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In the Crystal City of Jeranu the reconstruction efforts were still being tackled. Jeranu had a pre-war population of around three million people but with over one million dead and over two million Inner Rim guest workers, the city was ironically overpopulated. Massive population habitat centers had to be set up in the surrounding hills with food, water, medicine, and power. Inside every Jeranu building, military camp, and even the Royal residences the Whills had to accommodate as many guest workers as they could while attempting to provide some form of security in case Sith agents would take this opportunity to infiltrate the capital again. Imperator Bevins ordered the surviving Royal State Industries located outside of Jeranu to mass produce droids for the security task and today one was already headed for the reconstructed The stocky factory fresh droid was a red and gold unit- an R2-A2 unit that arrived at the palace entrance in the early morning hours. It was greeted by the Queen’s personal cyborg BT-LR. At first the BT-LR had objected to the introduction of droids at the palace; after all, it was HIS place to serve the Queen and he felt quite confident that he could keep an eye on things despite the masses of humans in the household. He therefore greeted this new R2 unit with contempt, “Oh DO come in, will you? My name is BT-LR, Bader Translation & Liaison Reception cyborg and I run the palace household. The Queen relies on me for all her personal needs as well as human-cyborg relations.” The BT-LR was filled with pride in just saying that. But the R2 unit just introduced itself in a series of clicks and beeps as “Artoo Atoo”, one of the reconnaissance and intelligence droids ordered to the palace by Imperator Bevins himself. BT-LR was taken aback at this stubby little trash-receptacle-looking rolling cluster of spare parts and said in a rather rude tone, “Oh, be off with you now, and try not to get in the way around here.” Artoo responded in a series of negative clicks and beeps that only the cyborg could understand as it slowly advanced past the obstructive BT-LR. The cyborg just looked in arrogant wonder at the rolling R2 unit and said, “How rude! That R2 unit will be nothing but trouble. I think my circuits are overheating, I need a rest.” Artoo made it through the a long line of Amber Commandos before traveling down to the newly installed lower level Intelligence Analysis Room which was humming with automated activity as all the city defenses and military assets of the Queen’s Armies were constantly being reviewed and updated. The Sith attack had caused the Queen to improve the city’s defenses and preparedness in case of another war. All internal and external communications were being monitored as well. But no systems operators were available yet. As R2 arrived, he quickly activated a long extension device from his forward accessory compartment and interlink “fuse-ported” with a DC-1 Defense Computer, quickly becoming updated with the tactical and strategic situation in Jeranu and its defenses when an alert came up. It had only been ten minutes since the R2 unit had arrived and already there was an alert. The Amber Commandos recognized the coded light signal at the I.A.R. door and contacted the Queen as well as Imperators Bevins and Davon. They arrived in under a minute, having come directly from a briefing upstairs. “What’s all this then?”, inquired Bevins as Davon looked at the long range scanner grids coming alive. The Queen summoned the BT-LR to the I.A.R. eager to hear what the new R2 unit was saying. BT-LR had just powered down for a short rest when he was summoned. At once, he strode with confidence past the Amber Commandos and down to the I.A.R. before spotting that cursed R2 unit! “Good heavens, what has that nasty little pile of scrap done ALREADY?” BT-LR blurted out. Artoo ignored the pompous cyborg and continued to monitor the situation at the Inner Rim Markers. He beeped and clicked and chirped away as the BT-LR began to translate for the Queen. “My Queen it appears that twelve unknown objects of small size are racing with all speed towards Elysia. They have just passed the Inner Markers and are being met by pursuing Varmin Covat-CVS starships as Bothan Foxxers have lined up to obstruct their path, creating a barrier in front of the twelve units.” The BT-LR was quite alarmed itself. Lord Rexor had sent out a coded transmission to all Varmins with a reward for a combined confirmed kill of all twelve hypercom carrier units headed for Elysia. Meanwhile, as the Bothans had learned of Bruxus and Boorma’s gruesome deaths at the hands of the vile Varmins they couldn’t wait for the opportunity to seek revenge. In clusters, the Foxxers assembled out in the open