Onatof who is in the engine rooms calls out to Paladin, asking, “Paladin, what is going on?”
Paladin aware of the danger responds, “Professor, do what you can to contain the energy build up. Caleb is attempting to stop the Halimag.”
Caleb feels the energy reach its limit within him, as he can no longer hold in anymore. Finally, he stands up and the Halimag that had speared him turns to dust.
Benton is glowing blue, as his body is overwhelmed with life energy. He looks in total disbelief at Caleb, asking, “What the hell did you do this time?”
Paladin answers, “Caleb has destroyed the Halimag by absorbing its life energy. To the best of my ability there are no more Halimag left alive.”
Benton looks at the ship. He is stunned at seeing it all repaired. He then notices that both are glowing blue. He asks, “Uhmm, why the hell am I glowing?”
Paladin responds, “Caleb was attempting to save you as he was attacked. He had no choice but to absorb the Halimag life force as he was saving your life. He directs the Halimag’s life energy through you, and into the ship. The effect of so much life energy has had an unexpected effect on you both, possibly extending both your lives considerably.”
Benton’s eyes go wide, as he is even more confused. He asks, “What? What do you mean extended my life? What happened to all the other Halimag?
Caleb finally speaks, “Gabe, I’m sorry, but you’re going to live for a very long time. I couldn’t stop once I saw how vile this Halimag was.”
Paladin explains in detail, “The Halimag you saw invade Paladin were just a separate part of a single being. Caleb was psychically connected to them all as he began to absorb its life force. This Halimag being was as evil and vile as any we have ever encountered. Cale was left no choice. He was the only being that could ever have had any hope to kill it.”
Benton looks at his hands, as he sees the blood all over him. His wounds are completely healed, but his uniform is ripped apart. He looks up, saying, “So I’m going to live as long as you?”
Paladin responds, “At present, it would appear that you will live over five to seven hundred years, while Caleb may live an additional eight hundred years. However, it is really impossible to tell how the energy will be able to work on your frail human bodies.”
Caleb takes a deep breath, saying, “Next time I tell you to wait for me. Wait for me.”
Paladin reports, “Cale, we will need to shift now to expunge this excess energy. However, with our current energy levels we will reach the T-Challa home world directly after this shift.”
Caleb looks to Benton, saying, “Ok, let’s get back to the bridge.”
CHAPTER TEN
TOTH
Paladin shifts more than three times further than it has ever shifted before, arriving in just a single shift in high orbit over the T-Challa home world”
Uari checks his data and is amazed at the distance traveled announcing, “Shift completed. We are in orbit.”
Caleb looks down at the desolate world. At one time Caleb had the power, and the ability to destroy this world. Jackson, however, convinced him not too, now as he stands on the bridge and looks down at the planet below. He recalls all that he had to do to get to this point, and can only wonder, what would have happened had he taken the fight to their world when he first wanted too?
Benton looks over the scans, surprised at the desolation he says, “That world looks pretty beat.”
Paladin reports, “The Halimag have scavenged much from this world. However, I am only picking up a single life form in what appears to be a massive disabled ship on the surface. It appears to be T-Challa.”
Caleb snaps back to reality as he is surprised by Paladin’s discovery, and asks, “Pal, are you sure it’s a T-Challa?
Paladin responds, “Cale, I have rechecked my data several times, it most certainly a T-Challa, and it is alive. It would appear to be inside this vessel. Which, according to records from Noskcaj database, was called the W-Lostaff. It was at one time the flagship of the T-Challa Empire. Our data shows it was heavily damaged by your daughter thousands of years ago, and crashed onto the planet’s surface. It appears to have been reconstructed into a makeshift base. This base currently has an active force field of immense power, which appears to be similar to the shield used by the X’ena to protect the planet, drawing its power directly off the planets core.”
Caleb more curious states, “That ship is a complete wreck. I’m amazed that it is still functioning at all. Hell, I’m still in shock that there is an actual T-Challa still alive. One of the survivors told me there was, but I didn’t really believe him. The Queen has been dead for almost three thousand years and the life expectancy of a T-Challa is what? Two hundred years?”
