Jesse unexpectantly enters the room as a maintaince drone follows close behind. Jesse sees Syn and immediately notices the similar appearance to his Father, which causes Jesse to ask, “Dad is that a new drone you made?”
Syn instantly turns to Jesse in disbelief as he stares in shock at Abe’s son.
Abe however is very uncomfortable at seeing Jesse interact with Syn, stating, “Jesse please go back to our room.”
Jesse frowns as he turns away, saying, “Dad I’m bored and you always told me when I’m bored I can come see you.”
Abe huffs aloud as he looks towards Syn in disgust, answering his son, “Jesse I’ll be up to our room in a few minutes and I promise we will spend the rest of the day together.”
Jesse smiles, yelling “Hooray!” as he leaves with the maintaince drone close behind.
Syn shakes his head as he states, “I am sorry for interfering. I understand I must be a constant reminder of what you could have become. I will leave you.”
Abe grumbles as he stares at Syn, stating, “You’re not a reminder of anything as I barely know anything about you or how you came to be. I just recently learned about Noskcaj.”
Syn shakes his head as he studies the work Abe is doing, stating, “You are working on extending this drones power supply and power levels. Have you considered removing its current power core and replacing it with a mark eleven fighter core?”
Abe becomes perplexed, asking, “Mark eleven? I’m sorry but we only have the mark three and it is far too massive to fit into this drone.”
Syn shakes his head and asks, “Are you attempting to build up this drone’s threat level to assist in defeating the Demon Queen?”
Abe huffs, stating, “You obviously know that’s what I’m doing.”
Syn shakes his head and states, “The Meli’s power is far greater now than its ever has been but perhaps I can be of some assistance in helping you. I have much I can offer to help.”
Abe cautiously asks, “And what do you want in return?”
Syn smiles answering, “I will discuss what I want after you fulfill your promise to your son. Please go now and I will send over all the data you will need.” Syn quickly vanishes.
Ronin finally clears the psychic interference a day later, Carla immediately focuses on her psychic connection to her Father as she pushes past the last remnants of psychic interference and reaches out to her Father’s mind who is waiting patiently for her. He smiles saying, “I have missed you Little Flower.”
Carla beams as she is barely able to contain her emotion, saying, “I’ve dreamed of this for as long as I can remember. I just can’t believe that all this has happened.”
Caleb chuckles for a moment, stating, “Well I wish I had finished the job so you would not have to be placed in such risk, but you have made it clear that I’ve no real choice as I know your as stubborn as me. I just wished you didn’t have to deal with this.”
Carla stares into her Fathers eyes and says, “Dad I know everything you wanted me to know. “Carla pauses as she puts out her hand, saying, “We are part X’ena and can communicate so much faster.”
The two touch hands and share in each other’s memories, sharing the high and lows of each others life. Nevertheless, Caleb hides much of his past.
Caleb and Carla are both flooded in each other’s memories but Caleb is instantly focused on one recent memory, saying, “It worked. She’s alive. Thank God Emily and Domingo are alive.”
Carla grins, saying, “Yes. They saved everyone, including grandpa.”
Caleb tries to hold back the emotion as he sees that Carla has grown so much. Caleb suddenly focuses on the memory of Gabriel, stating, “I’m sorry about Gabe. We did all we could to allow him to live as long as he did.” Caleb pauses as he reflects more on Carla’s latest adventure, continuing, “I see this Cotto may be another issue for me to clean up as well.”
Carla grins, replying, “No Dad, he is on the right path now and in time he maybe able to undo some of the evil he brought onto the Paladonian people but ultimately it was not his fault it was the Tof’s.”
Caleb shakes his head in disgust, stating, “I once tried to put the Tof’s on the right path as well but all I did was to create even more division and more death. The Flower Stone showed me from the beginning what would happen if the Paladonians didn’t have their civil war so I allowed them to grow as they were.”
Carla tries to understand but cannot and asks, “Dad you didn’t share that with me.” Carla pauses as she realizes her Father has hidden much and asks, “You held back so much from me Dad, why?”
Caleb saddened replies, “Carla these are my sins alone and much of what I did and had to do is for me alone to bear.”
Carla slowly bites her bottom lip as she studies her Fathers face, seeing how much pain he wears upon himself.
The two continue on with there conversation through most of the night.
The following morning Carla meets with Ismail in the ships gym.
Carla carries a Bo-staff as Ismail wears only a set of padded gloves. The two measure each other as they each circle the training mat.
Carla sighs heavily, saying, “Ismail this is pointless, you are great at what you do and know about tactics but I possess all the combat knowledge of my Father. I’m not that little girl who you could trick.”
Ismail grins as he waves Carla on, remaining silent.
Carla exhales as she sits down quietly, tossing her staff away and says, “I know you think you can help me Ismail but you really have no idea just what I can do these days.”
Ismail gives pause as he studies just what Carla is doing and charges her directly.
Carla reacts with blinding speed, twisting in the air she grabs Ismail and tosses him to the ground as gently as she dares. Carla’s speed and strength are unmatched by human standards but Ismail is nonetheless a warrior of unrivaled skill.