to destroy any Varmin starship anywhere near the twelve hypercom carriers. The Queen asked how long until the first encounter with the objects and what exactly WERE the objects? After a moment the R2 unit’s language was translated by the intensely interested BT-LR, “My Queen, the R2 unit has estimated that contact will take place in thirty seconds with the Foxxers. The objects are of unknown origin, but the Foxxers are making no preparations to stop them. The pursuing Varmin CVS starships, however, are powering up for an attack. Imperator Bevins then inquired if the objects were Sith in nature. The BT-LR responded quickly, “No indications Sir Bevins.” “Then WHAT are they?” Bevins demanded. BT-LR then listened to the R2 unit with some relief, “Sir, they appear to be some form of hypercom carrier. Someone or something is trying to contact Elysia urgently.” Just inside the Inner Rim Markers the Foxxers had picked-up the splinters and activated their IFF modules. The splinters headed straight for the Foxxers and passed between then with even greater speed as they raced towards Elysia. The Varmins spotted the line of Foxxers and opened up with their lasers when a huge barrage of missile fire flashed in front of them. These were the new Bothan Avenger missiles and they image-locked the Cou-vat craft, forcing them into evasive action. But the Varmins had been marked visually and it gave the Bothans great pleasure watching the erupting Varmin ships being destroyed in brilliant flashes. Those not destroyed by the missiles then tried to flee but the Bothans had already anticipated this and had a group of Foxxers arc around the Cou-vats and deploy a line of drift mines into their return path. As the lead Foxxers opened up with a barrage of counter fire the fleeing Cou-vats struck the drift mines and were also consumed by fire. Varmin broken vessels and lifeless bodies drifted in space as all the Foxxers gathered around the twelve hypercom units. The lead Foxxer then activated a destruct signal and eleven of the hypercom carriers blew up, leaving one unit which shut down automatically as the lead Foxxer used a grappler beam and pulled the unit back into his ship‘s cargo bay. The Bothan pilot then signaled for the other Foxxers to form up around him as he led the way all the way back to Elysia to deliver the hypercom’s data recorder disc directly to Jeranu. Inside the I.A.R. everyone had witnessed the battle and was eager to know what the Bothans were fighting for. They would soon find out. BT-LR informed the Queen that contact had been made by the lead Foxxer. “The R2 unit reports that the lead ship is carrying a coded data recording for the Queen and requests permission to land at once in Jeranu. Imperator Bevins didn’t hesitate, “Tell the Bothan to land immediately, he will be met by an armed detachment of Amber Commandos and taken by speed master to the Royal palace.” BT-LR then instructed the R2 unit to pass the information along with all haste. “Well done Artoo”, said the excited BT-LR who thought that maybe the stocky little droid might just make a welcome addition to the Palace. Artoo chirped and beeped a simple reply, “Thank you.” The Foxxer was met in space by a few of the newly constructed Blue Diamond Mk.II star fighters as the Bothan escort departed in peace. Together, the two allied craft raced through Elysia’s atmosphere and landed almost directly behind the Imperators Bevins and Davon had heard the mighty roar of the vessels’ braking thrusters and ordered as many Amber Commandos out to meet the pilots. Davons wanted to discipline the Blue Diamond pilot but the Queen just looked at him and said, “Forget about it, Imperator.” The Queen suspected that something was wrong and intended to find out what the Sith were up to this time. Meanwhile, back on Tirahnna the Maxator-Class Slayer was reaching the Outer Rim Markers and was slowly moving towards the Sith planet as Lord Rexor readied his personal ship, the D.A.S. EVO-ONE- a 500 foot long heavy battle cruiser with sixty M-Packs and rear obsidian hyper-plated deck armor that protected the red ion plasma thrusters. The ship was built like the Slayer- largely automated, and protected by DD-33 attack droids. D.A.S. had inquired about the design specifications that came from the MD-13 as they were highly unusual, but Lord Rexor stated that this was not a custom construction order but a specified construction order. D.A.S., therefore, had to use the Bramen shipyard for its construction since all D.A.S. traditional customs were all star fighters built at Horath in large factories. D.A.S. had never built a custom heavy battle cruiser before and the Bramen yards were curious and envious to know why the Dark Master had chosen that private company to use their shipyard. D.A.S. was selected