Uari reports, “Admiral, we know the T-Challa had been exceptionally gifted in the art of cloning. This T-Challa must have been cloned for thousands of years. The cellular breakdown would be immense. It would really be hard to call this creature a T-Challa.”
Paladin reports, “Cale, I am detecting multiple weapons locks, although the technology of this threat is old, it could still be considered a significant. We however, can easily outmaneuver any risk with very little effort.”
Caleb asks, “Can we make contact with whatever is down there?”
A crewmember in charge of communications responds, “Sir, I was just attempting to make contact, but it appears that we are being hailed.”
Caleb looks over to Benton, who shrugs his shoulders. Cale looks to the communication officer and says, “Put it through.”
A holoimage appears of a very deformed looking T-Challa. It speaks, as Paladin instantly converts the language, “That did not take long. The Halimag disappear, and our old foe returns to claim their right of vengeance. I am the last guardian of my people, I am called Toth, and you will find your hope of an easy victory short lived. I currently have all my weapons pointed at your vessel. Leave now and I may spare your lives.”
Caleb’s eyes go wide, as the name stirs up a very strong memory. Caleb stands in direct sight of the holoimage allowing the T-Challa to see him clearly. The creature is very deformed. It only has two arms instead of the standard four that T-Challa normally have. Its body shows signs of severe mutations. The creature stares menacingly at Caleb.
Caleb speaks, “The T-Challa named Toth was once the largest and strongest of its entire race. Not this abomination I see before me.”
Toth continues to study Caleb, as it looks long and hard at Caleb. After a minute Toth speaks, “I remember you. The hybrid I did battle with so many eons ago. It was your offspring, which killed my Queen. Now I am all that’s left.”
Caleb shakes his head, asking, “Why are you alive? The Halimag have scavenged your world for thousands of years. You must have cloned yourself dozens of times to become so deformed, and for what.
Toth makes a low guttural laugh, as it responds, “I am the protector of my people’s legacy.”
Caleb curious, asks, “Legacy? What do you mean legacy Toth?”
Toth snorts responding, “Why should I talk to you hybrid? You are responsible for the destruction of everything. You are my enemy.”
Caleb curious of Toth’s reasoning, replies, “Toth your world is dead. Your people are gone. You have imprisoned yourself in a dead ship, on a dead world, and you stand before me and claim that you are protector of some legacy, but all I see is a dying warrior with no purpose other than to die without honor.”
Toth growls, it stares patiently into Caleb eyes. After a few minutes Toth finally speaks, “I can destroy your vessel if I so choose. I could destroy you hybrid, but I agree with you, I am doomed here. I can no longer clone myself, and my life is quickly coming to an end. You once fought me honorably in combat. To me that has weight.”
Caleb smiles and asks, “Toth, we both know you can’t destroy my ship. I am not just going to sit here and let you shoot at me, so I’ll ask one more time. Do you want my help, Toth?”
Toth takes in a
deep breath, coughing out blood, as he exhales. He replies, asking, “Did you come here to kill me hybrid?”
Caleb, witnessing his enemy suffer so, no longer has the hatred it once had for these wretched beings. He no longer wants his vengeance against them. He just wants this to end. He replies, “No Toth, I was unaware that any of your people still existed.”
Toth annoyed, and now curious for Caleb’s visit, asks, “Why did you come to my world hybrid?”
Caleb, with no reason to hide the truth responds, “I came here in hopes of accessing one of your old ships navigation systems. To access a code that would allow me to return home.”
Toth grumbles, as he replies, “The Halimag are gone hybrid and with them virtually every piece of my people’s technology. All that is left is this base, and that which I protect, my people’s legacy.”
Caleb smiles, stating, “The Halimag are not just gone, I destroyed them all Toth. I exterminated them, your legacy is safe.”
Toth stares ominously at Caleb finally, saying, “I was chosen to protect the pure and untainted strain of my Queens D.N.A.. My races last hope, our legacy, but my world as you have seen is dead. The field that protects this ship cannot be lowered without possibly destroying my world. My people are doomed. I had hoped you might give me an honorable death in combat.”
