The Ocoda Chronicles Book 2 Lost Heroes

by Daniel OConnell

Mulvey says, "Put it through."

  General Haggier appears and asks, "What is the status Captain?"

  Mulvey reports, "We are less than two days from the last gateway, and we estimate at least a force of over two hundred ships currently with this last gateway. Our support fleet is close behind, but we estimate we will be in striking range in just less than thirty-nine hours."

  Haggier surprised says, "You’re going into battle with just the Super Carriers, and no support ships, against two hundred or more T-Challa Heavy Class warships?"

  Mulvey smiles and says, "Yes sir. Is there a problem with our com signal?"

  Haggier snaps back, "Watch your place Captain. You will hold off your attack until you have your support fleet to help counter any retaliatory strikes."

  Mulvey still smiling replies, "I’ll take that recommendation under advisement, when I confer with my direct superior, General Jackson. Perhaps you have heard of him, he’s the leader of this fleet, and the man who has never lost a single encounter with the T-Challa since day one sir. And sir, he is the one who designed this attack plan."

  Haggier angered says, "Mulvey, I had high hopes for you, but I see that I was mistaken."

  Mulvey rebuttals, "Opinions vary sir. I guess it would depend on what side of the line you’re on."

  The com line closes, as Klaus approaches Mulvey, and says, "Sir, at first I was in doubt of who you were, but sir, I’m honored to work with you."

  Mulvey smirks, saying, "Ok Commander, let’s get back to work."

  Down in med bay, Jackson sits with Carla as they both enter Qui Shi's damaged psyche. For the past few days, they have continued to try and restore her conscious, but each attempt fails.

  The Yorktown Doctor reports, saying, "The only thing that is keeping her alive is the stasis chamber, if not for that, she would be dead. She has suffered too much trauma to her brain. Our equipment is just unable to repair such intricate damage on that level, and of course, our Little Flower here is in need of rest. She is pushing herself far too much these past few days."

  Jackson looks to Carla and says, "Little Flower, I think the Doctor is right, you need to rest up. You’re very brave, just like your Papa, but you’re still growing."

  Jackson thinks to himself. Cale could fix her in just a second. Damn it Cale, I wish you were here. I’m playing cowboy like you, and I don’t have anything to back it up as you did.

  Carla being able to hear Jackson thoughts asks, "Papa Jacks, why do you think you can’t do what my Papa can do? Aren’t you just as good a leader as my Papa?"

  Jackson surprised says, "Sorry Carla, your father was very special, he taught me a lot about the universe, and my place in it. Your father had many special gifts, which gave him an edge. I’m just a regular man."

  Carla, curious replies, asking, "Then why did my Papa always admire how you could figure out how to do everything so good? My Papa thought you were his greatest gift."

  Jackson smiling says, "Carla, sometimes you seem a lot smarter than a seven year old girl."

  Carla smiles and says, "Papa Jacks today is my birthday. I’m eight now."

  Jackson shocked says, "Wow, we’re so busy with the T-Challa, I totally forgot all about your birthday, I’m so very sorry Little Flower. Let’s go get something for you."

  Carla smiles and says, "No Papa Jacks, I want to stay here with Mama Qui Shi, please."

  Jackson smiles and says, "Ok, but I’m going to bring you some birthday cake."

  Carla jumps up and smiles, saying, "Thank you Papa Jacks."

  Jackson heads down to the mess hall to have a birthday cake made up for Carla. Poor girl, she’s spent more birthdays on these ships then home. Wow, does she even have a home. Damn, Qui Shi is right.

  Several hours later, Jackson has finally returned to the bridge, where Kitanna reports to him, "General, sir, I’m picking up something about four hours out. It could be a cloaked ship."

  Jackson asks, "Could we be nearing another mine field."

  Kitanna reports, "No sir, it’s actually moving toward us. Mines don’t move."

  Jackson concerned asks, "Are you sure Kitanna? It would have to be moving at an incredible pace to be so close to us."

  Kitanna says, "Sir, not only is it moving at an incredible speed, they are somehow on a direct intercept course."

  Jackson now very concerned asks, "Kitanna, how did you detect it, if it’s cloaked?"