to test out the new bridge and automated controls due for the Slayer, including the DD-33s. It never occurred to either D.A.S. or the Bramen shipyards that EVO-ONE was a systems test-bed for the monster Mega Destroyer being constructed in the automated Evaleon shipyard beyond the Outer Rim. As EVO-ONE prepared to depart the Bramen shipyards the Dark Master felt secure inside the large, dimly lit hull with luxurious living accommodations. He would be safe here as a new war was about to begin- the final war against the Whills. But this time, for added security measures, all Nine Dark Lords would remain on Hael with the Kyries. Only K-LOK was coming with him and one GCN Probe com carrier to be launched tomorrow to broadcast the final confrontation. Dark Lord Falkor was entrusted with running the planet while the Dark Master spent the next two days over Tirahnna ready to witness the giant Slayer’s arrival and patiently await for it to reach its final destination over Elysia. Only then would he announce the Slayer’s existence to the general populace and transmit a live picture of the destruction of Elysia via the launched GCN Probe. All military sensor station system operators and all military personnel that were to witness the Slayer cross over the Outer Rim and head over Tirahnna were ordered to remain silent about it- disobedience strictly punishable by death. Meanwhile, the two destroyers Black Heart and Dark Fury led the strike force heading for what they believed was Dark Lord Kalore’s hiding place. Instead, they were heading for TaBora and would arrive there in two days. Outside the Outer Rim on Kytana Dark Lord Kalore was worried. Tirahn had not returned as planned and now the time had come to assassinate Lord Rexor. Lord Kalore desperately needed Tirahn and her Shadow suit to infiltrate EVO-ONE and kill the Dark Master while Down in the valley on TaBora Tirahn was asking the same question to herself as she walked along a dusty path up a trail leading to higher ground. Suddenly, without warning, the ground shook violently and Tirahn had to use her whip ball to coil around a nearby tree to keep her on her feet. The entire valley floor shook at some booming activity heard over the hills. It was followed by an ominous silence as the ground became firm again. Tirahn used her search mode for concealed dwellings or technology in the valley but as far as her sensors could range there was nothing. Whatever made that huge noise and ground movement was over the hills. Tirahn would have to climb them to find out what. This mystery planet was very dry and hot. The Kyrie suit was insulated with bio heating and cooling chemical mixers but even at maximum output the suit was heating up and Tirahn was dehydrated. She activated her search mode again and spoke the words, “locate water”. Directional indicators pointed to a small stream about one mile ahead, due west. Returning to visual mode, Tirahn turned west towards the stream and marched forward with Sith discipline. As she walked into the dense brush leading towards the stream, a noise was heard coming from behind her. Turning, Tirahn spotted what looked to be a rather crude speedmaster transport heading along the trail in the distance. She quickly activated her Shadow suit’s lectrochromatic camouflage and once cloaked, ran back to the trail as the transport approached. The transport was piloted by a lone filthy human worker of some kind. The Kyrie stood motionless along the trail and as the speed master approached pulled out her secret weapon fashioned from the black crystals removed from the Sacred Black Stone she had stolen from the The unsuspecting worker was a Bura tunneler who was headed for a construction area over the hills where a massive ground Thumper was busy burrowing into the soil and creating a massive tunnel into the dark underworld of the planet that the Bura’s lived inside. A new underground city was to be built and the Buras were busy digging the first holes into their inner subterranean world. But working in the light of day was painful to Bura eyes so they always wore thick anti-glare goggles whenever they were forced to work topside. Naturally, the Bura did not see the anomalous Kyrie, but saw instead a strange heat wave rising in the air. As he turned his head to witness it, Tirahn lopped his head off in one clean sweep. The Bura’s body went limp after a few seconds as the uncontrolled speedmaster automatically stopped in hover mode after fifty feet. Tirahn looked away from the decapitated head of the Bura and then ran to the speedmaster, desperate for water and transportation. After dumping the blood splattered body into the dust, Tirahn searched it for water. On TaBora, topside work always required huge amounts of water and Tirahn found a large hydro container