Benton smiles, as he puts his hands behind his head. He leans back, saying, “Same as always Reggie, same as always.”
White laughs, as he responds, “Yeah, I kind of thought that too.”
The hour passes by quickly. Reggie, now on the bridge, studies most of the recorded battle scenarios from the past thousand years. He focuses on any battle involving the Meli, and its ship. Finalizing his plan, he heads out to find Caleb, to review his strategy.
White asks Paladin, “Pal, Where’s Cale?”
Paladin responds, asking, “Engineering Commander. Do you need me to alert him of your need?”
White replies, “No Pal, I’ll head down there.”
White takes the lift down to engineering. The engine room is crowded and overrun with refugees. However, Caleb is easily seen, as he is once again downloading more information into Onatof mind. White curious as to what is going on stands in the back of the crowded engine room, quietly, he watches as Caleb places his hands on Onatof. Healing him with one hand, while he floods his mind with the other hand, more and more information Caleb pushes into Onatof’s frail mind. Finally, he stops.
Onatof lets out a huge breath, exhaling, as he is extremely disoriented. He comments aloud, “Cale my son, that’s the most you have given me in a single session. You must be desperate to indulge me with so much of this magnificent knowledge.”
Caleb, frowning says, “Doc, I wish I could go slower, but we don’t have a lot of time. I have given you as much information as I dare. In a few more hours I’ll try and download even more, but your mind needs to assimilate what it has already received.”
Caleb turns, and sees Reggie staring directly at him. White is obviously very concerned at what he has just witnessed. Caleb undaunted by Whites facial expression, asking, “Do you want to go over your plan Reggie?”
White still focused on what he has just seen asks, “Cale, what are you doing to the Professor?”
Caleb glares irritated at White. He asks again, “Do you want to go over your plan, or not?”
White, both annoyed and concerned with Caleb actions, thinks to himself for a moment, Cale is pushing everyone. I’ve never seen him so driven, so angry. Reggie says aloud, “Cale, I know you have a lot going on here, but you’re not alone. I may not be Jacks, but I hope I merit at least as a small blip on your friend radar.”
Caleb stops and exhales. He bites his bottom lip, as he turns away from White. Slowly he takes in a deep breath, and turns back to him, saying, “Reggie, I have always considered you a friend, but this is not the time or place to explain why, or what I’m doing. Now please, what is your plan?”
White shakes his head, stating, “Well, I have a quick question about this Meli thing Cale.” White pauses, and asks, “I’m trying to comprehend just how this Meli thing can find us so quickly? I guess I’m just not getting my head around all this psychic stuff.”
Caleb shakes his head, answering, “No real quick answers for that Reggie, but I’ll try. When Paladin or the Celesta put up their shields, it creates a blank space within the psychic plane. This stands out to the Meli, allowing it the ability to seek us out.”
White, somewhat understanding better, asks, “So the psionic bomb will make the entire sector unreadable to her.”
Caleb responds, “Mostly. However, if it can get close enough to us it could still track or attack us, and that’s why we have to disable that ship. We need to get us as far enough ahead of it as we can. At least until we reach that planet Noskcaj has hidden. Hopefully we won’t need to detonate the other one till after we leave the T-Challa home world.”
White thinks to himself, as the two continue walking through the crowded decks back to the bridge. Finally, as they reach the bridge, White tells Caleb about his plan, “Cale, I’ve been studying all the previous battle tactics with, or against the Meli and this modified super carrier of hers. This Meli often charges headlong into battle unsupported, and this ship possesses over five hundred Medium duty support fighters, and these fighters are a serious threat, but she rarely needs them. This Meli thing normally uses its psychic power against the opposing vessel's crew first. Making it a simple task for this super carrier to simply destroy, or incapacitate any opposing vessels. For that reason, as we are unable to be attacked in such a manner, we could be going into an unknown battle scenario for them. However, I have an idea, I want to use you as bait to distract the Meli, at least while me and Gabe try and destroy those engines.”
Caleb laughs, as he asks, “Reggie, I did just tell you I consider you a friend, right?
