The Ocoda Chronicles Book 2 Lost Heroes

by Daniel OConnell

  Sum yells out, "Fire all torpedoes!"

  Eleven torpedoes streak across the battlefield, hitting the Dreadnought. The Dreadnought loses its shields and takes multiple strikes across its bridge, and bow section."

  Another officer yells, "We have severely damaged them Captain."

  Then another officer yells out, "They’re still moving toward us at flank speed."

  Tess shocked yells, "They’re going to ram us!"

  The helmsman rights the ship finally, and quickly turns the ship.

  The Dreadnought closes quickly on the Yinglong.

  The First officer yells, "We still can’t fire the main guns."

  The weapons officer fires the Medium cannons. They hit mid ship blasting into the Dreadnought ripping through her decks.

  The Dreadnought finally closes the distance, and fires its grapplers into the Yinglong's hull as it pulls itself alongside the Battleship and begins boarding the ship, on multiple decks.

  The First officer yells, "They’re boarding us Captain!"

  Captain Sum calls out, "All hands prepare to repel boarders."

  Tess alarmed states, "Captain Sum, if they capture this ship, they will advance their technology to our levels, in just a single year."

  The First officer yells, "Captain, new contacts! We have multiple targets closing fast on our location."

  Sum confused asks, "More T-Challa?"

  Tess's personal com goes off, "Tess, this is Kalen we will be rendering assistance."

  Tess yells to Sum, "My brother is here with the Whitefeather fleet!"

  Ten Paladin class Battleships uncloak and fire on the Dreadnought, severing the grapplers and quickly decimating the ship in just less than four minutes."

  The Yinglong takes collateral damage from the resulting blast.

  The First officer announces, "We have over a hundred T-Challa still on board sir.

  Sum looks over the console, as he looks up feeling a sharp pain. He sees Tess's face in shock, as he sees his blood spray outward. A cloaked T-Challa warrior pummels his bladed cybernetic arm through Captain Sum’s chest, lifting him upward and tossing him across the bridge. The creature screams a guttural growl, as it charges at the First officer.

  Tess instantly pulls out her plasma gun, and fires at the T-Challa, hitting it several times, dropping it to the ground.

  Tess quickly grabs her com, "Brother they're attempting to take the bridge."

  Within seconds, fifty well-armed Paladonian warriors come aboard with their special goggles, and begin attacking the cloaked T-Challa.

  The First officer runs to Captain Sum, saying, "Captain, hold on, we will get you to med bay."

  Sum looks up at his First officer and convulses one last time, and then passes.

  The battle on board the Yinglong rages on for almost twenty minutes.

  The lead Paladonian marine speaks, "I am Colonel Reich. We will secure the ship. Where is your brother Raphael consul Tess?"

  Tess sighs, and replies, "He is on board the T-Challa base, planting the bomb." Tess then asks, "Why is the fleet not assisting the Earth forces?"

  A voice speaks from behind her, "Because it doesn't benefit us to help them sister."

  Tess spins around and slaps her brother across his face, yelling, "You son of a bitch! You never cared about anyone, or anything but yourself."

  Kalen rubs his face smirking as he replies, "I missed you too sister, now where's our baby brother?"

  Tess angrily answers, "He's doing the job you never could. He's on board that T-Challa base."

  Kalen shocked asks, "You allowed him to throw away his life?"

  Tess tries once again to slap Kalen, but her arm is caught by him, as he twists her around to her knees. Twisting her arm, he angrily demands, "One time my sister is all you get. Now how do we get our brother out of there?"

  Val appears on the holocom, asking, "Captain Sum?"

  Kalen smugly replies, "He is dead Val Arao, myself and my men have assumed control of the ship."

  The first officer stands up covered in blood, saying, "This ship is the property of my government, and as First officer I am now in command."

  Kalen smirks and looks over at the Colonel Reich, and smiles.

  Colonel Reich shakes his head acknowledging Kalen's request and strikes the first officer down with the butt of his weapon.

  Val unconcerned replies, "Well, I have established contact with Mohammed and Raphael. However, I cannot find the modulation of the shields, as they are cycling it every few minutes."

