The Ocoda Chronicles Book 3 Ronin

by Daniel OConnell

  Carla tells Sanchez, “Commander Sanchez, we will need to set up for an immediate link up with the Devonshire, we can have the Uari Destroyer Williams land on our flight deck, it should fit. Once that’s completed, we will need to blast our way out of here as quickly as possible.”

  Sanchez concerned says, “Yes Madam Carla. I’ll set it up at once.”

  Carla thinks to herself. This is so intense, I can feel the wealth of knowledge flooding into me, but I really don’t have my father’s gift of understanding the military.

  Ronin replies, “Mistress you grew up around military masterminds like General Jackson and Admiral Klaus. Every day you studied and learned from them. You have the knowledge Mistress. You just lack the experience.”

  Carla a little surprised says to Ronin telepathically, “Ronnie, it’s going to take me a little while to get used to you hearing my thoughts.”

  Ronin replies, “Mistress, I have always heard your thoughts. Since the day I was created, I have heard and felt everything that you have experienced. We share everything.”

  Carla smiles, as Sanchez notices, asking, “Madam Carla is something amusing?”

  Carla gets serious and says, “No Commander, just something I’m adapting to with my new condition.”

  Ronin announces, “T-Challa ships have now increased their speed. They will now reach the Devonshire and Williams before us.”

  Kitanna calls out to Ronin via the holocom, saying, “Carla, I’m going to evacuate my crew onto the Williams while traveling in hyperspace. I will stop and attempt to slow down the pursuing T-Challa fleet.”

  Sanchez alarmed, says, “Captain you have no chance of slowing them down. At least nothing that will make any significant difference.”

  Kitanna calmly states, “You’re going to try and squeeze the Williams into your flight deck. Abe has already calculated that it will take at least one minute forty-two seconds to complete the maneuver Commander. We plan on causing a distraction and then phase shifting the moment we go critical Miguel. This should be able to buy you at least two minutes.”

  Ronin responds, “You will need to stabilize a phase-shift conduit between our two ships to maximize safety protocols.”

  Kitanna amused replies, “Well, I see Paladin’s offspring is just like his father in stating the obvious. Abe has already established the link, and we have already shifted half my crew. I have all my nukes ready to detonate as soon as their ships get close enough to us.”

  Sanchez concerned responds, “Very risky maneuver Captain. I wish you luck.”

  Kitanna replies, “Just be ready for us to shift at a moment’s notice.”

  The holocom closes. Sanchez turns to Carla and says, “Madam, we will be intercepting the Williams in less than ten minutes.”

  Carla shakes her head, acknowledging the Commander, but her mind is focused on everything that is happening to her. To her this is more overwhelming than anything she has ever been trained for.

  Six minutes later, the sensor officer announces, “The Devonshire has dropped from hyperspace and the pursuing T-Challa ships are also dropping out. She’s completely surrounded”

  Ronin creates a holoimage of the Devonshire on the Bridge, showing the detail of the assault. The T-Challa ships launch a quick attack rendering the Devonshire shields and engines inoperable.

  Sanchez immediately aware of the possible outcome yells, “Drop our shields, and prepare for the Devonshire’s crew.”

  The image shows the Devonshire, launching an all-out counter assault on the fleet damaging several ships nonetheless the T-Challa fleet returns fire decimating her guns.

  Sanchez, seeing this yells, “Get out of there! You can’t do anymore.”

  Ronin reports, “We have multiple shifters from the Devonshire appearing on the flight deck. Some are injured. I’m alerting the medical teams now.”

  Carla focuses back onto Kitanna and Abe. She enters the psychic plane and immediately finds them both pulling them both into the realm, panicked, she asks, “What are you doing? Get over here now!”

  Abe yells back, “Carla! We’ll be right there. I’m just setting the nukes to blow!” Carla returns them to their bodies in a less than a blink of an eye.

  She carefully watches as they see the Williams exit hyperspace and approaches the flight deck. Sanchez alarmed by the risky docking maneuver says, “This is going to be close.”