Carla returns to her seated position on the mat, this time with her back to Ismail.
Ismail, realizing that Carla is using Caleb’s strategy of forcing his enemies to attack him smirks as he grabs her Bo-staff and throws it at the back of Carla’s head.
Carla nevertheless reacts with equal speed as before, jumping upward from the mat, dodging the staff. However, Ismail anticipated this as he jumps off the mat, grabbing it and pulling it towards him, knocking Carla off her balance. She falls on her back in disbelief.
Ismail seizes the moment as he shifts on top of Carla and flips her up into the air and towards the wall with all his might.
Carla flies towards the wall but quickly regains her composure, stopping herself in mid air. She rises upward and looks down at Ismail, saying, “Not bad Ismail but if I wanted to I could have simply frozen you in place at anytime.” Carla pauses as she exhales, stating, “I’m sorry Ismail but you’re not able to teach me anymore.”
Carla instantly merges with the ship, leaving the room as the Super Carrier continues racing towards Paladin. Carla reappears in engineering to find her husband and Zeta Seven working on several devices. She asks, “What are you working on big brain?’
Abe stops as he shakes his head in frustration, asking, “So I’m guessing Ismail wasn’t able to help you hone your skills?”
Carla grunts as she clears her throat, asking once more, “Abe, what are you doing now?”
Abe tilts his head upward in defeat as he takes in a deep long breath, reluctantly stating, “I’ve been working on a device that can absorb X’ena energy.”
Carla looks at Abe in shock, asking, “And just why are you making such a device?”
Abe shakes his head, chuckling, “Relax Carla its not for you, well not directly. I’ve been working on this ever since we tried to drain the X’ena energy from that tree. I’m figuring a way that if I can get close enough to the Meli I can use it to syphon off its X’ena energy and give it to you.”
Carla quickly realizes just what Abe is intending and yells, “Are you crazy! There is no way I’m going to let yo
u near that thing.”
Abe rolls his eyes as he looks at Zeta Seven and smiles, stating, “Trust me Carla I’m more than capable of protecting myself.”
Carla asks, “And just what makes you think you can make such a device?”
Abe lifts several cable’s and connects them to Zeta Seven, stating, “Because I obviously built one in the other time line so its inevitable that I can do so here in this time line.”
Carla becomes concerned and asks, “Have you been talking to that robot version of yourself?”
Abe huffs loudly, stating, “Its name is Syn and its been talking to me more than I have been talking to it.” Abe pauses as he takes in a deep breath and continues, “I know your worried that Noskcaj is still a threat but from what I’ve learned from this Syn person is that the remaining piece of Ronin from the alternate time line absorbed Noskcaj, destroying it. This Syn thing was a creation that Noskcaj had been working on for centuries. And before you start going off on a tangent, I’m not dumb enough to trust it completely but I am learning from what it has to offer.”
Carla, becoming ever more so concerned asks, “And just what does it ask for in return?”
Abe turns towards Carla and looks her dead in the eyes, stating, “Well I was wondering that too when it offered to help me the other day but it sent over everything it knows and all it wants in return is to know about our children and before you go flying off the handle its not about their abilities and powers. This thing wants to know how they play together and how they interact with regular humans. Its almost like he wants to appreciate the emotions they feel.”
Carla now confused shakes her head, asking, “It’s a machine, what or why would it care about such things.”
Abe smirks as he looks to Carla and says, “Ask your Father Carla. To be honest I was concerned at first but so far everything it has given me has jumped my thinking into another level. I really don’t think it wants to harm us. Hell, the power core upgrade he gave me for Zeta Seven is beyond belief.”
Carla smiles as she closes her eyes and uses her psychic link that allows her to bypass the psychic plane and communicate directly with her Father. She appears in his mind and asks, “Dad?”
Caleb grins as Carla appears to him, answering, “There’s my Little Flower, what can I do for you?”
Carla stares at him for a moment and asks, “I have gone through everything you were willing to give me but I have some questions and one that seems very important, just why are you working with this Noskcaj crony for?”
Caleb shakes his head as he understands Carla’s doubts and answers, “I need his help and for now I have reason to trust him as I know he is being heavily influenced by a Phace’mal that is powering him.”
Carla tilts her head in confusion, stating, “I really don’t know a lot about these Phace’mal dad other than what Abe learned about them and what you felt about them. Even when you transferred some of your knowledge to me you purposely skimmed over certain details such as the Phace’mal."
Caleb shakes his, explaining, “The Phace’mal are another part of my history I wish to keep to myself, at least for now. Nevertheless, I will tell you the Phace’mal are a very powerful race of energy beings that exist in crystal form, they are also extremely powerful psychics that operate on a different level of psychic energy than you do. I have learned much from them as they are pacifists that seek only to live in peace. This Syn creature is currently being powered by one and I know that it is communicating with him, influencing him. So long as it is within him I believe I can trust him.”
Carla frowns as she considers her doubts, finally asking, “I wish I could trust him but I have my doubts as to what side he is really on.”
Caleb smiles as he looks at his daughter, stating, “Your doubts come from your inability to ever look into his mind. I however can look into his mind.”