on the dead Bura plus a large hydro tank in the backseat of the speedmaster. Quickly, she activated her hydro probe which elongated from below her obturator and dipped into the cool liquid. The sensor tip tested the liquid and changed to a blue color indicating it was safe to drink. The Kyrie’s internal mouthpiece activated within her helmet and Tirahn opened her mouth, locking her teeth onto it. She sucked down the thirst quenching water even as she uncapped the large hydro container and used another suit hydro probe to fill her internal bladders with liquid. After that, she took off at speed for the loud noise over the hills and soon she discovered what it was. As Tirahn reached the top of the hill she exited the speedmaster and was in awe. Using her Lectrovisor, she could see a massive ground Thumper being cleared of soil as it prepared to strike deeper into the earth, sending out seismic shock waves that shook the ground. It powered up again and Tirahn waited for the strike. THUMP!!! The speed master rocked as its electromagnetic cushion was disturbed by the massive ground tremor. A huge impact noise was heard as hundreds of tons of soil were extracted from the ground and sifted through along long conveyor lines that ended in massive automated load lifters that took the soil and moved it to the surrounding outlying areas. Thousands of workers operated the massive cylindrical machine, the size of which was equivalent to a five story building. As soil was removed, sections of tunneling tubing was fed into the machine by giant 300 foot sky hoisters which picked up huge assembled stockpiles of tubing and rotated them into position on top of the cylinder to be locked into place by ground engineers who did this all day. Tirahn was still at awe at such a device, but then it struck her that she MUST be on TaBora, the uncharted world where the master terrorist Bassam Omega had come from. He claimed to have come from a world where the entire population lived in underground cities, a Hollow World which possessed at its core a soft ultraviolet Black Sun. While he terrorized other small worlds Bassam was no threat to the Sith… not yet anyway. Besides, the criminal was imprisoned somewhere just beyond the Inner Rim. As Tirahn contemplated her next move, investigating Buras in the valley located the scattered remains of the D.A.S. Engager and a short distance away a very large obsidian ball. Obsidia was not found on TaBora so the Buras panicked knowing a Sith had found their world! Quickly, they raced back underground to report their findings to the Bura Holy leader Dasam Umein who lived in the TaBora underground capital city of Back in Jeranu, the Bothan encoded disc was slipped into the R2’s top loader in the I.A.R. After several long minutes of decoding and processing time a schematic blueprint was emerging on the large DC-1 view screen. Imperator Bevins ordered that the image be switched over to holomorphic projection for all to see in much closer detail. What emerged from the light was shocking- a Sith giant destroyer of some kind with a strange ball-shaped device carried internally. Artoo beeped and clicked as the BT-LR became nervous again. The Queen asked what it was. The BT-LR apologetically replied, “My Queen, the R2 unit has interpreted this vessel called the Slayer as a doomsday device that has been launched against Elysia. The 10,000 foot long destroyer is carrying within a single large bomb bay a massive 50,000 ton Rekurium R-Bomb loaded with 5,000 tons of a powerful destruction enhancer called Erratium. The Sith call the bomb “Red Sunrise”. The Slayer is fully automated and sealed for protection. Its hull is composed of obsidian armor 36 feet thick with massive hyper-plating and its inner corridors have self-actuating guns. There are armed droids patrolling the ship and another four large 100 ton mechanoids protecting the sealed bomb bay. The R-Bomb itself is mechanically locked into place and can only be released by the huge mechanoids onboard.” As the BT-LR spoke, everyone gasped. Imperator Bevins was the first to say it, “My God, we will be destroyed.” Imperator Davon said nothing as he looked away. The Queen only stared in disbelief. Trembling, the Queen became frail and asked WHEN the Slayer would arrive over Elysia. BT-LR replied ominously, “in just over 50 hours. Oh, dear!” At this, the Queen fainted and emergency medical services took her up to her private quarters. Imperator Bevins asked the R2 unit if there was any way to penetrate the ship and disarm the bomb. The BT-LR, now placing its hand gently upon Artoo responded with sadness, “I’m afraid not Sir. The Slayer has no internal landing facilities and all communications to the ship were to have been severed at launch which commenced earlier this morning.” Imperator