Ismail feeling the contempt from Frasier walks up to the Captain and makes his opinion very clear, “Captain your opinions are just that, your opinion, and I will request that you keep them to yourself, am I clear Captain?”
Frasier stares directly into Ismail’s eyes as he rebuts, “Are you trying to give me an order Commander?”
Ismail smiles replying, “No Captain, I would never attempt to give you an order. Let’s just call it a friendly suggestion from the head of security on how you can maintain that wonderful smile of yours with all your teeth still intact.”
Before Frasier can respond Kitanna interrupts, “Captain Frasier, get your team ready and assemble them on the flight deck. You launch in one hour. Commander Ismail, you will lead the security team once on the ground.”
Frasier agitated at Ismail replies, “Yes, Captain, we’ll be ready to go in thirty minutes.”
Frasier leaves, as Ismail looks up to the Captain and shakes his head in disgust. Ismail then says, “My men are ready to go now Captain. We will wait for Captain Frasier on the flight deck.”
Ismail heads off the Bridge. Carla, who is standing behind Kitanna, asks her, “I think the Uari Captain doesn’t much care for me?”
Kitanna looks behind her and asks, “Little Flower with all that happened in your life are you trying to tell me that the opinion of one man holds even a thread of discomfort for you?”
Carla smiles replying, “No Kitanna not at all, it’s usually the other way around. I find it rare for anyone to look at me without feeling discontent or fear of me.”
Ronin says, “I have completed a detailed scan of the planet and the surrounding system. They do in fact have one gateway near the sun, which I will assume is set to activate as a last ditch attempt to destroy us. There are currently over fifty-seven uncloaked ships of Heavy Cruiser class, and Dreadnought class, but I am picking up hundreds of very minor energy pulses. This would indicate perhaps hundreds, perhaps thousands, of ships which still remain cloaked within the system.”
Sanchez looks up to the Captain and says, “Well, they are prepared for us. This is definitely a trap if ever I saw one.”
Kitanna asks, “Ronin are we capable of outrunning their ships?”
Ronin replies, “My current data tells me yes, Captain. Provided we are not cloaked, but if we should remain cloaked, they could overtake us.”
Carla once again offers her help, saying, “Kitanna if you want I can try to distract them in the psychic plane.”
Kitanna turns slowly, she smiles, asking, “You reading my mind Carla?”
Carla aware of how Kitanna thinks replies, “No Kitanna, but I’m eventually going to have to get in there and fight them. You can try and protect me for as long as you can, but in the end, I’m going to have to fight them.”
Kitanna sighs replying, “Yes, I know and I’m sure the T-Challa do as well, but unless we have no other choice Little Flower you will wait to go into your psychic world.”
One hour later, the fourteen support ships are loaded and ready for launch. Captain Frasier calls out on the holocom, “Alpha wing we launch in five minutes, as soon as we clear the ship we use the phase-shift drive to shift directly into the planet’s atmosphere. Alpha wings, four and nine, you will stay at the ready with the nukes. You will only have ten seconds to lock on to a target and launch your payload shifting back again, is that clear?”
Both Alpha pilot's reply, Yes, Captain.”
Ismail calls out to Frasier, “We are ready Captain. We have the geological and survey teams loaded, and my security team is set.”
Frasier makes the comment, “Did you remember to leave your pet at home Commander.”
Ismail growls under his breath, as he does not dignify Captain Frasier’s comment with an answer.
The twelve ships launch, leaving two behind on emergency standby. The support fighters receive confirmation on their shift points locking onto them, Alpha wing then shifts. A moment later, all twelve ships are in the planet's atmosphere cloaked.
Frasier reacts first, as he quickly scans his surroundings calling out on the com, “Ok, we have made it undetected so far. All ships will follow my lead, and land over in the wooded area about ten clicks from the T-Challa strip mine.”
Another officer says, “Captain, I’m picking up a lot of vegetation nearby there as well as vast water supplies.”
Frasier overconfidently responds, “Ok then, let’s land and bring home dinner shall we.”
The full wing of support fighters makes its way to the landing site. Fifteen minutes later, they land without incident.
