correct. Both ships are successful in damaging, destroying, or crippling the bulk of the attacking fighters.
Unfortunately, many are able to strike, as Paladin endures the brunt of the assault. Multiple upper decks are heavily damaged, and all four main turrets take heavy damage.
Benton yells out over the com, “We have our shift drive up and ready.”
Without hesitation, both ships quickly shift out, to their maximum distance, leaving the fighters unable to pursue.
White, stressed out, sits back in the Captain’s chair as he exhales a giant sigh of relief. He announces over the com, “All hands report to damage control!”
Uari asks, “Sir, shall I take the lead on damage control?”
White relieved that they succeeded smiles, saying, “Sure thing Uari. Knock yourself out.”
Caleb comes down the lift. He is bleeding and sore from the battle damage Paladin suffered. He sees White relaxing in the Captain’s chair and jokes, “You almost look like a real Captain sitting like that Reggie.”
White waves his hand in a nonchalant motion, as he relaxes from the stress of the recent battle.
Caleb now stands beside White. He says aloud, “Set the record Paladin, as of this date and time, Commander Reginald Whitefeather will be known as Captain.”
White laughs, “So, when we get back to our time, I’ll have to wait about three thousand years to be Captain.”
Caleb laughs, “No problem Reggie.”
Benton comes over the holocom, “Celesta is reviewing all the data we have on our saboteur. We have rounded up about seventy people who he has been associating with.”
Caleb curious, asks, “What happened to the Noskcaj sympathizer?”
Benton grins answering, “Rooke left him in that shift zone.”
Paladin corrects Benton, saying, “The area is called null space, Colonel.”
Benton unconcerned responds, “Whatever, he’s toast.”
Caleb takes a deep sigh, saying, “Wish we could’ve questioned him. We could’ve possibly seen how many other extremists are still here.”
Benton still unconcerned, replies, “Rooke said he had a thermite bomb right next to the power core. He had no choice, but to shift him to his death.”
Paladin announces, “We suffered no fatalities, other than the seven killed by the saboteur. We also had over eighty-eight people injured on both ships, nothing overtly alarming detected on either ship.”
Caleb now focused on moving ahead asks, “Paladin, how long till we reach the next part of the plan?”
Paladin instantly analyzes the data and announces, “Cale, we should be completed with repairs within two days, after which we can head to the planet. It should take no more than a month.”
Benton asks, “What should we do with these Noskcaj collaborators?”
White, having no patience, responds, “Space em.”
Caleb gives no attention to White's comment. He simply turns away from White and heads down to the engine room.”
White looking completely confused asks, “What? No snappy comeback on treating them with dignity?”
Caleb smiles, as the lift closes, simply, saying, “You’re the Captain Reg. Do what's right.”
Benton, confused asks, “Did he just give us the green light to space these traitors?”
White annoyed, sits back in his seat answering, “No, he just made us responsible for our own decisions.” White rubs his hands over his face and says, “Find us a habitable planet and we’ll let them off if they so choose, or th
ey can choose to help us. Give them the choice Gabe.”
Benton smirks, saying, “I liked your first idea better.”
White jokes, “So did I, old friend.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHOICES
After a week of travel, a habitable planet is found. Both ships land near a heavily vegetated area of the planet. The seventy people suspected of being Noskcaj sympathizers are escorted off the Celesta.
Caleb addresses all the survivors from both ships. He speaks, “We do not have time to judge you, or condemn you, as I speak to all who are on both ships. Paladin and Celesta will be able to monitor all your actions from this point on. You will not be able to harm us again. I will now give each of you a chance to decide, you may stay here, and I will give your location to Noskcaj, or you can come with us. Try and help us stop this future from ever happening. We will be fighting our way through unknown adversity, our outlook is bleak at best, and should we succeed, then this timeline will never exist. However, should we fail? Then this is your life. Can you honestly say this is the life you wanted?”
Caleb orders all the doors open on both ships, as hundreds more exit from both ships. When all is said and done, over three hundred seventy people have left both ships.