Benton, unconcerned with this monster’s wishes says, “Boo freaking hoo. Your people killed over a hundred million of our people. Where I’m from we call this poetic justice.”
Toth growls, saying, “You are a warrior, I like warriors. I was once like you. Long have I wished I could die in honorable combat, but now, now, I am all that is left, your poetic justice as you call it, has it brought you the fruit you wished?”
Caleb realizing his only hope of accessing the gateway lies with Toth. Caleb says, “Toth, I am willing to make a deal with you if you will listen.”
Toth curious, asks, “What is your deal hybrid?”
Caleb takes a deep breath, and says, “Give me the D.N.A. of your Queen. I will allow it to be reborn and protected. I will allow your people to be reborn anew.”
Benton hearing this yells out, “No freaking way Cale, those things are as vicious as anything in the galaxy!”
Caleb looks to Benton, saying, “The T-Challa were not always evil Gabe. They were corrupted, just as Carla was by this Meli. That D.N.A. from the Queen is untainted by the Meli. It could be a valuable ally back in our time.”
Toth, untrusting of Caleb’s offer grumbles, “Why should I believe you would help me. The fat human wants us all dead.”
Benton angry, yells, “Fat! You stinking mutated poor excuse for a lizard. Just who are you calling fat.”
Caleb puts his hand on Gabe and says to Toth, “I will come down and prove it to you Toth.”
Toth, intrigued by Caleb’s offer replies, “There is no way for you to enter, I cannot shut down the shield. Not without possibly destroying the planet.”
Caleb telepathically asks Paladin, “Pal, I’m assuming the technology they are using is based on the same tech the X’ena used to protect their planet.”
Paladin replies, “Correct Cale, I have determined that we could disrupt the shield temporarily as Enoch had done to allow me to escape X’enablanca. However, it may only work one time, thus trapping you inside with Toth.”
Caleb smiles, saying, “I’ll be down in a moment Toth. I’ll prove to you I am a man of my word.”
The holoimage is terminated, as Benton yells angrily, “Cale, what the hell are you doing! You just wiped out two entire species, and now you’re trying to save one of the worst!”
Caleb sighs, saying, “Mister Uari, please take us down and place us directly next to their shield.”
Uari shakes his head understanding Caleb’s orders. He quickly lowers Paladin through the atmosphere, and directly next to the ominous structure. The shield is massive and the ground around it is barren and lifeless from constant bombardment. Paladin currently hovers directly next to the shield.
Caleb walks down to the airlock putting on a phase shift cloak. Benton follows him down chastising him the entire way, “Are completely insane Cale? That thing is Toth, that thing in their wanted to where your head as a crown. Do you really think he’s a forgive, and forget kind of lizard?”
Caleb laughs, saying, “Gabe, we have no choice. We need that code to open the gateway, and once I get it we can go home. Besides, the T-Challa are victims, just as we all were. Trust me old friend. I know what I’m doing.”
Paladin announces, “Caleb, I have been able to find a frequency that will allow for a split second disruption in the shield. You will need to shift the moment I tell you. However, I don’t know if it will work a second time.”
Caleb says, “Better get Onatof up here, and get him working on a backup plan just in case.”
Benton angry grumbles, “Cale, this is just getting worse and worse.”
Caleb laughs, saying, “You’re in charge Gabe.”
Benton annoyed yells, “Of what? A freaking giant paperweight, this ship does absolutely nothing but just float around cloaked till you come back!” Benton adds, asking, “Do you even know how to use that phase shift cloak?”
Caleb smirks, as he stares at Benton. He puts his hand on his shoulder, saying, “Gabe, we both know what has to be done, and I’m the only one to get it done.”
Caleb readies the phase shifter. He waits for Paladin signal, and without hesitation, Caleb shifts through the disruption, and arrives on the W-Lostaff.
Caleb’s unique physiology makes him able to withstand the harsh environment of null space. He instantly travels through the void and appears in the T-Challa base. The air is most foul, almost toxic. Caleb feels a slime on the deck plating, which seems to cover the entire base. He begins to walk around, as he hears a roar from far above.
