The Ocoda Chronicles Book 2 Lost Heroes

by Daniel OConnell

  Two hours later, Carla is walking through the Yorktown, with Mohammed directly behind her as she sees Raphael standing near the hangar lift. She stops and looks at him. He turns slowly to see her and his eye’s go wide. He immediately looks up to Mohammed and says, "You don’t know the evil that lives inside that child you protect."

  Mohammed disgusted at Raphael’s comment replies, "Evil lives in every man, and it’s out of faith that protects us from losing ourselves to that evil. Your fear of this Little Flower is misplaced. She is not this devil your people predict, and her father would have made sure that whatever caused that alternate future will never come to pass."

  Raphael still gazing cautiously at Carla says, "I hope you are right giant, but I still fear the coming future with her in it."

  Tess appears from the lift, hearing that last statement from her brother, she yells, "Raphael! Keep your moronic fears to yourself. Caleb left us a mission to ensure that she doesn’t fall to the evil of the future, and we are doing just that. All you’re doing is keeping that fear alive like an extremist."

  Raphael lowers his head and says, "You’re right sister, I should know better, but when she put you to sleep..."

  Carla finally speaks, "Papa left something for me didn’t he, and your people have it."

  Tess shocked asks, "How would you know that Carla? You shouldn’t be able to read our thoughts?"

  Mohammed very curious asks, "Why can’t she read your thoughts?"

  Tess answers, "We have a device that scatters her ability to look into our minds. However it seems that being so close to her, weakens it."

  Carla says, "It’s hard to hear their thoughts uncle, but he was thinking about it so loudly. It’s called the Flower Stone."

  Tess looks at Raphael in disgust and yells, "Go back to the ship now!"

  Mohammed sternly asks, "Where is this stone? Why did you try and hide it?"

  Tess leans against the gangway and sighs. She reluctantly responds, "The stone is protected by the people on the moon of the First Ones. They are the most difficult of all my people to deal with."

  Mohammed concerned asks, "So far I have heard nothing good from you about your people, are they all so difficult?"

  Tess answers, "No, my people, the Bentonians, the Valens as well as the Uari all believe in the teachings left behind by Paladin and Caleb, unfortunately, the Rookes, the Tof, and maybe the First Ones. They all believe that we should stay out of this, and of course they are the most populated moons of our people."

  Mohammed confused asks, "The Tof as in Onatof and the Bentonians as in Gabriel Benton?"

  Tess replies, "Yes, Caleb named each world after the people of his crew. Some of the names have changed, as time went on. The Tof and the Rooke’s are the most xenophobic of all the sects. Those two worlds have a strict belief that Carla is the devil incarnate, and that she should be killed. Regrettably, no one really knows what the people of the First Ones want, they don't even associate with the rest of us."

  Carla hearing all this begins to cry, "I’m not a bad girl." She cries as she drops to her knees. Mohammed picks her up quickly, consoling her.

  Tess surprised says, "I’m sorry Carla, you’re not a bad girl."

  Mohammed says, "I think we should sit down and discuss your people more, at a better time."

  Tess shakes her head, saying, "I agree."

  Mohammed walks away, as Tess turns back to her ship seeing Raphael standing against the entryway she says, "Brother, you must be careful of your thoughts. That child could alert the others to just what our ultimate goals are."

  Raphael disgusted says, "Sister, what the council is doing is wrong, and you know it. We should be allying ourselves with these people as Caleb had intended. Not planning to steal from them."

  Tess lowers her head and says, "I lost my appeal in council little brother, so if our people want to challenge the prime laws left by Caleb, we will let them see the results for themselves. I just hope we don’t all get killed in the process."

  Raphael asks, "What of the Tof sect that captured Emily and Domingo, do we have any word on them?"

  Tess sighs replying, "No, our people have confirmed they never returned to our system. Where ever they have gone to, it is well beyond our ability to find them for now."

  Seventeen hours later, Chan finally contacts Jackson in a private meeting. He asks, "Son, I asked you to send the child and my daughter home before the battle, why if you knew the possible outcome, did you let them stay?"