Carla looks perplexed, asking, “Just how are you able to do that, it’s a machine?”
Caleb chuckles, answering, “A machine that is programmed to learn and it is learning from its living power core. A Phace’mal, which is at present in contact with the Phace’mal onboard my ship. So, you see my child I can see what Syn is thinking and right now it is trying to justify its own existence as it ponders just how this time line has changed. For now, it sees your children as future were perhaps it maybe best if he was no longer a part of it. You see Little Flower I am fully aware of what Syn is and what he may become. He is trying to see if he can be a part of this new time line through his interaction with Abe and he feels very lost.”
Carla becomes concerned stating, “But your depending on this thing to help us and it is more concerned about whether it should even exist.”
Caleb shakes his head as he explains, “Carla you and your ship are still weeks away from me. The Demon Queen and her forces are closing in on my position. I plan on doing as much damage as I can to them but with her forces and all her X’ena power it is still a long shot that we will succeed with or without Syn’s help.”
Carla’s eyes go wide as she asks, “Then why do you even try to fight if you don’t think you can win?”
Caleb smiles and says, “Because life is not about winning or losing its about living your life the right way. We are not pawns in some game where the playing board is laid out before us. I have always believed that we as a people, as a race we’re meant to be more than what we are. I believe that no matter if I live or die this day I will live on through you and your children. We as a species are immortal as long as we do the right thing and live our lives as best we can.”
Carla grins as she shakes her head, stating, “I remember as a very little girl hearing about how lousy a speech giver you were and then you belt out something like that. Just wow.”
Caleb laughs, stating, “Well when you live for two thousand plus years you pick up a few good pointers here and there.”
Paladin interrupts, reporting, “Sorry to disturb this conversation Mistress Carla but we have just detected four large energy reading approximately a day away. The energy signature is similar to null space, which means that at least four of the remaining carriers have shifted nearby and are preparing to attack.
Caleb takes in a deep breath and smiles once more, saying, “Guess we go see if I can keep them busy until you arrive.”
Carla knows the danger her Father is in and says, “Dad lets see exactly what your facing.”
Before Caleb can object Carla yanks him into the psychic plane as she puts up her strongest shields and scans the entire sector. Instantly, Carla sees the four Super Carriers as they prepare to attack. She then sees three other Super Carriers a few days behind them with one of them being far larger than the rest. Caleb, remaining quiet points to them and the signals with his hand to Carla to pull out of the psychic plane.
Suddenly the entire psychic plane comes to life as the Demon Queen sends out a massive wave of psychic energy. Carla shapes her shield to cut through the blast as she creates as much energy as she can.
The Demon Queen appears, laughing, “I expected that you would try to sneak around here. Why not surrender now child and I may let your Father live.”
Carla smiles confidently, responding, “You will never be able to take my power as you did before Meli. Your power is great and your skill is even greater but I have been preparing for this day for as long as I can remember and you will never defeat me, let alone possess me. I have destroyed you once before and I will do so again.”
Caleb suddenly notices the larger silhouette of the Super Carriers stops as the Demon Queen screams out in frustration, leaving the plane. Caleb confused asks, “Did you do something to the Meli?”
Carla chuckles, responding, “The Meli can’t control her power without that piece pf Ronin that I was forced to destroy. It probably blew out half the power conduits on her ship and it most likely had to stop for repairs.”
Ronin then reports, “Mistress you are stressing our ship out with the power you had to place into your shields,
luckily Abe had prepared for this and was able to divert the power increase to the engines.”
Caleb takes in deep breath, saying, “Ok get me back to my body and you get back to your ship. I have a few ships I need to deal with.”
Carla shakes her head in agreement and says, “Becareful dad, I didn’t come all this way to lose you again.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
DANCING IN THE DARK
Several hours later Paladin remains cloaked as Syn works feverishly to create a way to detect the cloaked ships.
Caleb sits in the command chair, asking, “Syn what’s our status?”
Syn, who remains focused on his task replies, “I’m working on it Caleb. Right now, I’ve scanned the energy trail of approximately thirteen hundred plus fighters, all of which launched earlier in the day, having just shifted approximately six hours ago.” Syn pauses as he studies the data, continuing, “Right now I can confirm by the energy trails of these thirteen hundred and eleven fighters that they will be on top of us within the hour.”
Caleb concerned asks, “How sure are you of there locations and movements?”
Syn, remaining focused on the sensors replies, “Caleb understand that this is taxing to calculate even for me. I’m doing my best to calculate there probably location with the energy trails I’m detecting but your sensors are still lacking. I’m currently creating a program that should be able to forecast the four Super Carrier’s movements as well as the fighters flight paths. I expect the fighters to hit us directly while the four Super Carriers continue with a two by two flanking pattern.”
Caleb grumbles as he tilts his head back, asking, “So this is a big guess job?”
Syn stops as he turns to Caleb, answering, “Guessing is beneath me Caleb, this program has taken out guess work and has a seventy-eight percent probability of accurately predicting where each vessel is within a few hundred meters.”
Paladin responds, “Seventy-eight percent is still probability to guess work.”
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