  The Williams eases itself on the flight deck as the rest of the crew watches helplessly, as the T-Challa close in on the crippled Devonshire. Finally, the Devonshire nukes reach critical as Ronin reports, “We have two shifts exiting the Devonshire.”

  The Devonshire suddenly explodes, in a massive detonation, leaving nothing in its wake.

  Sanchez guides the massive Williams from the Bridge onto the cramped flight deck, saying, “We have the Destroyer on the deck and are securing it now.”

  Ronin reports, “The rest of the T-Challa have returned to hyperspace and will be here in under a minute.”

  Sanchez yells, “Get this ship turned around and get our shields up.”

  Kitanna and Abe shift directly onto the Bridge. Kitanna immediately speaks, “Commander Sanchez, permission to come aboard.”

  Commander Sanchez replies, “Captain Meyers, I would relinquish command to you, but I really don’t think I’m in charge here.”

  Kitanna looks over seeing Ismail and asks, “Where is my husband's body Commander Shi Reis?”

  Ismail respectful replies, “We moved him to his quarters above us Captain.”

  Carla walks over to Kitanna and hugs her deeply. In tears she says, “I’m so sorry Kitanna, I wish I had my father’s power. Then I could’ve saved him.”

  Kitanna lowers her head. She controls her sorrow, saying, “Little Flower, your gifts saved a lot of people here today. Don’t regret what gifts you do have.”

  Kitanna pulls herself from Carla and walks to the lift, turning she says, “Commander Sanchez, I’ll assume command later, but I need you to get us on our way at once. I’ll return momentarily.”

  Kitanna ascends the lift to see the body of her husband.

  Ronin telepathically asks, “Mistress, what purpose is there in seeing a dead body?”

  Carla surprised, replies, asking, “In all the years you have been a part of me, have you not learned about how we mourn for our dead?”

  Ronin, even more confused responds, “Mistress, you above everyone refuse to accept death. You fight it with every part of your being, so to answer your question. No, I don’t understand why Mistress Kitanna needs to see a dead body.”

  Carla exhales as she replies, “Its closure Ronin. She needs to say goodbye to his body as well as his soul.”

  Ronin says, “My creator Paladin imbued much of his interest in this belief of your people have in souls. I think I too would like to learn if I can have a soul.”

  Carla smiles and says to Ronin, “If I have one, then so do you.”

  The sensor officer yells, “We have T-Challa ships closing in fast!”

  Sanchez yells out over the com, “Do we have the Williams secured on the flight deck yet?”

  Crew officer replies, “Sir, we’ll have it secured in thirty seconds.”

  Ronin replies, “They will be here in twenty seconds.”

  Sanchez yells out, “Power up the weapons, prepare to scramble fighters.”

  Ronin replies, “You will need to add time to recover fighters Commander Sanchez, should you choose to launch them, this would add more time. Presently, we could have enough time to escape provided we can survive their opening volley.”

  Sanchez aware of Paladins ability to calculate the probabilities asks, “Ronin can you pinpoint where they will exit hyperspace?”

  Ronin shows on the tactical holoscreen several areas, saying, “The highlighted areas are the most likely locations.”

  Sanchez yells, “I want our nukes ready to launch now. Target those locations, move it!”

  Ronin fires twenty-four nuclear torpedoes
at the pinpointed locations just as the T-Challa ship's exit hyperspace. The result is devastating, destroying several Heavy class T-Challa warships. The weapons officer takes full advantage of the confusion, firing a heavy barrage of Ronin’s main guns into the heart of the approaching armada.

  Just then the flight deck officer comes over the com yelling, “We have the Williams secure!”

  Sanchez yells at the helm, “Punch it! Get us out of here top speed!”

  Ronin jumps into hyperspace at incredible velocity leaving the T-Challa far behind.

  Ronin states, “We still have at least five thousand unclassified T-Challa ships between us and the gateway.”

  Sanchez concerned asks, “Are they able to make it to gateway before us?”

  Ronin methodically replies, “Yes, they will reach the fleet at the gateway in one hour. We are at least two hours away.”

  Carla says, “Commander, have them destroy the gateway and leave us here.”

  Sanchez apprehensive says, “Madam Carla, we will be years away from our nearest base should they do that.”