Ismail says, “Captain Frasier, I will take my men and secure the perimeter first. Hold back all survey teams until we give the all clear.”
Frasier responds, “We hear you Commander. Just make this quick, I don’t plan on staying here any longer than we need to.”
Ismail and his men head out across the area. After several minutes, Ismail and his men encounter a T-Challa patrol with several aliens moving across their path. Ismail cautiously calls out to Frasier, “Captain, we have a patrol in the area at least fifteen T-Challa and several aliens.”
Frasier concerned responds, asking, “Risk assessment Commander?”
Ismail replies, “They are moving off Captain, I say we wait for them to move out before we unload the teams.”
Frasier annoyed, asks, “How long Commander?”
Ismail hearing the tone in Captain Frasier’s question replies, “Fifteen minutes Captain.”
Just then one of the aliens a bipedal creature with a humanoid appearance stops and looks around. The alien is wearing a slave collar and it appears female in appearance. Its lower legs are covered with a furry mane similar to a horse and it has a long tail similar to a cat. Its skin is striped yellow and brown and a thin covering of fur, which covers its entire body. Its facial features closely resemble human physiology with a nose slightly smaller than the average human does. Its hair is long, but bedraggled, its eyes glow bright yellow as it stops and looks directly at Ismail’s location. A T-Challa seeing the slave stop immediately pulls her to him. Grabbing her up by her collar, it holds her before its salivating mandibles. Its long tongue caresses her body as the T-Challa prepares to devour the helpless alien. The alien quickly turns to Ismail in fear and calls out to him. Who hears in his head, “Please save me?”
Ismail is amazed at her ability to detect him. He instantly orders his men, “Take them all-out now!”
Ismail and his men over forty well trained Special Forces fire on the T-Challa. Ismail focuses his first shot on the T-Challa holding the beautiful alien slave. Striking it dead in a single head shot. The rest of the T-Challa return fire on the unseen assault team, but to no avail, after a brief moment the firefight is over and the fifteen T-Challa are destroyed as well as most of the slaves. Only four survive one being the attractive yellow-skinned alien. It runs to Ismail while the other surviving slaves scatter into the forest. Ismail curses himself as he contacts Frasier, “Captain we have been compromised. The patrol is dead, I doubt they were able to warn the main body, but I cannot be sure of that and we have rescued a slave.”
Frasier aggravated yells, “You rescued a slave! Just whose side are you one Commander?”
Ismail, tiring of Frasier’s comments replies, “The side of humanity Captain.”
Frasier sarcastically replies, “Well, we are not detecting any movement with the fleet above. We will have to recover what we can for now and shift out of here. Great job Commander, maybe next time you can put up flares for them.”
The alien runs right at Ismail and says telepathically, “They know you’re here. You’re trapped.”
Ismail yells out over the com, “Captain Frasier! The alien is telepathic. She just informed me that they know we are here. It’s a trap. Prepare for immediate evac now.”
Ismail grabs the alien and he and his entire team phase-shift back onto the support fighters. Frasier, seeing on his scanner that Ismail has returned with the
alien yells over the holocom, “Put that enemy conspirator in chains now! We are making an immediate evac.”
Frasier calls out to Ronin, “We have been compromised. We are bugging out. Send in plan B.”
Sanchez immediately orders, “Prepare for immediate evac. Raise our shields the moment Alpha wing returns.”
The last two fighters launch with nukes armed and ready. They shift right into the middle of the T-Challa fleet and fire their torpedoes and just as quickly, they immediately shift back to Ronin.
Frasier and all his ships successfully shift back and make an immediate emergency landing. Sanchez yells, “Raise shields! Jump to hyperspace.”
Ronin responds, “We have ships appearing all around. We can’t jump into hyperspace.”
Kitanna looks over the tactical holoboard. She immediately sees the weak spot in their formation and says, “They have fewer ships there.” She points at the holoboard, saying, “But if I was them that’s where I’d want us to go.” Kitanna pauses, as she looks over the tactical holoscreen again and says, “Head us up through the middle Commander Sanchez.”
