The Ocoda Chronicles Book 3 Ronin

by Daniel OConnell

  Sanchez and Frasier come down to the engine room to talk to Abe. Abe, who has for the past seventy-two hours not slept, eaten, or spoken to anyone as he races against time to get the ship's systems up and running.

  Frasier yells out, “Abraham, we need to talk with you please!”

  Abe, who is still working, responds, “I can hear you just fine from here.”

  Sanchez politely asks, “Abe, we have been trying to contact you all day. We’re supposed to be a team here, and we need to work together, and we can’t do that unless you tell us what we can do to help.”

  Abe shifts to the deck beside the two men and passes them his tools, saying, “Go ahead, and fix stuff if you want to help.”

  Frasier annoyed, says, “Listen son, you may not like me and that’s fine. I may deserve it too, but we are offering to help. You could try and be a little grateful.”

  Abe tired says, “Grateful yeah, I don’t really have time to be anything but busy fixing this ship up so all you officers can bash it up again, and put Carla in another world of hurt.”

  Sanchez calmly says, “Abe, just give us something to do so we can help. Please.”

  Abe pauses, and says, “I need the main power conduits on decks one hundred and sixty-seven through decks ninety-eight all placed back into position, then I need them double checked for secure seals, and I need it done in less than twenty hours.”

  The two men look at each other and Sanchez says, “Ok Abe, we’ll get the crew on it at once.”

  Abe shifts back on top of the engine as he continues to hook up power conduits to it.

  Frasier shocked, asks, Commander, he’s only seventeen right?”

  Sanchez amazed replies, “Yeah, he’s sixteen I believe, and I know what you're thinking sir. It is pretty amazing isn’t it?”

  Frasier shakes his head in disbelief, saying, “Yeah, amazing.” Frasier still uncomfortable with Carla and Abe does his best to hold back on his prejudicial thinking, and heads out to help restore the ship.

  On the Bridge of Ronin, Benton confers with Kitanna, asking, “Well, both ships look good on the outside. You have your weapons working and your shield emitters are back online, but with no power to your engines you’re a sitting duck.”

  Kitanna replies, asking, “Well, our sensor scans are not showing anything yet. Gabe, are you sure they are still coming?”

  Benton somberly says, “Well, they’re out their Kitty, and they’re coming with a vengeance. You can be sure of that.”

  Kitanna, feeling exhausted asks, “What are you planning on?”

  Benton confidently answers, “I’m going to take the Celesta and all your fighters, and we’ll try and buy you enough time. Hopefully you can get your main power online.”

  Kitanna doubtful of situation asks, “Well Gabe, where are you going to go meet up with them? They are not exactly making their presence known.”

  Gabriel grins, replying, “I know which direction they are coming from so all I need to do is get them to show their hand.”

  Kitanna smiles and says, “You’re just going to go cowboy like Caleb and pray you don’t screw up.”

  Benton smiles back, saying, “Well, it doesn’t sound as heroic when you say it like that.”

  Kitanna chuckles as she asks, “Do you know what it is you’re up against?”

  Benton smiles and says, “One, maybe two Dreadnoughts, possibly another eighty Heavy Cruisers, and another twenty Medium Cruisers. Give or take a thousand.”

  Kitanna, feeling very uncomfortable, says, “Gabe, I know your ship is probably heavily modified, but these T-Challa ships are not the same old ships that we use to fight.”

  Benton smiles, answering, “I know everything about these ships Kitty, probably more than anyone alive, except maybe Caleb, if he's even still alive.”

  Kitanna smiles and says, “Well, unless Caleb plans on dropping by, I guess we’ll let you make decisions.”

  Benton looks at Kitanna and asks, “Did Abe have a chance to get the portable crystal drive working?”

  Kitanna giggles, saying, “First thing he fixed, but we can’t see if it works yet. Not till Carla is able to be woken from her coma.”

  Benton pauses as he thinks for a moment, asking, “How long till repairs are finished?”

  Kitanna replies, “We are looking at least a few more days till we can try and move. Abe is pushing himself so much I may have to order him to rest soon.”