White smiles answering, “Well, we know by Rachel’s vision you will live till we get to this crystal planet. Moreover, I’m hoping all we need to do is extend the shields back over the ready room in case it gets too hairy in there for you. You see Cale, from what I’ve learned from this timeline is her crew is virtually untrained in any combat procedures, other than just basic tactics.”
Caleb eyes flare up, as he asks, “You’re assuming that Paladin will be able to update you on my condition while I’m getting my clocked clean in the psychic plane?”
White reluctantly responds, “Well, I guess we will need to test that.”
Caleb shakes his head, asking, “So basically your plan is for me to distract this Meli long enough for you to blast her engines apart.”
White laughs, saying, “Well, Cale, we all know you have that great ability to piss off almost anyone to the point of complete blind rage. I also know you do have some psychic powers, so I’m guessing that the Meli will just be beating the crap out of you the entire time. I just don’t want her to have too much fun.”
Caleb laughs, saying, “Ok Reggie, I get where this is going. I agree with most of your plan, but let’s see if Paladin can even maintain communication with you while I’m in the psychic plane, especially, if I’m getting my clocked cleaned.”
White laughs, saying, “I’ll man the shields while you head upstairs.”
Several minutes pass, as Caleb sits on the highest point in the ship, his private quarters. White sits down by weapons station, where the shields are controlled on the bridge. Paladin reports, “We are ready Commander White.”
Caleb’s quarters are located directly above the bridge, the highest point of the ship. White cautiously lowers the shield around his quarters, which exposes him to the Meli’s power.
The response is almost immediate as Caleb is engulfed by the psychic plane. The land itself comes alive, and reaches up to encase Caleb in a massive fist of energy that slowly begins squeezing him.
An image appears of Carla, standing directly in front of Caleb, as he is imprisoned before her. She speaks menacingly, “So you think you can try and talk to me, father.”
Caleb leers replying, “You are not my daughter. You are what the X’ena call a Meli.”
The Meli smiles, as it replies, “You are indeed a worthy advisory Caleb. Not even the X’ena with all their vaunted technology could have figured out what happened to the peaceful T-Challa, but you. You are indeed a formidable foe. Your daughter’s memories are part of me now, as well as all her power. Too bad you were unable to teach her how to fight.”
Paladin privately tells Caleb, “Cale I am able to maintain communication with the ship and crew, albeit extremely delayed.”
Caleb tells Paladin, “Ok, get me out of here now.”
The Meli aware of Caleb’s private conversation, but unable to hear it says, “Speaking with your symbiot father, I use to speak to mine, but I found it useless. I now just give it orders.”
Caleb feels the grip tighten around him, as the Meli squeezes tighter. He speaks, straining his words, “Well Meli, I will kill you, and end your reign of destruction once and for all.”
The Meli laughs, as it squeezes harder, saying, “Really Caleb, is that all the great and powerful Caleb Ocoda can say, empty threats.”
Finally, the shields surround Caleb, and he is freed from the grasp of the Meli.
Feeling exhausted, and s
ore, he coughs up blood, as the injuries he suffered within the plan are transferred to him. Fortunately, he is immediately healed by his symbiotic connection to the ship.
Caleb lets out a sigh of relief. He opens the com to White, who is still on the bridge, saying, “Well, it worked, but you could have put the shields up a little faster.”
Paladin tells Caleb telepathically, “Cale, he did as soon as you told him too. However, time moves completely different in the psychic plane than it does in reality.”
Caleb leans back in his seat, sighing. He says aloud, “Well, that’s gonna be a bitch to deal with.”
Paladin states privately, “Cale, she is aware that you can now escape her with the use of our shields. She could easily pose a much more difficult threat to White’s plan, if she were to act faster than we did, and she could definitely kill you.”
Caleb realizing the options available are limited says, Well, don’t tell Reggie about that, let’s just get this done.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
RUN SILENT RUN DEEP
The remaining hours pass quickly, as the Meli’s super carrier closes the distance. Paladin uncloaks, as Celesta stays off in the distant cloaked, waiting to strike.
