Mohammed replies, asking, "You should know my friend, I know you have been lying to us for some time, and I know it is bothering you deeply. Would you care to tell me the truth?"
Raphael sighs and says, "Yes, I want to tell you the truth, but I can’t."
Mohammed smiles, stating, "You have lied about the Flower Stone, and the First Ones. You have also lied about why your sister has lived so long, and you have lied about your people’s commitment to our mission and us. Does that help you with your conscious?"
Raphael amazed asks, "How do you know this? You can’t read minds?"
Mohammed smiling whispers his reply, "No, I read hearts, and you are a very honorable man, but burdened by something beyond your ability to control."
Raphael feeling troubled says, "I wish I could tell you, but I can’t."
Back on the Yinglong, Captain Sum asks, "Any word if they succeeded yet Mr. Arao?"
Val replies, "My drones detected that they passed through the shield exactly eight minutes ago. However, the shield disruption was detected, and I had to relocate the drones. Currently, the T-Challa are investigating the shield disruption."
Tess agitated asks, "What are your drones doing?"
Val responds coldly, "Unknown, I had to shutdown all but the most necessary systems, at least until after the T-Challa have completed their investigation."
Sum confused asks, "What if they signal you to escape, how long will it take?"
Val replies, "Provided that the shield modulation hasn't changed only a few seconds, but if the T-Challa changed its modulation, it can take several minutes."
Tess surprised asks, "Wasn't the plan to wait till the last possible moment before signaling you for escape?"
Val looks up briefly, and goes back to his computer panel.
Tess storms from the bridge, and races down to Cavalier.
Back on the Yorktown, Kitanna looks over to Captain Mulvey, saying, "Captain, sir, I'm picking up several energy blips approaching from the rear of the fleet."
Mulvey sits down in his chair and says, "Get me that big Paladonian on the holocom now, the one called Gaul.” Mulvey annoyed continues, “We have had over one hundred Paladonian ships arrive in the past few hours, it must be more of their people."
A moment transpires as an Image of Gaul appears on the bridge, asking, "What is it Captain?"
Mulvey replies, "The energy blips we are picking up behind us, could they be the rest of the Paladonian fleet?"
Gaul looks over his shoulder, as if he's getting information from one of his crew. He turns back to Mulvey, saying, "Negative Captain, Paladonian ships can hide from Earth ships, but not from each other. Those are not Paladonian ships. In fact, Captain, only the Whitefeather fleet is still missing and it has not responded to any hails for the past day. These energy blips you are getting can only be one thing."
Mulvey shocked jumps from his seat yelling, "General quarters!"
Klaxon alarms go off throughout the ship, as the ships personal run from one side of the ship to the next. The fleet disperses as far apart as possible, as the fighter wings launch and prepare to engage the possible threat.
Jackson comes over the holocom, "Mulvey, what's going on?"
Mulvey replies, "General, sir, we have several energy blips approaching from behind. They are closing on our position."
Jackson annoyed asks, "Did you check with the Paladonian's, to see if it was the rest of their fleet?"
Mulvey hurriedly replies, "The Whitefeather fleet is MIA sir, and that Gaul fellow did confirmed that the blips are not Paladonian in origin."
Klaus enters the bridge, and runs to helm control, relieving the officer and taking his place.
Kitanna turns to Klaus, asking, "Klaus, you just went off duty two hours ago, aren't you tired?"
Klaus smiles and say, "You know me Kit, I just love being around you."
Kitanna smiles and says, "You know Scott use to say that all the time to me and Rachael."
Klaus smiles back and replies, "I know Kit, I know."
Several minutes later, Jackson walks on the bridge. His coat left open and his clothes in complete disarray. He rushes to his position, and yells, "Get me Gaul on the com, now!"
Mulvey smiles as he points to the already opened holocom that was still opened from Mulvey's previous conversation.
Gaul smiling says, "So you’re the great leader that's going to save the universe."
Jackson shrugs his shoulders as he sits down, replying, "That's what your people say Gaul, not mine."
Mulvey updates Jackson, "General, sir, we have the fleet set on wide dispersal. We currently have the fighter wings in standard two on two formations, while maintaining position, in stealth mode."