  Jackson sighs replying, "Well, I’m sorry sir. I had them on the transport to leave, but well…."

  Chan shakes head smiling, "I know all too well how my daughter gets what she wants, but son you have to be more cautious, more so than ever before."

  Jackson frustrated asks, "Do I have permission to attack the base?"

  Chan reluctantly replies, "Yes my son. However, you should know that the revelation of another culture of humans, well it has had very deep and monumental repercussions amongst the rest of the League of Nations here on Earth. I have no idea what to expect from most of the council. Some are simply terrified at this news."

  Jackson replies, "Well, we have a lot more information on them, and it’s not good. They seem to be a very fragmented people, far more so than we originally believed, and some of them want Carla."

  Chan very concerned asks, "They know of her powers?"

  Jackson sits back taking a deep breath and says, "Yes, they do. It seems in the alternate future, she was forced to fight the T-Challa Queen much too early in her development. I don’t have all the details of that encounter, but it’s said she won, destroying the T-Challa Queen, but it changed her. She became a sadistic psychopathic killer."

  Chan concerned asks, "This is not good. I have been able to hide the fact of her abilities from the others, but they will have to be told of it now."

  Jackson also adds, "Well, we have another serious issue.” Jackson takes a deep breath then begins, "Caleb downloaded a massive amount of X'ena knowledge into Val’s head, and he’s been able to create all sorts of things right and left. The latest are these repair bots. They have single handedly repaired virtually every system on the ship in just under a single day, and what’s scary about them. Is that they are able to build more of themselves. We have hundreds of them rebuilding everything."

  Chan curious asks, "If Caleb had all this knowledge, why did he not create these things?"

  Jackson answers, "Caleb is a warrior not a scientist like Val. My guess is he knew about it, but didn’t know how to apply it, or he felt that we may abuse it."

  Chan says, "Regardless of that, Val and his niece are very important, and both must be returned to Earth at once."

  Jackson says, "Well, I have more…"

  Jackson is interrupted as he begins to reply by Mulvey. He barges into his room, "Sir! Come quickly!"

  Jackson jumps up from his desk leaving the holocom channel open. He rushes behind Mulvey, as he enters the bridge to see six very large Paladin class Battleships.

  The com officer says, "We have an incoming transmission."

  Suddenly, in the center of the bridge, a hologram appears of a very large man, he introduces himself, "I am Gaul, leader of the Paladonian Moon known as Bentonia, and I request you release Tess and her brother to me now, as well as the child Carla."

  Jackson thinks. Bentonia, gotta be Gabriel’s brood, this should be very interesting, a civilization based on marine ethics. Jackson smiles and asks, "Does kiss my ass have the same meaning to you as it does to me?"

  Gaul glares angrily at Jackson, and begins to laugh.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  GAUL

  "Well Jackson, you live up to your reputation.” Gaul bellows, "But you have little choice, as you may only see six ships, Tess will tell you, I have fifty more around you."

  Jackson laughs, "So shoot, you big blow hard. Your threat is as empty as your head, but you should know, I can shut all your ships down and leave you out here to rot if I so choose.
While all you can do is lob weak and very empty threats."

  Gaul looks confused and says, "So you know we can’t shoot at each other, but the child is much too young to access the power to shut us down.”

  Jackson calls out to Val, "Val can you access the Paladonian ships systems."

  Val, once again unemotionally replies, "Yes General."

  Jackson says, "Uncloak all their ships now."

  Gaul laughs, "You cannot do that, our systems are much more advanced than yours."

  Jackson says, "Target all guns on Gaul’s ship, and aim for the bridge."

  Gaul laughingly responds, "Well, you know we can’t shoot at each other, so your threats are just as empty….."

  Gaul stops his boasting as all fifty of his ships appear from behind their cloaks. Val sends up a private message to Jackson, "General, their systems are so far advanced it’s difficult to keep up with their security protocols, even with the knowledge Caleb gave me. I doubt I could shut their power cores down, and I’m sure they will be able to stop me from accessing their systems in the future."

  Jackson asks privately, "Can we fire on them?"