  Several of the Yinglong crewmembers and officers get up from their seats. They approach the Paladonian soldiers, who immediately turn their weapons on them, stunning them with low yield plasma strikes, as all X'ena technology is unable to be used to kill a human.

  Tess angry yells, "Kalen! We don't have to do this! The Earthers are supposed to be our allies."

  Kalen unconcerned replies, "The council of the Paladonian moons agreed on this course of action, despite your protests Tess. We did what we needed to do, for our own survival. The Tof saved Caleb's wife and son for all the good it does anyone, now we can forge our own destiny."

  Tess angrily rebuts, "Kalen, you are a complete idiot. The First Ones never agreed to this, and you know better than to doubt in Caleb's ability to survive."

  Kalen openly scoffs, mocking his sister, saying, "The First Ones ha. Tess you are too much, no one has heard anything from them in over eight hundred years. They can stay locked behind that blue force field of theirs forever. I don't even consider them Paladonian's."

  The First officer of the Yinglong, slightly stunned from his previous attack, starts to rise, saying, "You only pretended to be our allies."

  Kalen frowns over at Reich. Colonel Reich quickly draws back his weapon to strike the First officer again, but this time the First officer moves to quickly as Reich misses him. The First officer reaches up grabbing Reich's shirt and pulling him down face first into the deck plating, stunning the Colonel.

  Kalen quickly grabs his weapon pointing it at the First officer firing, but his weapons blast strikes a force field that immediately appears out of nowhere.

  A holoimage of Val reappears, and methodically speaks, "The last of the T-Challa have been dispatched. I've spoken to General Jackson. Who requests that you leave the ship at once, and return to your own ship immediately, or I have orders to shut them down. Please consider as we are dangerously close to T-Challa controlled space that would be a dangerous option for you to undertake."

  Kalen angered yells, "We know what you did to Gaul's ships! We have countered your ability to do that again Val, and so your threat is empty."

  Val activates a device from his control panel in engineering. A drone on the bridge creates a holoimage of Caleb, which begins to speak, "If this program has been activated. It means that one of my primary laws are being opposed, as a result all Paladonians X'ena military based technology will cease to function on all your worlds. Not until the primary laws are restored will your technology be restored."

  Tess, Kalen, and the rest of the Paladonian's immediately lower their heads, and take a knee. The First officer stands up, and begins waking his crew.

  Val says, "Caleb, unfortunately expected you to act like this. He has placed hundreds of additional safeguards in to your systems to prevent you from becoming a threat to Earth, as well as the Earth being a threat to you. This message has just played to everyone in all of your worlds, outpost, and on board all your ships."

  Tess embarrassed asks, "Val, what do we need to do to prevent the shutdown?"

  Val emotionlessly replies, "Surrender."

  At that moment, Jackson comes over the Yinglong holocom system, confused and, asking, "What the hell is going on?"

  Val methodically replies, "General, sir, it seems that the Paladonian's had alternative plans other than helping us. However, Caleb left a program to prevent such a rebellion."

  Jackson sighs and says, "Val, we are about to go into combat against a hug
e armada of T-Challa ships, with the Paladonian's as support, are you sure, this is wide spread? I mean Gaul has sacrificed many men to aid us."

  Tess sadly answer's "He, and many others amongst our people opposed the council’s rulings to do this Jacks, but we were out voted."

  Gaul appears on the com, "Yes Jacks, she's telling you the truth. I currently have men on board all of your ships, hidden with orders to create as much sabotage as possible upon my command."

  Jackson takes in deep breath and says, "Well, so much for Caleb's theory on the goodness of man."

  Val activates another recording. Caleb reappears in front of all parties, saying, "Hello Jacks, sorry for not being able to talk to you in person, but you know me, I've never been one for conversation. Anyways if this recording has been activated the Paladonian's have not completed their primary goals. Which are as followed.

  One: to maintain the timeline for their own survival.

  Two: to save you, so that you may protect Carla.