Davon now spoke up, “Well, can it be destroyed or stopped before reaching Elysia?” Again, BT-LR reported the bad news from Artoo, “Not unless a way can be found to penetrate the hull of the ship which at this current time is impossible. The total firepower of all Elysian space military assets is negligible.” The Imperators were filled with fear, their military options were none. Both contemplated the death of their world and were about to give the order to evacuate the planet when Imperator Bevins had an idea worth considering. Regaining his composure and authority, Imperator Bevins summoned the following people to the I.A.R.: Boman Braggs, Lady Kaliah Askana, Ligris, and Kailen Saro. Just because the Jeranu military leadership could not determine a military solution did not mean that someone else could not think of a way- ANY possible way. The Holy Journal states, “for there is always hope for them that follow the path of light” (Journal of Hope, Destiny, passage Back at the Royal Estate at Golden Grove, Boman and Kali were on their wedding consecration seclusion when Boman’s alert com beeped at the same time Kali’s channet sounded. They both were in their Royal private quarters enjoying the pleasure of each other when their coms came alive. Instinctively, they both knew something was wrong and Kali confirmed that they were ordered back to the At As both pairs met in the outer courtyard, an armed detachment of Amber Commandos pushed through the overcrowded palace grounds and escorted all four of them through the large halls and corridors leading down into the military sector of the palace- specifically, into the I.A.R. where Imperators Bevins and Davon were waiting, along with the BT-LR and an R2 unit. In plain view, the giant Sith destroyer was continually being projected and analyzed by the R2 unit for any sign of weakness, any chance of getting into that ship… yet in the last thirty minutes neither the R2 unit nor the DC-1 could detect any entry point. Kali knew what it was before Bevins even spoke, her clarity of mind and spirit coming back to her even without her Halo-chron. “It’s a Sith weapon of incredible power and it is on its way here even as we speak,” said Lady Kaliah without emotion. Boman was mystified while Kailen was shocked. But Ligris was busy analyzing the weapon. As an experienced bounty hunter Ligris had been taught by his warrior Kraal brethren that the greatest weapon of war was deception and that second, that for every problem in life there IS a solution, military or otherwise. Repeated impossible pursuits and captures had convinced Ligris of that truth. As Imperator Bevins described the Slayer’s construction and every possible detail of its core defenses that were insurmountable Ligris just stood there in silence thinking to himself. Inside of me lies the answer, I am certain of it… but what is it? As he stood there in silence, Kailen thought that Ligris was in a state of shock so she hugged him. This brought him back to life and then he knew the answer. Life! This weapon is meant to destroy all life. Only someone obsessed with great loss of life would understand this weapon and its weakness. Of course!!! Ligris smiled down at little Kailen as he turned his head towards Imperators Bevins and Davon with a solution to the problem. Silence filled the I.A.R. as Ligris prepared to speak. Even Boman and Kali stopped thinking out loud for the moment as the BT-LR and R2 unit both turned to look at Ligris. In the silence of the moment a solution had been found. Ligris looked straight into the face of Imperator Bevins and said these words, “Give me access to Bassam Omenga and he will get us inside of that ship. Also, to deceive the Sith, start to evacuate and order away all guest workers back to their Inner Rim worlds. DO NOT GIVE THEM A REASON, just order it done at once!” Everyone in the I.A.R. was shocked. Bassam Omenga was wanted for galactic terrorism and had murdered over two million people and species in ruthless unwarranted religious wars. But Ligris knew something they didn’t. Bassam was a Bura which meant he knew how to dig massive tunnels and plant huge seismic charges that destroyed entire cities. Ligris had been paid for hunting him down five years ago on Grynd and Bassam put up a good fight until Ligris put out his left eye and almost crushed him to death in a fierce battle. Bassam had bragged about the great Thumpers of TaBora and how they could bore through anything. Anything? Imperator Bevins had no choice. With military discipline he said, “your orders will be carried out. I will send for transport immediately so that you can reach him, but I’m not sure the Grynds will want to let him go”. “Leave that to me”, Ligris spoke with confidence.
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