  Val coldly replies, "Yes, I can override the block on this ship alone, but I will need Carla to do it."

  Jackson hastily says, "Go ahead, and do it."

  Jackson addresses Gaul, saying, "Ok Gaul, we have established just who is in charge here. So let’s set a more proper tone for discussion. Come over to my ship and let’s start with some proper diplomacy."

  Tess finally arrives on the bridge seeing Gaul, she yells out in anger, "Gaul! You big dumb idiot. Now you show up, after all the real work is over."

  Gaul annoyed says, "Hello sister, are you well?"

  Jackson confused asks, "Gaul’s your brother?"

  Tess reluctantly replies, "Yes, he is my half-brother, it is a very long story Jacks."

  Tess turns to Gaul yelling, "You and your people boast and parade your forces around like you’re the masters of the Paladonian’s. Yet when it became time to act, you stayed behind, and did nothing and now that the real battle is over you come here boasting as usual. To me brother you are a useless coward, as are your people."

  Gaul enraged yells back, "You little bitch, talk to me like that and I will take you across my knee, and show you who is a coward."

  Jackson sits back, as he usually does, and lets the action unfold for a few minutes. Then after a few more minutes, the insults stop being amusing, and he finally interrupts, saying, "If we can reschedule this lovely family reunion for a later time, I’d much prefer we take this in private in my ready room. Unless airing family disputes is a normal Paladonian custom."

  Gaul even more annoyed says, "I prefer we talk here on my bridge."

  Jackson smiles as he receives an all set signal from Val. He looks up smiling and says, "Gunnery officer fire a warning salvo on Gaul’s Flagship.

  The Yorktown fires thirty-six heavy plasma charges within a few meters of Gaul’s bridge some grazing his shields.

  Gaul shocked yells, "You dare to fire on my ship!"

  Jackson asks again, "You coming over here, or do I put the next salvo right into your ships?"

  Gaul stunned says, "I’ll be over Jackson."

  Jackson returns to his quarters with Tess, where he sees Chan, who has been patiently waiting, and asks, "Son? I heard weapons fire, is everything Ok?"

  Jackson surprised that Chan has waited so long replies, "Uhmm, I was just involved in some aggressive negotiations with some of the Paladonian’s."

  Chan surprised asks, "You didn’t just fire on them?"

  Jackson uncomfortably replies, "Sorry sir, have to go. Further negotiations are needed." Oh boy, this isn't going to look good with leaders back home.

  With that, Jackson ends the transmission. Jackson turns to Tess, saying, "I don’t need a family tree to tell he’s related to Gabriel, but how is he related to you?"

  Tess very frustrated replies, "He is Gabriel Benton’s great grandson many times removed. A long time ago, my great grandmother and his great grandfather had a relationship before. She left him, to marry my great grandfather. You see Jacks, at one time, we tried to unite the different sects, but it failed miserably. Bentonians are so bull headed, and arrogant."

  Jackson smugly replies, "Of course, while your people are so much easier to deal with than theirs, right?"

  Tess glares in contempt at Jackson.

  Jackson sits back in his seat smiling. She’s still hiding something. If I didn’t need their help, I’d kick all to the curb. I just wished I could trust them

  Several minutes later, a support fighter with a transport pod arrives and lands on the Yorktown's flight deck. The pod doors open slowly, as they are greeted by Mohammed accompanied only by Carla, who surprises Gaul, as she says, "He’s got a lot of men in the ship with him uncle, and they’re hiding."

  Mohammed smiles, and approaches Gaul, saying, "So you are the decedent of my friend Gabriel, and you come into my home like this."

  Gaul raises his hand and says, "I know all about you Mohammed Shi Reis. The stories of you are legendary on my world. Just give me your word of my safe travel on and off this ship, and at my request, and I will leave my men here."

  Mohammed smiles replies, "You have it."

  Gaul looks at the back of his transport pod and twenty armed guards all appear from behind their PCD cloaking fields.

  Gaul stares down at Carla, asking, "I have one more request. The child must not enter my mind."

  Mohammed smiles at Gaul and looks to Carla, saying, "Little Flower, will you promise your uncle to stay out of this man’s head?"