  Kitanna, now returning on the lift from her husband’s quarters, says, “Commander do it. We can’t risk them getting any closer to Earth or Paladonia.”

  Sanchez opens the com to Gaul and Mulvey, stating, “We have recovered the crew of the Devonshire. Unfortunately, we lost the vessel. We were able to recover the Williams, which is in our hangar bay. All her crew is accounted for. Regrettably, we cannot beat the T-Challa fleet to the gateway. We recommend you retreat from the area and detonate the nuke on the gateway.”

  Mulvey responds, “We have more ships coming. We can hold the gateway till you arrive.”

  Ronin interjects, saying, “These ships are more advanced than anything you have faced before. I am sending you all the data I have retrieved so far, as well as multiple advancements I possess in shield and weapons technology. This will help you better prepare for these ships, but if you choose to stand and try to hold that gateway. You will risk countless lives. We can make it back to Earth space in less than two years.”

  Gaul infuriated says, “Our telemetry shows the power levels of these ships are close to our own. They must have pushed their weapons technology to unbelievable levels. If we fight, we may still win the day, but I agree. The cost will be great.”

  Kitanna says, “Gaul I have assumed command. We will send you everything we have on a data stream, but you have to destroy that gateway.”

  Gaul lowers his head and says, “You will be all alone out there. Kitanna, all you have to do is ask, and we will hold the gateway.”

  Kitanna honored by Gaul’s statement says, “Gaul my friend, you would make your ancestors proud, but we will make our own way home. Now leave.”

  Gaul salutes as the com goes dead. Ronin reports, “We have multiple T-Challa gateway activations throughout the quadrant.”

  Abe looks out over the sensor readings and says, “They're staying open, for an extended period of time. The ships passing through are cloaked, so we have no idea what, or how many are coming through these gateways, but it has to be the bulk of their fleet.”

  Ronin responds, “Agreed young Abraham, your deductions are sound. The T-Challa must have focused everything that they have at one last push to strike at us.”

  Carla sinks into a meditative state and scans out across the psychic plane. She is immediately surrounded by millions of T-Challa, so many, that she can barely keep them away. She quickly escapes back, yelling, “Yuck oh my gawd that is so gross.”

  Kitanna now on the Bridge floor approaches quickly, asking, “Carla are you ok?”

  Carla disgusted yells, “Those T-Challa have the psychic world inundated in their filth and vile. They’re so many of them, I can’t fight them all. There has to be millions upon millions of them.”

  Kitanna curious, asks, “The Queen is not with them?”

  Carla replies, “Not that I could sense, but she is very powerful, she could easily hide herself from me, albeit for a brief time.”

  Ronin says, “Mistress, I recommend you refrain from use of your psychic powers. At least until we have better contained our present situation.”

  Carla sighs as she stands up and sees Ismail with the device hanging by his side by a shoulder strap and says, “Ismail is that thing still working?”

  Ismail reluctantly answers, “Not since I had to hot-wire it to your body.”

  Abe sighs, as he sees all the wires hanging from the device and says, “I’ll take a look at it.”

  Ronin announces, “The Paladonian gateway at zeta epsilon has been destroyed. We are now alone. This area is completely saturated with T-Challa warships with a probable time of two years, three weeks and two days to get home.”

  Carla annoyed replies, “Ronnie if you’re trying to make us all feel better. It’s not working at all.”

  Sanchez looks over the tactical holodisplay and says, “Well, he is right, this area is completely enveloped with T-Challa warships. I suggest we convene in conference and go over our options.”

  Kitanna says, “Agreed Commander, we will meet in my husband’s ready room in four hours. Ismail, will you please have my husband’s body taken to the ships morgue.”

  Ismail lowers his head and says, “Yes, Captain I'll take care of it personally.”

  Carla thinks to herself, “These people are all dependent on me to get them home. I now really know what my father felt like. I just hope I don’t let them all down.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  HUMANITY LOST

  Three hours later, in what was once Klaus's ready room sits Commander Miguel Sanchez, First officer of the Yorktown, Commander Ismail Shi Reis, head of Special Forces security, Major Stephanie Cabral Marine, and ships ranking Doctor from Canada. Captain's Anthony Frasier, of the Paladonian Uari destroyer Williams, and Kitanna Meyers, along with civilian Abraham Jackson, and finally Carla Ocoda, all of whom sit around the conference table.