  Three: ally themselves unconditionally with the Earth in a joint effort to defeat the T-Challa Empire, provided, that the Earth doesn't attempt to interfere with the Paladonians government’s self-rule.

  Fourth: no one is to worship me, or use my name in any attempt to gain power. Anyone that does this is a moron.

  Fifth and final: if possible, they must try and save Emily and Domingo. This rule is not mandatory, nor an offense to the remaining guidelines. However, should the Paladonian's faultier in anyway on the other four laws, a general shutdown order will enact, which requires one of three people to complete the shutdown order. You are of course, one of those people Jacks, and the others will remain a secret, until they need to be called upon."

  The recording pauses as it cycles through its programming and resumes, "Jackson, do you wish me to power down the Paladonian's?"

  Jackson pauses as he thinks. Damn it Caleb, you really know how to put me in a spot. Hell you’re not even here and you have me in the most awkward position.

  The First officer at the controls reports, "We have a signal on hold from the base." A third com opens up, Raphael is there yelling, "We have the bomb planted! We have twenty seconds. Mohammed has been hit and is unconscious. We need immediate evac now."

  Tess panicked pleads to Val, "Can you open the shield yet?"

  Val coldly replies, "No Tess, there is not enough time."

  Kalen quickly says, "Raphael, you will need to shift directly into null space little brother. I promise you we will find you."

  Tess shocked says, "Kalen, you know what his chances are."

  Raphael sullen answers, "I know sister, no one that has ever shifted directly into null space has ever been found."

  Kalen turns back and says, "Good luck little brother. We will search for you, till the end of time."

  The com closes as Val replies, "They have shifted into null space, and the bomb has reached critical mass. Their gateway is activated. It appears the T-Challa are attempting to evacuate. The detonation will be large enough to reach us in under a minute. I would suggest that we pull out of this area immediately."

  Tess looks up to Jackson and says, "Jacks, I know we haven't been honest with you, but we need you to shutdown this program, so we can escape."

  Jackson replies, "Agreed, now how do I do that?"

  Val answers, "Just tell the program to disregard command."

  Jackson says, "Ok Caleb, never mind for now. I can handle the situation."

  The program image of Caleb responds, "Shutdown is on hold, until Jackson orders otherwise. This program has been set to evaluate and counter any situation, be advised that this program runs deep in the core of all Paladonian and Earth X'ena based technology."

  The program shuts down, as all the Paladonian ships return to their control.

  Kalen barks out, "All ships, immediate evac to the delta site now."

  The First officer of the Yinglong says, "I have hyper drive online, prepare for it to engage."

  The Yinglong jumps into hyperspace as the base explodes in a major detonation, shaking the Yinglong even into hyperspace.

  Tess crying asks, "Did they make the jump into null space?"

  Val coldly replies, "I already stated that I detected their phase shift just seconds before the bomb exploded."

  Kalen looks over to the First officer and says, set your course for, omega, delta, one four delta."

  The First officer replies, "You board my ship and attack my crew, and now you think you can give orders to me. You will learn your place while you sit in my brig."

  Tess in tears asks, "What is your name?"

  The First officer replies, "Bond Liu, madam."

  Tess humbled says, "I know you have no reason to trust us, but we have just lost our brother, perhaps forever and we can no longer be a threat to you, any more than you can be a threat to us. Please, just let us return to our ships, and we will help you, just as Caleb had intended us too."

  Val says over the holocom, "Repairs to the Yinglong will be completed in thirty-eight hours and twenty-two minutes. I would highly recommend that we seek the protection of the Paladonian's during that time, as several T-Challa ships escaped the base before its destruction."

  Acting Captain Liu replies, "Acceptable, we will rendezvous with the Paladonian's, till our repairs are completed."

  Jackson who has been patiently listening to everything says, "We'll make contact with you after we deal with our encounter with Toth, and the T-Challa fleet."

  The com closes.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  KICKING IT OLD SCHOOL

  Jackson yells out, "All hands prepare for battle! We go in flank speed, and guns blazing! Nothing escapes! Do I make myself clear? Nothing escapes!"