  Carla replies, "Yes uncle. I won’t look in his head, unless you or Papa Jacks tells me too."

  Gaul looks at Carla saying to Mohammed, "You know not what you guard my friend. The future with her in it is a grim and dark place."

  Mohammed, annoyed by the constant comments of Carla’s dark future replies, "Then your faith in what Caleb did to change that future is in doubt? I have however learned that her father is a man that does not fail in any tasks he undertakes. I see that in the centuries that he has left you and your people that you have forgotten his resolve, his perseverance, and his trust in humanity. I hope you had the chance to see the man that sacrificed his life, to ensure not only our people, but yours as well."

  Gaul smiles and says, "On my world we have a saying that dates back to your friend and my decadent Gabriel Benton, and it is a blessing by my people. It goes like this, ‘Faith like Mohammed’.”

  Carla tugs at Gaul’s coat and asks, "Do you know where my Uncle Gabriel is?"

  Gaul caught off guard and surprised at Carla’s question replies, "We don’t know where he is? Your father and he left over a thousand years ago."

  Mohammed confused asks, "I thought your people date back two thousand years? How is it that Gabriel would still be alive, a thousand years after?"

  Gaul reluctant, as if he is trying to think of a story’s answers, "We don’t really know all the details. There are many different theories. Caleb may have had a way to extend his life. Maybe he was put in suspended animation. There are far too many theories on the subject to speculate about as to how he lived so long."

  Mohammed suspicious asks, "If you share his blood, then why is it that you did not come to help in our recent battle? My brother Gabriel lived every moment for a fight. Did not that heritage pass on to you?"

  Gaul lowers his head and said, "I wish it was that easy to answer Mohammed but we have rules placed on us by Benton himself when we could interfere in human affairs, and although I may share in his lust for a good fight, and I may lead my people. I unfortunately have others that I need to answer too, and they do not share in my blood lust."

  The two men enter Jackson’s ready room, followed closely by Carla.

  Jackson stands and approaches Gaul, asking, "I can tell you’re a man from Gabriel’s lineage, but do you carry his legacy with the honor and pride that I would expect from his bloodline?"


  Gaul frustrated sits down and says, "Let’s get this over with. I’m not here to discuss my heritage any further."

  Jackson annoyed replies, "Fine Gaul. What is it you want?"

  Gaul answers, "We will help your assaults on the T-Challa base, and we will put our military might under your command, but we have demands."

  Tess interrupts, "Save it Gaul, he won’t release her under any circumstances to you, or me."

  Gaul smiles and says, "I know it’s not his decision to make alone. He like us has others he must answer too. He will speak to his leaders, and they will waste more time deciding on what to do."

  Jackson smiles and says, "What history do you have on me Gaul, it should tell you that I don’t always follow the orders that I’m given. So, you can give up that path of thinking right here and now, and get on with this or leave."

  Gaul sighs and says looking at Tess, "This would be so much easier if the First Ones would release all the artifacts."

  Tess replies, "They spent hundreds of years stealing them from all of us. Only the Tof still hold onto a few of them, and they have the Flowers mother too."

  Carla comes alive with emotion, as her eyes start to glow and energy ripples around her as she starts screaming, "Momma! You have momma!"

  Tess, shocked at the child’s screams, jumps up moving away as Carla charge toward her, saying, "No! I don’t have her. The others have her."

  Jackson noticing the fear the Paladonian’s all have around Carla thinks. This is a bargaining chip beyond any measure, and one that I’m going to fully exploit.

  Jackson looks up at Mohammed and says, "Take Carla to my wife, please."

  Carla protests pleading, "Papa Jacks, what about my mama."

  Jackson says to Carla, "You know Papa Jacks will find a way to get her home."

  Mohammed picks up Carla, and carries her out of Jackson’s ready room.

  Jackson disgusted by the Paladonian’s actions states, "Your people are frightened of her. I doubt anyone on your world could guarantee her safety, so the answer will be no for as long as I live and breathe, and as for your help in the upcoming conflict, you will help Gaul, and do you know why Gaul?"