White sits on the bridge, as tension is high on both ships. Many of the refugees are terrified. They are not warriors, just survivors. Many of whom now feel that may have only found their freedom to die the next day.
Caleb sits in his ready room, waiting for the shield to be lowered once again.
On board the Celesta, Benton asks Rooke, “Mikey, you think you can pop us behind her, and back us out, before she can react?”
Rooke confused by Benton’s slang asks, “Mikey?”
Cooley rolls her eyes, saying, “Don’t worry about it luv, he has nicknames for nicknames.”
Rooke shakes his head answering, “Yes sir, I can, as you say pop all around their ship.”
Benton smiling says, “Ok Beauty Queen, get me your lover boy on the horn pronto.”
Celesta annoyed by Gabe, responds, “Gabriel, if you don’t start acting like I raised you, I’m going to tell your friends just how you got your nickname Sunshine.”
Benton frowning grumbles, “Fine.”
White appears on the holocom, reporting, “Ok Gabe, I’ll open the first salvo, directly on her rear shield emitters. I’ll open up with everything I have. Hopefully, when you appear right after I fire, we can weaken the shields enough to take out one, if not both of her engines.”
Benton concerned asks, “Celesta, what is the armament of this super carrier?”
Celesta responds, “The ship is designated Ronin in my data files. It possesses two dozen heavy turrets on its top deck with four cannons each. That is ninety-six heavy plasma charges. The port and starboard sides are covered with fifty Medium turrets with three cannons each. The Ronin also possesses two flight decks directly under the main weapons deck, with the capabilities of manning over five hundred Medium duty fighters, which also have shift drives, and are extremely deadly.”
White hearing all this asks Paladin, “Just in case we are hit, how many can we survive?”
Paladin responds, “With the superior shields in place we could survive at best one, maybe two salvos. The Celesta could survive at least one, provided neither ship were hit by every single charge at once, also, it should be known, as Celesta did not mention. Ronin also has over two hundred torpedo launchers on each side, and well over a thousand light cannons.”
Celesta responds, “I didn’t forget to mention it sweetie, I chose not to add to the overwhelming feeling of hopelessness that Sunshine might feel.”
White, surprised at Celesta’s human response, and Gabe’s nickname asks, “Celesta, you can anticipate Gabe’s responses?”
Celesta responds, “Yes Commander, Paladin downloaded every bit of information he could find on me, and created this A.I. program. Although I may not be as sophisticated as Paladin, I am more human.”
White sneers, as he says, “Ok, Gabe, obviously we both know not to get caught by this ship's guns, so I’ll go first. You will follow at a one hundred and thirty degree offset from my last location, and Gabe, I know I shouldn’t have to say this, but absolutely no heroics.”
Benton, still feeling at ease with Celesta, beams, saying, “Don’t worry Flybo…”
Gabe is cut off by Celesta, who chastises him, saying, “Gabriel!”
Benton, now frowning, and grumbling, responds, “Yes, Commander.”
Uari studying the data feed reports, “We’ll be in Ronin’s firing range in just under a minute sir. We still have at least three minutes till we could fire. Well, that’s if we didn’t shift and fire, as we planned.”
White, focuses on the moment, saying, “Paladin, tell Caleb to get ready. Uari lower the psionic shield around Caleb’s quarters.”
Caleb is better prepared for this encounter. He feels himself being pulled into the psychic realm, and instantly uses what little psychic power he has to create a dozen duplicates of himself. Caleb, like most X’ena has some limited degree of psychic power, basic communication, and visual skills mostly, as well as, the ability to transfer knowledge. Figuring his chances are very slim at best to withstand an all-out attack. He chooses to avoid the Meli for as long as he can.
The Meli quickly appears. It is, however surprised as it sees dozens of Caleb duplicates. Laughing, the Meli asks, “Really father, is this the best you can do?”