Paladin and Celesta take off from the planet’s surface, leaving the people who wished to be left behind, alone. Paladin releases a beacon into orbit, which is set to Noskcaj frequencies.
The remaining weeks pass quickly, as they close in on the planet Noskcaj holds so valuable. White is on the bridge, as he notice’s Caleb deep in thought sitting in the Captain’s chair. White curious, asks, “Cale, everything alright?”
Caleb smirks, answering, “Just thinking, Reggie.”
White laughs, asking, “Cale, come on, what's on your mind?”
Caleb sighs, saying, “Well Reggie, if you really want to know. I think the Queen may have some knowledge of our plan.”
White confused asks, “What are you talking about Cale? How could she even have a clue?”
Caleb takes a deep breath, exhaling he says, “During the time she was rag dolling me around in the psionic plane she started to scan my mind. It may be possible she was able to read some of my thoughts.”
White surprised by Caleb’s revelation eyes go wide. He smiles, saying, “Cale, next time I ask what's on your mind. Just do what you and Jacks normally does. Just ignore me, or tell me to shut up.”
Both men laugh.
The last few weeks pass without incident, as they finally enter the system with the crystal planet. Paladin detects several potent energy anomalies surrounding the world, as they begin their scans of the planet, announcing, “The energy spikes I’m detecting are beyond conventional understanding. This world radiates similar energy you would find in a super nova. This masking field when scanned at close range is virtually useless. Long-range scanners, however, would never be able to pick this up.”
White curious, asks, “Well, why didn’t anyone discover this planet in our time?”
Paladin responds, “According to my earliest recorded scans by the X’ena of this sector it was believed to be a binary star system. This world would have registered the same to the T-Challa scans, and would possibly posed no significant value to them, as all the planets here would appear to be far too close to the suns. In addition, the T-Challa Empire may have never reached this sector till much later in their expansion. There could be other reasons unknown to us as to why they never discovered this world, but thankfully they did not.”
White curious, asks, “How far is the T-Challa home world from here?”
Paladin responds, “That is a discussion Caleb will need to have with you and Gabe after we succeed in this phase of our mission.”
White looks over at Caleb sneers and asks, “I really don’t want to know do I?”
Caleb smiles, as he chuckles his answer, “Nope.”
On the Celesta, which is closest to the planet. Cooley is surprised as she reports, “Gabe, I’m picking up several energy readings in high orbit, possibly something cloaked.”
Celesta confirms, “Multiple cloaked satellites are in orbit, and they are packing some serious power. The energy spikes are so powerful that the cloak is virtually useless at close quarters scanning.”
Benton, cautiously orders, “All stop, Rachel get me Paladin on the com. Rooke, keep your finger on that shift button.”
Rooke, not understanding Benton order, replies, “Colonel, sir, it’s a lever, not a button.”
Benton just sighs as he shakes his head.
Cooley giggles, saying, “It’s just an expression Michael.”
A moment later White appears, stating, “We got the same readings as you probably got Gabe. I recommend you pull back to our location, slowly.”
Benton shakes his head in agreement, as Rooke acknowledges the order. Rooke takes Celesta beside Paladin.
Caleb says, “Gabe, I’m going to take Paladin directly into the range of what's ever out there. The second one of those satellites pokes its head out I want you to shift in and hit it with everything you have.”
Benton concerned points out while, asking, “Cale, there’s more than one of them. What if they all fire on you at once?”
Caleb smirks, as he looks to White, who turns towards Benton, ordering, “Just shoot at whichever one you can Gabe.”
Gabe shakes his head, frustrated. He sighs heavily complaining, “Sure thing Reggie, easy as pie. Not!”
The com is turned off. Caleb turns to White, saying, “Power up the enhanced shields, and prepare for emergency shifting. Mister Uari, take us in, full speed, sub light.”
Paladin uncloaks, as it rapidly approaches the planet, and just as predicted, a defense satellite uncloaks. The massive structure sets off energy readings that defy common logic. It immediately fires a massive beam of energy directly at Paladin.