  Kitanna starts the meeting, saying, “Good day everyone, I'd like to start with setting our command structure, as I am senior officer I will be in command. First officer Sanchez will be my second. Captain Frasier will retain his command of his ship the Williams as well as command of Ronin’s flight wings. Abe I'm making you acting chief engineer, and Ismail I'm placing you in charge of internal security as well as making you personally responsible for Carla's safety.”

  Ismail replies, “I have watched over her my entire career, Captain, this will not be a problem for me.”

  Carla makes a face at Ismail, as she hovers in the room.

  Sanchez asks, “Madam Carla, we are unable to contact Earth. Can you make contact with Earth using your gifts?”

  Carla sighs and says, “I can try, but there are so many T-Challa it will be difficult for me. They are not very powerful but with so many it will be a bit dicey.”

  Kitanna immediately says, “Little Flower you will not attempt any psychic contact with Earth, or with anyone here unless I personally order it. Is that understood?”

  Carla looks up her eyes glowing blue replies, “Yes Kitanna.”

  Captain Frasier speaks up, asking, “I have just two questions, are we planning on keeping the Williams in the hangar bay for the duration of the journey? And I've only briefly seen these new support fighters just what improvements have been made?”

  Ronin replies, “The Williams is unable to maintain the speed of this ship and will have to remain in our hangar deck for the duration of our journey. As for the upgraded support fighters, they are tougher, faster, and much more deadly than their previous models. This model is fifty percent larger, carries two Medium plasma cannons, and has four torpedo racks capable of carrying sixteen torpedoes. This is twice the capacity of standard support fighters. These ships are also equipped with a phase-shift drive as well as an upgraded hyperdrive, giving it incredible speed and escaping power. One more additional feature, each ship has an emergency phase-shift release. This feature will save lives, as it will transport the pilot
back to us here, even through our shields.”

  Frasier smiles, saying, “Well, that will save a lot of pilot’s lives.”

  Ismail curious, asks, “Didn’t the Paladonian's discontinue experimenting with phase-shift drives on manned ships?”

  Abe replies, “They did discontinue it after the Celesta was lost on a trip to the moon of the First Ones. According to Paladonian history this was over a thousand years ago.”

  Ismail asks, “The Celesta? Wasn’t that the name of Colonel Gabriel Benton's sister?”

  Doctor Cabral, who has remained silent, finally interrupts, asking, “I'm sorry to butt in here, but we have to start looking into rationing food and medical supplies.”

  Ronin interjects, “We will need to stop at several planets for supplies. However, the T-Challa will be more than likely be aware of our needs and should have most, if not all of these planets under heavy surveillance.”

  Sanchez sighs heavily, stating, “I will start rationing food at once.”

  Kitanna asks, “Ronin what exactly is our current status?”

  Ronin responds, “We are currently traveling at our maximum speed while cloaked. The T-Challa forces in this area have mostly uncloaked and are currently seeking us out. Presently, I've detected over six new variants of T-Challa standard class warships. With a combined tally of over ten thousand ships in the sector so far, and this number is quickly multiplying.”

  Captain Frasier asks, “Ronin, what do we know of these new ships?”

  Ronin responds, “It appears that over the many years since their last encounter with us, they have advanced their technology to equal and even surpass human-X'ena technology. Their smallest ship is a match for our older support fighters. It appears they have taken their scout ships and modified them to be on par with human standard support fighters. The next three classes are on par with their old class ships, but with significant upgrades, such as moving turrets, as well as increased power to shields and weapons. They have also increased their hull plating density. These three class ships are Light, Medium, and Heavy class Cruiser. The final two variants are the Dreadnought class Super and standard Dreadnoughts. These two ships appear to make up the bulk of their armada out here, and they have more than advanced the weapons and shields on these vessels to match the rest of the upgrades, which they have acquired over the past decade.”