  Benton smiles and says, “Yeah, good luck with that. That kid loves her way too much and you know it.”

  Kitanna surprised, asks, “And you figured that out in just a few days?”

  Benton, still smiling says, “No, it took me a few thousand years to see it, but Caleb knew it from the start, and after watching that boy move like he does around those engines. Well, that tells me that part of the future changed for the better.”

  Kitanna very curious, asks, Gabe, I know you don’t want to talk about that future you found, but I have to know how Abe, who is just a normal human could have lived three thousand years?”

  Gabe chuckles and says, “Normal isn’t a word that will ever fit into Abraham Jackson’s vocabulary Kitty. That boy will grow up to do some very amazing things. Let’s just hope that future we saw is dead and the evil that befalls him and Carla never come to pass.”

  Kitanna concerned asks, “What evil happened to Abe?”

  Benton, realizing he misspoke says, “Forgot I ever said anything Kitty, Cale made me promise never to talk about it, let’s just hope his future is as bright as it can be.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CELESTA

  A day later, Benton sits on the Bridge of the Celesta, as his crew sets course and prepares for battle. The Williams and over two hundred heavily armed support fighters head out to slow down an approaching T-Challa fleet, which is rapidly bearing down on the massive ship Ronin.

  Benton calls out on the com, “Captain Frasier, we will keep a tight formation, and you will keep all your fighters cloaked along with the Williams. I will be the bait.”

  Frasier comfortably replies, “Better you than me General.”

  Mohammed reports from the Bridge of the Williams, “Brother this ship is ready, but I do not think it can do much against this oncoming fleet.”

  Benton replies, “Don’t worry Mohammed, the Celesta can handle anything out here. You just watch my back.”

  Mohammed happily replies, “Like always my brother.”

  The ships all head out at top speed, as the Celesta scanners do detailed analysis of the space ahead. After ten hours, the sensor officer on board the Celesta reports, “General, sir, I’m picking up a slight plasma trail. It’s less than five hundred thousand kilometers from us.”

  Benton says aloud, “Celesta, prepare the ship for the shift. Weapons officer, have the spacial depth charges loaded and prepared to be dispersed on wide setting maximum yield.”

  Celesta says, “Shift drive is ready Sunshine.”

  The Helmsman confused at the automated voice asks, “General, sir, does this ship have a symbiot on it?”

  Benton laughs answering, “No son, it’s a highly sophisticated artificial intelligence. Celesta was created by Paladin, and she don’t take no guff from anyone son, so treat her nice.”

  Then Frasier calls over the com, “General, sir, we are picking up multiple energy readings all around you.”

  Benton, smiling says, “Captain Frasier, keep all your ships at least ten thousand kilometers away, and only on my signal, then, and only then will you will jump in and attack. Am I clear?”

  Frasier, confused asks, “What signal sir?”

  Benton, smiling yells, “Weapons officer, launch all charges! Celesta, get us out of here now!”

  Fifty cloaked charges launch and scatter all around the Celesta just as it shifts away. They detonate an instant later. The devastation is immediate. The T-Challa ships, were cloaked, and had no shields up as they prepared to attack. Their fleet is taken by complete surprise. The charges
detonate destroying fifteen Medium class Cruisers, and six Heavy class Cruisers, while heavily damaging dozens of other ships.

  Frasier, surprised at the tactic and the weapons, says aloud, “Damn, that was amazing. Ok you fly boys, let’s go in and do some damage.”

  The two hundred ships launch over a hundred torpedoes into the middle of the T-Challa fleet. Destroying dozens of ships and crippling dozens more, but just then two Dreadnoughts uncloak. They start firing on the support fighters. Several fighters are instantly destroyed as the rest quickly shift away.

  Mohammed onboard the Williams takes aim on the first Dreadnought with over forty torpedoes and six Medium plasma cannons. The Williams fires at close range. It then quickly activates its hyperdrive.”

  The attack damages the Dreadnought slightly, but does not come close to disabling it.

  Benton tactics are a little more direct and far more effective, he shifts directly in-between both Dreadnoughts and fires a massive volley into both ships, destroying the one Mohammed had already fired on, and heavily damaging the other.