Caleb responds, as all the duplicates do as well, “You have failed Meli. You never harnessed all of Carla’s power. I know what her true potential was, and you aren’t even close to that level. I know all your weaknesses, and I know how to exploit them. You feed off the pain and despair of others. You will find none of that within me.”
The Meli laughs, as it waves his hand. Easily destroying four of Caleb’s duplicates, saying, “Really father. I expected so much more from you.”
Back in the real world, Paladin announces, “Ronin is launching all its fighters.”
White looks to Uari ordering, “Start the attack now!”
Paladin shifts directly below Ronin, focusing all its weapons on a single shield emitter. Twelve large plasma cannons eight Medium cannons and sixty fully charged torpedoes launch against Ronin, and just as quickly, Paladin shifts out.
Ronin’s crew was taken by surprise. Her shields hold, but just barely. The attack was successfully completed with absolute pinpoint accuracy.
The Celesta instantaneously appears exactly two hundred meters from where Paladin just fired and repeats the exact same maneuver, targeting the same location. The result breaks through the shields destroying the shield emitter, and weakening all the aft shields.
Ronin quickly returns fires in what can best be described as a blinding flash of light.
Celesta shifts away, just as Paladin now fully recharged appears directly behind Ronin, firing all its weapons again. The attack weakens the aft shields even further. Paladin then quickly shifts away. The Medium support fighters now attempt to swarm to their location, and once again, the Celesta appears directly above the aft section of Ronin over one thousand yards from where Paladin was just positioned. Celesta fires all its weapons penetrating the shields and damaging the port side engine.
Several fighters are able to effectively strike Celesta, but fail to penetrate its shields. Celesta doesn’t wait long enough to allow them to attack, as they hastily shift out.
Paladin once more reappears, focusing on that same port engine. It fires all its weapons, effectively crippling the portside engine. However, this time Ronin and her support fighters are able to make multiple strikes against Paladin’s shields.
Paladin announces, “Shields are down to twenty percent.”
White yells, “Shift us out of here now!”
Uari shifts them out, with just a split second before the second volley would have struck.
Benton now raises Celesta’s superior shielding in null space. He readies the newly designed special depth char
ges, as well as every torpedo he has, for an all-out attack.
Ronin is now wildly firing all her guns in every direction, as they desperately try to anticipate the next shift point.
The Celesta instantly shifts in firing all its weapons at once directly at the portside engine. Celesta unfortunately is also struck by multiple volleys. Thankfully, Celesta’s attack does more damage to the already disabled engine. Nonetheless, Ronin’s counter attack is considerable. Celesta is struck by over hundred plasma charges from Ronin and the support fighters. The shields hold, but just barely.
Celesta reports, “Our shields are holding at eleven percent.”
Benton impressed yells, “Rooke, shift us out now!”
Rooke is shocked. He quickly realizes they can’t shift. He yells, “I can’t! The shift drive is offline!”
Celesta quickly responds, “We have intruders in the engine room.”
Rooke jumps up, he grabs a shift cloak next to his station. He yells, “Colonel, take the controls! I’ll get it back online now!” Rooke has years of training in combat procedures and is able to handle the most complex maneuvers with the greatest of ease. He quickly shifts down to the engine room, as Gabriel jumps over to helm controls and pushes the engines to full speed, as he tries desperately to escape.
Ronin and her fighters quickly realize that the Celesta is not shifting away. They instantly lock all weapons on it, preparing to destroy it. They fire a full volley towards the Celesta. Hundreds of torpedoes and plasma charges streak towards the Celesta. Benton, also realizing he may not be able to escape, decides to re-engage the standard shields, which immediately causes a powerful feedback in the power core. This overpowers Celesta’s weapons, releasing a powerful counter attack against Ronin’s fighters and incoming volley.
Paladin, immediately detects Celesta has not shifted back. Activating its superior shielding within null space, they quickly appear in-between the Celesta and the incoming volley, blocking the brunt of the attack.
White yells over the holocom, “Gabe, get out of here now!”
The Celesta enters hyperspace, and jumps half a light year away.
The Ocoda Chronicles Book 4 Present Future Past Page 10