Jackson looks over to Kitanna, asking, "Lieutenant, what else have you got for me?"
Kitanna replies, "General, sir, we’re not picking up any gateway energy. The energy blips are very scattered, and moving in a random pattern, suggesting a fleet of at least a dozen, or more ships."
Jackson smirks and says, "Uncloak the Yorktown, the rest of the fleet maintain distance and status. Raise our shields, and power all guns, load all torpedoes and bring us around one hundred and eighty degrees, turn us right into firing range of the disturbance."
Gaul's eyes go wide and yells, "My god Jacks, you love being the worm don't you!"
Jackson smiles as he thinks aloud, "Carla, this is Papa Jacks can you hear me?"
Carla telepathically replies, "Yes Papa Jacks, I hear you."
Jackson asks her, "Can you find out what is out here with us?"
A few minutes pass when Qui Shi comes over the holocom, "Andrew! Carla is scared for her life. She says they know she is here, and they are coming for her."
Jackson confused asks, "Who is here Qui Shi?"
Carla replies telepathically, "Papa Jacks, its Toth. He knew I was in his head. They have some way to follow me."
Jackson eyes go wide and sits down. His mouth opens as he momentarily collects his thoughts. Toth’s alive. Moreover, he's here. This can't be a small fleet, not if Toth is in command. This has to be a main assault force... He pauses, realizing as he jumps to his feet yelling, "All ships! Prepare for an all-out attack. Be alert, they have heavy class ships cloaked. Gaul set your forces to attack from behind."
Kitanna turns, and says, "Sir, they’re uncloaking."
Fourteen Super Dreadnoughts uncloaked, just short of weapons range of the Yorktown. The communication officer announces, "Sir, we have an incoming transmission."
Jackson looks up to Mulvey, who turns, saying, "Put it through Lieutenant."
An image appears of Toth, who says, "Well human scum, your leader is destroyed. We have you out numbered, and outclassed. If you surrender now I will kill you quickly. Choose to fight us, and I will make this as painful as possible."
Jackson smiles and insanely asks, "Toth, first off, how's the Queen doing, has she been getting enough sleep? Oh and how’s the rest of the family, are they doing well? You know Toth; we really need to spend more time talking. We really don't spend that quality time together that good friends like us should spend. Don’t you think?"
Mulvey stares at Jackson with a blank stare, as Jackson babbles on with the massive T-Challa Commander.
Jackson smiles, as he looks at the holoimage of Toth waiting for the translation to come through.
Carla says telepathically to Jackson, "Papa Jacks, Gaul is thinking very loudly that his ships will be in position in five minutes."
Toth confused asks, "Is it required that only the insane are qualified leaders on your world."
Jackson, stalling for time replies, "Toth, my good friend, why such hostility, we should really sit down have a nice cup of coffee, and discuss old times. Like when we blew up half your fleet on back on X'enablanca, or how Caleb and you went wrestling around the decks. Man those were some good times, good times indeed." Gaul better be in position, cause this is getting old real fast.
Toth growls, and cuts tran
smission. Mulvey turns and asks, "General, sir?"
Jackson annoyed replies, "Mulvey, you impressed me before by following your gut, and letting Gaul's men come aboard to help us, don't disappoint me now." Mulvey has potential, but sometimes he is just an idiot.
Kitanna surprised yells, "General, we have over one hundred and eighty Medium and Light Cruisers uncloaking!"
Gaul finally sends his signal, "We're in position."
Jackson hits a button on his panel and says, "All ships engage."
With that, Gaul and his entire fleet uncloak and fire directly into the T-Challa armada. When the Paladonian’s uncloak, their shields power up instantly unlike the Earth fleet, which uncloaks and slowly begin to power up their shields, some taking almost thirty seconds. Both fleets closes in on the T-Challa armada, as thousands of fighters launch their assault directly into the core of the T-Challa armada.
The T-Challa fleet takes heavy damage from the surprise attack, but quickly returns fire focusing on the Paladonian fleet.