Paladin speaks to Caleb telepathically, “Cale, the field has sealed behind us, and now that we are on the base I can feel the energy is reaching a critical mass. I believe that Toth may be planning on something far more sinister than just a friendly meeting.”
Caleb replies, “I know Pal, I have already considered that he would try and take advantage of the ships weakness without me on it.”
Paladin states, “Cale, our shields are now down, but thankfully we are cloaked. The ship may be able to hide temporarily, but should Toth successfully locate it, and opens fire on us, our ship will be destroyed.”
Caleb begins walking towards the noise he heard when he entered. After several minutes, he reaches the control center, where he sees the deformed cloned body of his old nemesis, Toth.
Toth seeing Caleb makes a guttural laugh, saying, “You are a fool hybrid. We have all the knowledge of your abilities. Your ship is defenseless without you on it, when I finally lock onto it, I will destroy it, and I will finish you.”
Caleb unconcerned responds, “Ya, well Toth if you kill me and destroy my ship. Well, your people will die too, so you’ll be committing a very slow suicide, and I doubt that’s an honorable way to die.”
Toth continues to search for the ship as Caleb approaches him. Toth, seeing Caleb come closer raises his weaponized arm yelling, “Stay still hybrid!”
Caleb now annoyed reacts with blinding speed, jumping over the control panels and knocking the deformed Toth over. Caleb immediately makes contact with the mutated Toth and instantly passes his plan telepathically to Toth.
Toth, much like all T-Challa is telepathic to a slight degree. Hence, the information is instantly transferred. Telepathic communication is understood at an extremely accelerated rate. What would take hours to understand, takes mere moments.
Toth angrily pushes Caleb off of him. He quickly stands. Once again pointing his weapon at Caleb, who does nothing, but stand directly unflinching in front of Toth.
Caleb, unconcerned at Toth’s visible rage says, “I will not move Toth. You can kill me, as I stand right here. You know my plan to return to the past. You know that your people, and even you
r creation, were all the cause of this Meli. Your rage, your violent nature, is all it’s doing. Kill me, and it wins. Your race dies. My race dies. Everything that has come to pass will remain the same. However, if you give me what I need you have a chance to die in honorable combat, a chance to save your Queen and your people. You know my intentions are true. Kill me, if you prefer this slow, meaningless death.”
Toth growls, as he points his weapon directly at Caleb’s head. Enraged, he pulls his arm upward, firing it directly at the ceiling.
After a few minutes Toth finally says, “I will give you what you want hybrid, but I want your word that if you succeed, I will die in combat in the past.”
Caleb smirks, saying, “Toth, if I can do so, I will do so with my own two hands, if possible.”
Toth goes to the control panel before him, as he pulls out a data crystal tossing it to Caleb, saying, “The information you need is here, but you should be warned the other gateway is nearing the event horizon of the black hole, if it has not already passed. You will need to move swiftly.”
Caleb looks up at the view screen, as Paladin studies the last two gates locations. Paladin says to Caleb, “Toth is correct Cale. The T-Challa gateway trapped in the black hole's event horizon has reached its terminal orbit, although time moves at such an extreme slow rate. The gateway may have already passed beyond our ability to use it.”
Caleb says to Toth, “Now give me the Queen’s D.N.A., and shut down the shield.”
Toth looks puzzled at Caleb responding, “If I attempt to shut down the shield the planet will be destroyed, along with me as well.”
Caleb puts his hand out, saying, “Give me the Queens D.N.A., and shut down the shield.” Caleb gives pause, as he stares directly at Toth’s multiple eyes, saying, “Die like a warrior.”
Toth makes what could be considered a smile, as he roars out a guttural sound. Toth moves to a secondary control panel. He activates it, which opens the deck plating, as a small cylinder floats upward. Toth says, “Hybrid, you are the enemy of my people, but I know you will keep your word. I will now shut down the shield. However, you will only have a few moments before the feedback will destroy this base. A few minutes more, the rest of the planet will explode.”
The Ocoda Chronicles Book 4 Present Future Past Page 15