Ronin responds, “Captain we have close to hundred ships of all designations directly ahead. This will more than likely push us to our limits.”
Kitanna feels the doubt within her, but holds back her fear, as she yells, “All hands report to battle stations!”
Frasier and his flight wings quickly detach from the transport pods and set up for combat launch. Frasier yells out, “All wings launch now! Alpha wing will spearhead the formation.”
The four fighter wings Alpha Beta Delta and Zeta all launch as Ronin and its fighters plunge headlong into the strongest part of the T-Challa formation.
Ronin reports, “Captain the area we were considering before has a second cloaked gateway activating and we have hundreds of ships exiting. They’re closing fast our stern at flank speed.”
Sanchez looks up in admiration of Kitanna and says, “You’re too good for them Captain. Had we gone there we would be dead.”
Ronin reports, “Fighter wings closing in on the T-Challa fleet at full speed.”
Kitanna continues to hold her doubts in check, as she shouts, “Get me Frasier on the com!”
Frasier responds, “Go ahead, Captain.”
Kitanna orders, “Captain, just punch us a hole through them. We are just escaping. We are not trying to win a war here. Am I clear?”
Frasier calmly replies, “Understood.”
Alpha wing dives in on several ships as the T-Challa launch their new fighters to counter Frasier and his fighter wings. Alpha wing quickly blasts a path through the first wave of fighter with ease and moves into firing range of the main T-Challa fleet.
The T-Challa open fire with hundreds of torpedoes and plasma charges, Frasier calls out to his fighter wings on the holocom which is simultaneously heard on the Bridge of Ronin, “All wings, lets plow the road. We have to soften these bastards up and punch a hole for our ships to get out of here. All wings line up behind me.”
The two hundred plus fighter’s move into a tight formation as they dance around the incoming volley several fighters are hit as very few are destroyed. The new class support fighters close the distance quickly opening fire with multiple torpedo strikes closing range swiftly. They are followed by hundreds of Medium plasma charges. They successfully destroy the first Dreadnought and several Heavy Cruisers. The fighters continue on in close formation as they drive through the T-Challa fleet.”
Ronin reports, “We will be in range with main guns in fourteen seconds. The T-Challa weapons will be in range in sixteen seconds.”
Sanchez yells out, “Full speed! Lock all weapons on targets. Fire as soon as we have lock.”
The weapons signal lock as the first volley scream out from Ronin. Carla begins to hover on the Bridge as she is linked to Ronin. The Bridge crew is momentarily distracted by Carla, but quickly refocuses as the volley rips into several T-Challa ships destroying them.
Carla feels the power coursing through her. She links herself to Ronin and asks, “Ronin I feel all this power all this energy. I feel so empowered; can I use this to fight my way in the psychic realm?”
Ronin replies, “Perhaps Mistress, I do not know what would happen.”
Carla focuses her power back into the psychic realm. She enters and sees millions of T-Challa charging her from all sides. She concentrates all the energy, recreates her armored sword-wielding avatar, and starts to spin wildly. Her blades grow longer with each turn. She hacks and slices through the T-Challa avatars as if the wind blowing through the trees. She abolishes them with ease, and in droves of thousands upon thousands.
Back in the real world, Kitanna yells out, “Status, Commander.” Ronin’s guns fire a never-ending rain of plasma charges on the T-Challa fleet as Sanchez reports, “Captain we seem to have some luck on our side. The T-Challa have not been able to focus an effective counter assault, it’s as if they are frozen or distracted. We will be clear in just a few moments.”
Kitanna confused at her luck, suddenly notices that Carla is now rippling with blue energy, she yells out, “Carla no! What the hell are you doing?”
Ismail has now arrived on the Bridge with the captured slave and several guards. Ismail seeing Carla floating yells, “She is in the psychic realm. She must be in battle with them.”
The alien says to Ismail telepathically, “She is so powerful, it is no wonder why the T-Challa gods fear her so.”
Sanchez surprised yells, “Commander! What the hell are you doing, bringing a prisoner on the Bridge?”
Ismail unconcerned with their fears replies, “She has information that needed to be relayed.”