Kitanna yells, "General, sir! All of Gaul's ships switched their shields up almost instantly, but they still took heavy damage, and sir, Gaul's Flagship is heavily damaged. Amazingly, it is still operational.” She pauses as she alerts Jackson, “Sir, his ship will not survive another salvo."
Jackson yells, "Klaus! Get us in there now!"
Klaus moves the Yorktown into an intercept position, and does a quick hyperjump, re-appearing directly in-between Gaul's ship, and the T-Challa fleet.
Mulvey stunned yells, "Klaus! What the hell are you doing?"
Gaul immediately comes over the com, "Jackson you’re insane! I almost fired on you."
Jackson confident yells, "Fire all guns! Don't let this moment escape us. We have a message to send to these T-Challa, let’s send it express mail!"
The Yorktown fire's all her guns and torpedoes directly into the heart of T-Challa fleet, followed up with hundreds of fighters closing in on the ranks of the T-Challa.
The battered T-Challa fleet returns fire. The Yorktown takes multiple hits against its shield. The shields hold, but just barely.
Kitanna yells, "Shields are at eight percent!"
Gaul and his ships close in on the T-Challa fleet, firing feverously at them. Then the Earth fleet finally reaches its effective firing range, and unleashes a devastating attack on the remaining T-Challa vessels.
Kitanna terrified looks up at Jackson and says, "General, sir! I'm picking up gateway energy!"
Jackson yells, "All ships, emergency evac now!"
Instantly, all ships hit hyperspace, and quickly disperse out of range of the gateway.
The gateway activates, and destroys several T-Challa ships. Mulvey confused asks, "General, they just sacrificed a major part of their fleet, in a failed attempt to destroy us?"
Jackson disappointed replies, "Captain, they have improved their cloaking technology, and once again were able to surprise us, so all you notice is that they don't care about losing a few ships?"
Gaul comes over the com, saying, "Hey Jacks, I have two ships that didn't make it out of the battlefield. My ship is heavily damaged, and most of the Paladonian fleet is down and out for repairs for the seeable future. Hope those little bots can work as fast on my ships, as they did on yours."
Kitanna reports, "The T-Challa gateway is still active and is disrupting our sensors. However, I’ve been able to determine that we lost over one hundred fighters, and three Destroyers, and one Battleship." She pauses, as she realizes shocked, she says, "And General, we lost the Saint Petersburg."
Jackson sits down and sighs, as he raises his hand to his head. Then the communication officer announces, "General, sir, incoming transmission from that Toth thing, sir."
Mulvey yells, "Put it through!"
The holocom comes alive as Toth appears on the com, "Jackson is your name, is it not."
Jackson surprised answers sarcastically as he wonders. How does he know my name, "Yes Toth, you're telling me you forgot my name, I'm so disappointed."
Toth growls as he pulls a human female pilot into view, obviously just captured in the last battle. She is very young, and badly wounded. Toth says, "Joke all you want Jackson, but it will be us that will laugh, as we gnaw on your bones."
With that, Toth kills the young pilot with a simple thrust of his bladed arm, through her torso.
Jackson angered stands up and says, "Toth, you just signed your own death warrant."
Jackson cuts the transmission and then orders, "Kitanna locate the rest of his fleet."
Mulvey says, "Sir, we have too many damaged ships. We really should wait till we are better prepared."
Jackson annoyed replies, "Make us battle ready in five minutes Captain! Klaus locate and lock onto Toth's ship. We're taking that slimy thing down right now."
Kitanna interjects, "General, he’s cloaked again, and still has at least four Super Dreadnoughts, a dozen or more Medium, and unknown amount of Light Cruisers. All of which are cloaked, and sir, our scanners are barely working because of that gateway, until it finally breaks apart and collapses in on itself. We’re searching in the dark."
Jackson concerned asks, “How long till that happens?
Kitanna replies, “Unknown General, sir.”
Jackson turns to Mulvey, saying, "You have the bridge. Get us ready, and take as many ships as the fleet can muster."
Jackson leaves, and heads out for the med bay. Minutes later, he arrives at med bay where he sees Carla hiding behind Qui Shi, who sternly yells, "No Andrew! Absolutely not, they are part psychic, and they frighten her so much."
Jackson sighs as he realizes what happened to frightened Carla and asks, "She read my mind when I thought it, didn't she?"