  Kitanna replies, "Sir, T-Challa cloaking fields are much weaker and easier to detect through then our own. Especially with our current scanning techniques, but when they are directing a lot of power to other systems, as in this case it appears to be to their hyperdrive. It seems that they are taxing their engines to near overload, allowing me to get a partial reading.”

  Jackson confused sits in the command chair thinking. Why would they be coming at us so boldly, with no regard of possibly being detected? It has to be one ship, otherwise Kitanna would have detected more, and how do they know where we are? Something is going on.

  Two additional hours pass quickly, as the Yorktown prepares for the possible encounter. Jackson decides once again to go seek out Carla’s help. He makes his way back to med bay.

  "Carla.” Jackson says, "Papa Jacks needs your help once again, can you sense what’s coming at us, and how they know where we are?"

  Carla very weary replies, "It’s the T-Challa. They are following a signal coming from us."

  Jackson shocked, stands up, bites his lip for a second, and says, "Thank you Carla."

  Jackson hits his com signal and says, "Kitanna, I want you to do a complete internal search on this ship. I want you to specifically search for possible tracking devices, or anything that could be putting out a signal that the T-Challa could pick up. Use the Paladonian database on all covert signals they may have as well."

  Jackson runs back to the bridge thinking. I have a bad feeling that this signal was purposely planted, and I have a very strong feeling it was Kalen.

  Jackson finally makes his way to the bridge. Kitanna immediately reports, "I have picked up the signal General, it’s broadcasting on a T-Challa frequency that was only in the Paladonian database. I’m sorry sir, but I have never detected anything like this before."

  Jackson unconcerned asks, "Can you shut it down?"

  Mulvey responds, "We just sent a team to destroy it sir. It appears to be coming from the hangar deck."

  Jackson, considers his options, and says, "Hold off on destroying it just yet Captain."

  Jackson says to Kitanna, "I want you to go over all the holorecordings. I want to see who placed it there."

  Mulvey thinking aloud states, "General, we could intercept the T-Challa ship in less than fifteen minutes if we chose to uncloak, but if we destroy the T-Challa ship, they will know we are coming."

  Jackson frowning replies, "Captain, I’m aware of the obvious, a solution is what I need."

  Mulvey responds, "Sorry sir, just thinking aloud."

  Jackson sits down, looking out over the bridge thinking. This really sucks. We are charging headfirst right into the lion’s den. We’re outnumbered, and now we’ll soon be announced. Damn it, I wish I could think but all my thoughts are on Qui Shi.

  Jackson yells, "Tell all other Carriers to remain cloaked and to circle outward away from us! Mulvey prepare to drop cloak and raise shields. We’ll go in full speed and guns ready."

  Mulvey says, "Sir, may I suggest another alternative."

  Jackson smiles and says, "I'm listening Captain."

  Mulvey says, "Let’s move the device to one of the damaged support fighters and rig the fighter to explode. It should make them think they have just come across a scout ship instead of the main fleet." Mulvey pauses as Jackson thinks about Mulvey's plan. Then Mulvey adds, "Or sir, we can just go ahead do it the Caleb style. Guns blazing, and pray we don't go up in smoke. I believe you called it, Plan A"

  Jackson smiles and says, "Ok, set up a remote drone fighter to explode as soon as it gets close enough to the T
-Challa ship, but make it look believable."

  Jackson thinks to himself. Mulvey is starting to surprise me. He’s starting to find his place working with me.

  The hangar crew hastily sets up one of the damaged support fighter, and rigs it to overload on command, as a special ops team secures the tracking device, placing it in the fighter.

  After twenty minutes, its guidance systems are set, programmed to intercept and self-destruct, upon contact with the T-Challa warship.

  Jackson sitting on the bridge asks, "Mulvey, are we ready to launch?"

  Mulvey responds, "Yes sir, just recalibrating the guidance systems, in case we lose remote access to it."

  Kitanna reports, "The T-Challa ships cloak is starting to fail sir, it appears to be a Medium class Cruiser. I'm estimating that the two will intercept each other in just less than forty six minutes."