  The sensor officer yells to Benton, “Sir, we have multiple Heavies uncloaking all around us!”

  Then, as if on cue, they fire on the Celesta. Hundreds of plasma charges streak towards the ship as the helmsman maneuvers closer to the Dreadnought.

  Benton yells, “Celesta sweetie! Get us the hell out of here.”

  Celesta sarcastically replies, “Working on it Sunshine.”

  Just at the moment of impact, Celesta shifts, but still takes multiple strikes.

  The sensor officer yells, “We lost shields on the aft section and took damage on one of the aft turrets as well as several decks but that other Dreadnought is destroyed.”

  Frasier comes over the com, saying, “General, sir, there’s a lot more than a hundred ships out here.”

  Mohammed then adds in, “Brother, you cannot do that again. They are now aware of your shift drive maneuver. They will adjust for it.”

  Frasier says, “General, sir, we have a nebula just two million kilometers away. I suggest we try and lead them in there.”

  Benton annoyed replies, “Ok, we go in full speed. Frasier, take your fighters, circle behind them, and force them to follow us into the nebula.”

  Frasier, confused, and now seeing almost three hundred Heavy and Medium Cruisers approaching asks, “Force them sir? Sure, yeah… I can do that… I hope.”

  Frasier says to his fighters, “Ok, let’s target a few of these mediums on hit and run sweeps only. No more than one shot and we shift. We only need to piss em’ off enough to stay on us.”

  Frasier and his fighters shift in around the T-Challa fleet, launching coordinated attacks on several Medium Cruisers, successfully destroying several, as they quickly shift away. The T-Challa become enraged, as they immediately begin to pursue at their top speed.

  The Celesta and the Williams enter the nebula as the sensor officer on Celesta reports, “Sir, we have lost all sensors we’re flying blind in here.”

  Benton smiles and says, “Prepare to drop mines, and signal the Williams to do so as well.”

  Celesta reports, “Sunshine, we also have limited shield capability, our cloaking field will be nonfunctional within the nebula and we cannot engage the shift or the hyperdrives.”

  Benton huffs as he asks, “Helmsman, how long till we can reach the other side of the nebula?”

  The helmsman replies, “Sir, without sensors I can only make an educated guess, and that would be two hours, provided I’m on course.”

  Frasier comes over the com, “General, we are losing sensors, and most of our systems are down.”

  Benton says, “Just keep visual of the Celesta and watch out for the mines were dropping.”

  Frasier replies, “Understood, sir. The enemy is right behind us, sir.”

  Mohammed says, “Then let’s lead them through this nebula, and hope it makes them just as weak as it makes us.”

  The fleet of over two hundred T-Challa ships enter, and as expected, their systems fail just as the Paladonian ships had failed. Many pull back, trying to circle around the nebula, as many more continue in pursuit of the Paladonian ships through the nebula.

  Mohammed reports in, “Brother, my spotters have seen multiple explosions from behind, but without sensors we cannot tell what effect our mines are having on them.”

  Frasier adds, “We could have had them turn away and back towards Ronin too.”

  Benton says confidently, “Not likely son, the T-Challa never retreat from an enemy, but it’s a damn good possibility that they will be waiting for us on the other side of the nebula.”

  The ships continue through the nebula at top speed for over two hours, until Celesta reports, “Sunshine, I’m picking up multiple energy signature dead ahead.”

  Sensor officer confirms, saying, “We have sensors online, and we’re picking up at least sixty T-Challa ships dead ahead.”

  Benton considers his options, asking, “Do we have the shift drive operational yet?”

  Celesta responds, “Not yet Sunshine, the nebula is still affecting some of our systems.”

  Frasier reports, “General, we have visual on at least one hundred ships at our six o’clock.”

  Benton sits back in his seat and pauses, thinking for a moment. He springs up and orders, “Ok, time for action, all torpedoes loaded and ready. We come out full speed and right down their throats, Celesta, power up the shield enhancements.”

  Celesta responds, “You will not be able to power up the plasma cannons Sunshine.”