Qui Shi sternly replies, "Andrew, she's terrified of them, and it’s your job to protect her, not exploit her."
Jackson sternly says, "And it’s also my job to protect our people and they took prisoners Qui Shi. Hell Qui Shi, Toth just killed one of our pilots right in front of me."
Jackson squats down, and looks into Carla's eyes, asking, "Little Flower I know you’re scared, but I need you to find some people for me. They’re human and they are just as scared as you are, and they are trapped with the T-Challa. Can you find them for me?"
Carla crying says, "Ok Papa Jacks, I’ll try, but will you stay with me, it’s real scary."
Jackson take hold of Carla's hand and is instantly pulled into her mind. Shocked Jackson asks, "Carla where am I?"
Jackson has been transported into a vast open space, where thousands of voices are yelling out.
Carla replies, "This is the place where I hear people's thoughts Papa Jacks. It’s kinda scary in here. So many people say so many things, and it’s really hard to find just one."
Carla then grabs Jackson's hand tightly, and they're instantly travel across the vast plane, directly to the T-Challa fleet. Carla grabs Jackson hand even tighter as she says quietly, "You have to be very quiet Papa Jacks, and don't let go of my hand, or they may see us."
Jackson shakes his head in agreement. The two move around the fleet until they finally come across several humans in restraints. All of which are surrounded by several T-Challa warriors.
Then one of the T-Challa seems to become aware of Carla’s presence. It yells out alerting the others of them being there, it charges at them, traveling into the psychic plane.
Carla terrified screams aloud, and runs into Jackson arms crying. Jackson holds her protecting her from the attack, when suddenly a blue light appears from Carla, and envelopes them both, swiftly carrying them away, and directly back to the Yorktown.
Qui Shi yells, "Andrew I said no."
Carla crying says, "See Papa Jacks, they’re really scary."
Qui Shi confused asks, "What are you talking about?"
Jackson turns and says, "She just took me to the T-Challa fleet Qui Shi. We've been gone for at least ten minutes, maybe more."
Qui Shi even more surprised says, "Andrew, it’s only been
a few seconds."
Carla says, "Papa Jacks, that's how it works. Time goes by differently in there."
Qui Shi now completely confused asks, "There? Where is there? What is there?"
Carla wipes the tears away says, "It’s how it works, Mama Qui Shi."
Jackson still in awe of what he just experienced asks, "Carla is it always like that?"
Carla replies, sniffling, "Yes Papa Jacks. My thingy always protects me from getting hurt."
Jackson confused asks, "Thingy?"
Qui Shi annoyed says, "It’s her symbiot Andrew. She hasn't named it, so she calls it her thingy."
Suddenly the com activates, "General, sir, we are ready to go as soon as we have a course.” Mulvey says.
Jackson stands up. He looks to Qui Shi and says, "I'm sorry Qui Shi. I know you want her to be a little girl, but she is too important for us not use her gifts."
Qui Shi says, "Andrew, you have to limit her exposure to dangerous situations. She is still just a little girl."
Jackson kisses Qui Shi and says, as he runs out the door, "I'll try."
A few minutes later, Jackson arrives on the bridge yelling out, "Get me Gaul on the com! Klaus set course for grid alpha, alpha, seven niner."
Kitanna reports, "General, I have scanned that area, and I can’t determine if there is anything there. I’m sorry but, the gateway distortion is still making it very difficult."
Gaul appears on the com, "Jacks, you going somewhere?"
Jackson asks, "Gaul, I need as many of those phase shifting cloaks as you can spare."
Gaul chuckles and says, "Jacks, you almost passed out just traveling from med bay to your bridge. Those shifters take years of training to adapt too."
Jackson lowers his head and sighs, asking, "Gaul, I need as many men as you can spare. The T-Challa have several prisoners on their ship, and we need to mount a rescue."
Gaul says, "Jackson, we need to see where we're going to jump, and if you scan too heavily they may raise shields."
Jackson takes a deep breath, and then smiles, saying, "I know exactly where they are. I can even take you there."
The Ocoda Chronicles Book 2 Lost Heroes Page 13