  The decoy fighter finally launches, as it launches Jackson asks, "Is the remote access to the fighter’s controls working Captain?"

  Mulvey replies, asking, "Yes sir, do you want us to alter its course?"

  Jackson smiles, saying, "Let’s send them off in another direction away from us instead."

  Mulvey smiles as he shakes his head in agreement responding, "Yes sir, I'll have that done now."

  After a half an hour, Kitanna announces, "Sir, the T-Challa Cruiser is altering its course, it is in pursuit of the fighter, and it will now take it far from our current flight path.” Kitanna pauses as she calculates the new data reporting, “It will currently take the T-Challa Cruiser, at least three additional hours till it intercepts the decoy."

  Mulvey looks at the tactical holoboard. Calculating their path he adds, "That will give us a window of twenty-one minutes, in which to launch an attack on where we think the T-Challa fleet may currently be sir."

  Jackson sits thinking. We have no real idea how many ships we're going up against, or if they know we're coming, or if we are flying into a trap.

  An hour passes as Jackson says, "Assemble all pilots on the flight deck. I want to address them all in thirty minutes."

  Jackson gets up, and heads down to see his wife before addressing the pilots, as he heads down he feels an odd sensation, and is immediately pulled into Carla's psychic world. Carla is right in front of him and says, "Papa Jacks! I found Mama Qui Shi, but I can’t help her, she's so far away."

  Jackson disoriented asks, "Carla, what do you mean, too far away? I don’t understand?"

  Carla grabs Jackson's hand, and the two are immediately transported across the psychic plane. Carla is able even at such a young age to control her psychic power with great skill as she move at the speed of though over a vast wasteland, then Carla says, "She's here Papa Jacks, but I can’t help her."

  Jackson hears a woman sobbing, and looks around yelling, "Qui Shi, where are you!"

  The sobbing stops as he hears her scream, "Andrew! I'm here. I'm so scared. Help me Andrew, please."

  Jackson upset yells, "I'll find you Qui Shi!"

  Carla unexpectedly collapses, as they are both transported back to reality. Jackson finds himself back in the corridor heading to med bay. He is completely disoriented, having only been gone for a split second in real time, but to him it felt more like minutes in the psychic realm. He immediately races to med bay where he finds Carla passed out, with the ship Doctor hovering over her. Jackson overly concerned asks, "What happened?"

  The Doctor replies, "I had to put her to sleep General. Her vitals were off the chart, even for her. She hasn't slept in days, and she was non-responsive to me. So I sedated her with the serum your wife made to make her relax."

  Jackson frowns thinking, I'm pushing her so hard, and she is only eight years old. I'm obviously not thinking clearly, my objectivity is completely compromised, but I can’t step away from my responsibility to my crew.

  Jackson sighs and says, "Ok Doctor, thank you very much, just keep her well."

  Jackson walks away and heads to the hangar deck.

  After several minutes, Jackson walks onto the flight deck. He is cheered by hundreds of pilots and deck crew. He also sees the holoscreens showing the flight decks of the other four Super Carriers. All cheering his name over and over, humbled by the show of support Jackson smiles, waiting for the roar to subside.

  After three long minutes, Mulvey finally steps up and yells, "At ease everyone, please!" A few moments later, the fanfare finally ceases and Jackson is finally able to speak, saying, "Thank you for the strong show of support. However, I need to ask you all to prepare for what can, and most certainly will be the most difficult battle of your lives, and regrettably for some, the last battle you may ever face."

  Jackson pauses, as he takes in the moment, studying the faces of the men and women under his command. He continues, "Today, we are going into battle against a force of unknown size, and whom may even be aware of our approach, and what's worse, we are uncertain of its exact location. We also know that they are more than willing to use that black hole trap against us which is responsible the loss of Paladin and the Saint Petersburg and many other ships. Therefore, what you are being asked to do is not an order, but a request, as I am certain by now that you all know that Earth command has relieved me of my command. So, upon my return I will more than likely be arrested and as such, I cannot, and will not ask anyone else to follow my orders, but instead I will ask you to volunteer for this mission to save our home, Earth."