  Jackson activates his private com, and calls down to Qui Shi, asking privately, "Qui Shi, I need Carla to try as safely as she can, to tell us if the Queen is out here. She may be able to confuse us."

  Qui Shi reluctantly replies, "I will help her Andrew."

  Qui Shi leans over to speak to Carla and says, "I'm sorry my Little Flower, but a lot of lives depend on you."

  Carla sniffs and asks, "Will you come with me Mama Qui Shi, please."

  Qui Shi takes her hand, and in an instant, she finds herself with Carla, in a big vacant space with nothing in sight for as far as the eye can see.

  Carla frightened says, "She's out here, I can feel her Mama Qui Shi. She's very mean."

  Qui Shi looks all around, when finally she sees a small ball far off in the distance. Qui Shi, felling confused asks, “What is that Carla?'

  Carla sees it and becomes sacred. She holds Qui Shi's hand tightly, saying, "It's her, can we go, please Mama Qui Shi. She is here."

  Qui Shi sees more and more balls appear, as they roll toward them at ever-increasing speeds. Qui Shi studies them as the approach she notices that they aren't balls at all, but T-Challa charging at them.

  Qui Shi overwhelmed says, "Ok Carla, we need to go. Let’s get out of here now."

  Carla scared says, "I can’t Mama Qui Shi, she's stopping me."

  Suddenly a dark form grows out from the ground and envelopes them both, but then a blue field appears around them both protecting them from the crushing dark field.

  Qui Shi frightened herself tries her best to calm Carla, saying, "It's Ok Carla, your symbiot will protect us. It’s very strong. I know what it can do."

  Then the Queen appears outside the field, and says, "You are nothing compared to me child. I will devour you, and your people."

  Carla starts to cry, and Qui Shi says, "Carla you can create anything in here. This is your home, think of anything, and it will happen."

  Carla terrified cries out, "I can’t Mama Qui Shi. She's too strong."

  The Queen pounds against the blue field laughing, "I will get you this time."

  Carla cries as Qui Shi grabs hold of her, and says, "Carla, stop and think what your father taught you to do when you were in trouble. What did he show you to do with your symbiot
?"

  Carla looks up and sees the Queen, she bites her bottom lip, and says aloud, "Go away."

  The blue field expands quickly, and pushes the T-Challa away just as quickly as they came.

  Carla frightened says, "We can get away now."

  Within the blink of an eye, they are back in med bay as if only a split second had passed by. Jackson is still on the holocom he asks, "Qui Shi, can she do it?"

  Qui Shi stunned replies, "We already did it Andrew. She’s still out there, and she tried to hurt Carla again. Andrew, you can’t let her do this again. Please, she is much too young to deal with her."

  Jackson sighs, "Ok Qui Shi, just keep an eye on her, and tell her to be safe."

  The com closes as Jackson looks up to Gaul and asks, "You think your men can shift back onto their ships and disable their power cores?"

  Gaul a little stunned replies, "Are you sure you can trust me?"

  Jackson looks over to Mulvey and asks, "Condition of the fleet?"

  Mulvey replies, "We will be in firing range in eight minutes."

  Jackson looks to Gaul and says, "You have five minutes."

  Gaul smiles, and grabs his com saying to his men, "All Marines, prepare for shift in three, two."

  Gaul and his men phase shift off the Yorktown. Jackson quickly turns to Mulvey, saying, "Get me all the ships on an open com, and pipe into every fighter as well."

  Mulvey looks to the com officer, who shakes his head in agreement. After a few seconds, he turns and shakes his head acknowledging the order is ready. Mulvey turns to General Jackson.

  Jackson says, "Attention all hands! The Queen of the T-Challa is on one of those remaining ships, and she is capable of altering your perception of reality. Therefore, if you're not sure it seems right, it may not be. All our ships are programmed to protect us from harming each other, or ourselves. Now I want to kill this Queen, so let’s finish the job."

  The com closes as Klaus asks, "General, sir, if we kill the Queen the war is over?"

  Jackson sighs replying, "No son, it's not. She reproduced a year ago. There is another Queen, and I'm sure it's already making more of those ugly demons. This Queen is very old, and dying."