The alien looks to Ismail and says, “They are planning on killing the Hybrid. This is a trap for her and this ship. They will try and separate her from her body and that will destroy us all.”
Sanchez alarmed yells, “We have incoming volleys! Countermeasures will not be enough!”
Dozens of torpedo and plasma charges hit Ronin, damaging the port side slightly. The damage is instantly transferred to Carla disrupting her connection to the psychic realm. She drops to the Bridge deck in extreme pain.
Ronin responds, “Port shields are down. We have taken moderate damage to the port side. Secondary shields are operating. Overall damage is at sixteen percent.”
Carla yells out in agony, “Damn it! That freaking hurts!” She grabs her side bleeding. Then she feels the presence of the telepathic alien. Ronin telepathically tells her, “Mistress she is a Condara one of the very first races enslaved by the T-Challa. Although it was long believed that, the race was extinct. They are telepathic.”
Carla relays her knowledge, saying, “She is a Condara, and her people were thought to have been destroyed hundreds of years ago. They can speak telepathically.”
Ismail races to Carla and helps her up as Kitanna yells, “Carla just what were you doing in the psychic world! I specifically told you not to go there until I said so!”
Carla tries her best to hold in her pain answers, “I’m sorry Kitty but I thought I could help.”
Sanchez yells, “We are clear recovering all fighters!”
The weapons officer yells, “I have lock on eleven ships closing fast.” He fires as the barrage flashes across the battlefield decimating the incoming fleet. The fighters make an emergency landing as Ronin hits hyperspace, and they quickly outrun the T-Challa fleet.
Ronin announces, “Repairs are underway. We have escaped from our pursuers for now.”
Carla in agony looks at the Condara and asks telepathically, “What is your name.”
The Condara replies telepathically, “I have no name. I was raised as a slave to serve my gods.”
Kitanna, noticing the contact between Carla and the alien becomes alarmed and yells, “Ismail! Secure her below now and keep her there! At least until we can access her threat level.”
Ismail calmly replies, “Captain she is no threat. She risked everything just to warn us
of this very trap.”
Sanchez says, “Regardless Commander. We still need to have her checked out. For all we know she has one of those Meli pieces in her.”
The Condara looks at Ismail in fear and says aloud for the first time, “It is ok Ismail. I do not wish to be a burden. I am use to being put in a cage.”
Doctor Cabral arrives on the Bridge and see’s Carla, sitting on the deck, bleeding. She immediately says as she rushes over to her, “Let me bandage that up Miss Ocoda.”
Carla in pain says, “Yeah, looks like that’s all you can do. At least until the ship is fixed.”
Kitanna focuses her attention back onto the alien, asking, “How do you know so much information, especially if you’re just a slave?”
The Condara replies, “My people have long been able to read the thoughts of our masters. To them it is considered a trait of a good slave to know what our masters want specifically when they are thinking it. When we were being moved our masters were thinking loudly at how they knew you would be coming to this planet and how they had planned for your arrival.”
Kitanna is now very concerned about the alien and asks, “And how are we to know that you are not part of this plan?”
The Condara replies, “The Hybrid can scan my mind to know all that I know. I could never hide anything from her. She is the most powerful of all psychics that I have ever encountered.”
Carla annoyed, says, “Hey the Hybrid has a name. It’s Carla.”
Then Doctor pulls tight the bandage around, saying, “Hold tight, dear, this may hurt a little.”
Carla, who groans in pain says, “My Papa had to deal with this all the time.” All the same, it still hurt like hell.
Ismail takes the Condara to the lift and says, “She will be in the holding cell on deck sixteen Captain.”
As the lift closes Abe appears on the holocom, saying, “Captain we have massive power spikes in the dual core. I’m trying to lock it down.”
Kitanna concerned asks, “Ronin report what is going on?”
Ronin responds, “The issue will pass in brief time. The excess energy spikes are a direct result of Carla’s symbiot connection to me Captain. She draws out additional power to increase her own powers in the psychic realm. As she is no longer accessing that energy, it is now building up in the power core. This additional energy increase must be compensated for.”
The Ocoda Chronicles Book 3 Ronin Page 10