Paladin quickly scans the energy alerting Caleb, “Cale! We cannot survive that energy wave.”
Caleb surprised yells, “Shift now!”
Uari reacts swiftly, as he was prepared to shift Paladin at a moment’s notice. The beam continues on, passing through the space where Paladin had just been located a split second ago.
Rooke, as planned, immediately shifts Celesta directly next to the massive satellite and fires everything at near point blank range, and just as quickly, shifts back out. Celesta’s shift, which was in such close proximity of the planet, causes every other satellite to uncloak and shield up.
Both ships shift back to a safe point, far away from the range of the satellites. The two ships open up a holocom. Celesta and Paladin’s bridge crew appear on each other’s bridge.
Celesta reports, “We were unsuccessful in penetrating the defense shields of the satellite. Whatever power source it uses; it is far beyond our weapon's ability to overcome.”
Paladin reports, “The energy of the weapon it used was as powerful as a coronal mass emission from a sunburst. This is an amazing power source. These readings are identical to what I was reading on Noskcaj space station.”
Caleb contemplates his options. He asks, “Uari can you shift us directly down to the planet’s surface?”
Uari, feeling very uncomfortable at Caleb’s question replies, “Yes sir, but we would be unable to maneuver as well in the atmosphere.”
White, aware of what Caleb is planning says, “Won’t matter. Those things wouldn’t shoot at us when we are on the planet. They would end up destroying the world they are designed to protect.”
Gabe’s eyes roll in amazement as he says, “You’re hoping they won’t shoot at us, emphasis on the hope part.”
Cooley suddenly screams, as she is once again flooded by another vision. She has not had one in almost a month. Regrettably, this one is very powerful, as it completely overwhelms her. She grabs her head and collapses to the deck.
Rooke and several other crewmembers quickly rush to her aide helping her sit comfortably, as she slowly regains consciousness. Cooley’s eyes go wide
, as she angrily screams, “Bloody damn hell! I thought we were all done with this crap!”
Benton, jumps up from his seat, and asks, “What did you see Rachel?”
Cooley extremely annoyed replies, “Cale, there’s life on that planet. Those crystals are alive, and Noskcaj is using them to power Skull and those defense satellites. Cale, he’s killing them. He’s been killing them for thousands of years.”
Caleb is dumbfounded. He asks, “Is that all you saw?”
Cooley sighs as she reluctantly answers, “No Cale, that Meli thing is coming, and this time she’s bringing a massive armada of ships. I saw close to ten thousand ships and they will be here in a few weeks. Caleb they will land on this planet.” Cooley takes in a deep breath as she concludes her statement, “Cale, if she discovers these crystals, its game over luv. We all die.”
White looks to Cale, asking, “Well, Cale what's the plan?”
Caleb annoyed looks to Uari, saying, “Shift us in.”
Uari immediately activates the shift drive. Paladin shifts directly into the planet’s upper atmosphere, and just as they predicted, the weapons do not fire downward onto the planet.
Caleb says to White, “Ok, tell Gabe to bring in the Celesta in the exact same way as we did.”
Celesta receives Whites orders, shifting directly behind Paladin. The two ships descend to the planet’s surface landing just at the edge of masking field. This encompasses over eighty percent of the planet.
Caleb, extremely impatient, leaves the bridge and races down to the airlock. He is the first to leave the ship. Caleb sprints down to the edge of the masking field.
He looks out across the masking field. However, all he sees are sprawling fields of trees, flora, and fauna. Caleb looks deeper across the field, but still he can see nothing amiss. He finally places his hand outward, and into the field. The masking field ripples, as a stone tossed into a pond. Caleb has never been one for patience as he passes through the field, and instantly sees thousands upon thousands of massive red crystals, all strewn as far as the eye can see.
Onatof and White are the next to pass through the field, as Benton, Rooke and Cooley, follow immediately behind them.
The Ocoda Chronicles Book 4 Present Future Past Page 11