  Benton replies, “I know darling, but we have little choice. We need to buy time for the Williams and the fighters to get away.”

  The helmsman very concerned asks, “Sir, can we survive the initial volley with the improved shields.”

  Gabe smiles and says, “No guts kid, no glory.”

  The Celesta charges from the nebula at flank speed. She fires all her torpedoes at almost point blank range. The T-Challa fleet fire a massive volley directly at the Celesta. The sight of so many charges and torpedoes all directed at one ship is overwhelming. Surviving is completely another.

  Sensor officer is shocked yells, “We have shields holding! But just barely.”

  Celesta announces, “Shift drive is up and ready, but the Williams will not be able to escape yet.”

  Benton slams his fist on the controls and yells, “Switch all power back to the guns and fire everything we have!”

  The switchover from enhanced shields to standard shielding, which has only been done on only a few ships before, Paladin, Yinglong, Yorktown, and the Celesta. This has always caused massive power fluctuations in the ship's weapons systems, often causing massive power overloads and major damage to weapons systems, but to the enemy on the receiving end. It’s nothing short of a lethal attack. The Celesta fires into the heart of the T-Challa fleet an extremely destructive volley destroying twenty ships in a single volley. Frasier with his fighter wings and the Williams, immediately charge in, successfully destroying ten more, just as the rest of the T-Challa fleet exits the nebula.

  The Williams is hit several times, taking massive damage. The Celesta takes multiple strikes across its superstructure. Frasier loses eleven more fighters.

  Mohammed announces, “We have hyperdrive up. We are exiting the area now.” The Williams is badly damaged, but is able to enter hyperspace. Unfortunately, its damage is reducing its speed.

  Benton, sees the Williams clearing the battlefield and yells, “Ok all ships lets shift out of here now.”

  The Celesta and the support fighters escape in a single motion, avoiding the final salvo of the T-Challa fleet.

  Celesta clears the shift reporting, “We have shifted two hours ahead of the Williams and the T-Challa fleet. The fighters are one hour out. The Nebula must have drained our shift drive power.”

  Benton, concerned asks, “Can you get me Mohammed on the com?”

  The com opens up, as Mohammed appears, saying, “Brother, we
are losing power in some of our key systems. We may not be able to maintain our current speed.”

  Benton looks to his sensor officer who confirms, “Sir the T-Challa fleet is closing in fast. They will overtake him in fifteen minutes.”

  Benton anxious asks, “Can we shift again yet?”

  Celesta reports, “Not for twenty-five minutes.”

  Benton says, “Mohammed, you’re going to have to abandon your ship. Shift you and your crew to my ship.”

  Mohammed looks over his data and replies, “Brother we are still out of shift range.”

  Benton enraged yells, “Move us at top speed to intercept the Williams! Close the distance!”

  Frasier reports in, “General we are closer. We will try to slow the fleet down. Try to buy you time.”

  Celesta reports, “We will close within safe distance for phase-shifting in twenty minutes they will be overtaken in fourteen minutes.”

  Benton exhales a deep breath of frustration, saying, “Frasier, you need to buy us six minutes.”

  Frasier responds, “Understood General.”

  Frasier contacts his wing leaders on conference com stating his plan, “Alpha wing will go with me. Beta, Delta, and Zeta, will come in on the rear of the T-Challa fleet. You will hit them from behind.”

  The wing commanders signal their affirmative responses as Frasier says, “Ok, we shift in on my mark in three, two, mark.”

  The fighters shift into their attack position, attacking the T-Challa fleet striking from all sides. The wings launch every torpedo they have left shifting back out quickly as they try desperately to slow the T-Challa fleet down.

  The Zeta Wing Commander comes over the com, saying, “They’re still chasing the Williams, sir. We only took out six ships and disabled four others.”

  Frasier frustrated contacts the Williams, asking, “Commander Mohammed, how many crew do you have on board now?”

  Mohammed replies, “We have one hundred and eighty-seven. They are all set to shift as soon as we get into range Captain.”

  Frasier looks over his long-range scanners and sees only a gas giant nearby. He asks, “Commander, is the Williams cloak still working?”