  Jackson pauses again. He looks out over the crew. He thinks to himself, Win or lose. We have to destroy that last gateway. He continues, "I have lost many good friends in the past few days, and they no longer can speak for themselves. We are all that who remains for those that gave the ultimate sacrifice to save our home. We can all speak for our brothers and sister who have passed on however we see fit, but for my voice, my voice will not fall silent. I will not have their lives pass on without meaning. So If anyone here has fears or doubts about following me, they may opt out now, and no one will think any less of them, whatsoever."

  Jackson pauses one last time as he looks over the holocom and those members of his own crew. After a few brief moments, Mulvey gets up and says, "Sir, I think I can speak for the Yorktown, and perhaps the rest of the fleet. You are our Commander, and you have never lost an encounter against the T-Challa. We trust in you and will follow you till the ends of the universe, and back again."

  The flight decks of all five Super Carriers erupt in cheers, as Jackson thinks to himself. Well, if I'm going to be arrested. I might as well go out with cheers.

  Mulvey yells, "Pilots, report to your ships! We launch in ten minutes!"

  All hands head out to their positions, as Jackson heads back to the bridge. Mulvey quickly runs up behind Jackson and asks, "Sir, what about the T-Challa homing beacon, do you want me to do an internal investigation?"

  Jackson replies, "I've already had Kitanna review the holorecords. She wasn't able to find anything, but I already know who’s responsible, and I'll deal with the issue personally."

  Mulvey confused asks, "Sir?"

  Jackson smiles and says, "Mulvey, I know you’re trying, but trust me when I tell you, I'll handle this issue personally."

  Mulvey disappointed replies, "Yes sir."

  Jackson arrives on the bridge, just as the fighters all launch. Mulvey goes to his C.i.C station, and reviews the flight information. After a few minutes, he announces, "General, sir, the fighters should be in range of the T-Challa fleet in thirty-one minutes. The rest of the support fleet is still over two and half hours behind us. The decoy we sent should be intercepted in just under an hour."

  The com officer says, "General, sir, I have Earth command on the com sir. They’re requesting immediate response from you."

  Jackson sighs and says, "I'll take it in my ready room son."

  Jackson heads up to his room on the lift. Looking down over the crew as they stare at him, he thinks to himself. Well, I wonder what they want to do to me now.

  He arrives, and sees Angela Baker
waiting for him on the holocom alone. She addresses him, "General Jackson, I have some grave news for you."

  Jackson sighs and says, "Well, I'm sure there aren’t many good news tidings from Earth command for me these days."

  Baker lowers her head and says, "General, I want you to know that the political atmosphere here isn't as clean and cut as a battle is against the T-Challa. Despite what you may believe, we fight for you here. So much so, that Chan was removed from his seat, by his government."

  Jackson surprised and saddened asks, "Why did that happen?"

  Baker replies, "He refused to listen to his government’s orders, on how to vote on your present battle situation. As such, he voted to allow your plan to proceed, and for doing so his government removed him."

  Jackson angered asks, "Where is he now?"

  Angela Baker replies, "In his embassy awaiting orders to return home."

  Jackson sits back in his seat, wipes his hands over his face, and says, "He did this for me didn't he."

  Baker replies, "The vote hinged on his countries vote, whether to have you removed from command and arrested, or allow you to proceed. Several countries waited to see his vote, and followed his example."

  Jackson upset asks, "What can I do?"

  Baker very emotionally replies, "Win General, and win big."

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  RUMBLE

  Jackson sets up the attack plans for the fighters, which are currently in flight, saying, "I want spotters to fly in, and locate as many ships as possible, and then give those coordinates to the rest of their wings. We’re going to be using hit and run tactics on them and since they're cloaked, their shields will be down. This will give us a good chance of maximum effect against their fleet. I want the ships with the nukes to be held in reserve, for a hyper jump assault. Those will come into play should they activate the gateway, or reveal their main fleet, is that understood?"

  The com officer replies, "Sir, I have confirmation on your orders from all wing commanders."

  Mulvey quietly asks, "General, sir, you know we have at least two or more hours till the support fleet arrives. I would like permission to place as many mines around the perimeter just in case they send out scout ships themselves."