By now, the Z-4 was in a state of confusion itself. The prisoners had caused the auto-guns to fire and smash through the two large lectrobar-covered windows… but they did not go out into the outer yard. Instead, they were presently somewhere inside the computers own ventilation shaft. The Z-4 was built right into the central core foundation of the prison and required massive ventilation shafts to keep the unit from overheating. Most ventilators just led out into the repulsor lift shaft but some led to the roof of the Main Building. That’s where the prisoners were heading- to the roof. They must be stopped.

The Z-4 ordered the yard guns to cease firing and them ordered the Dibras into the shattered Main Building and into the ventilation shaft. Since there were no tracking sensors in the shafts the dogs were guided by the Z-4 itself to meet at intersection 23 right beneath the Main Tower.

Unknown to the Z-4, that was exactly where Bassam was guiding them through use of the sacred Orban. Mandras had stopped complaining now that the ventilation shafts were leading upwards towards the roof, but the angles of the shafts were getting steeper. If they ran into a vertical shaft there would be trouble.

Pursuing them from behind, six Dibras quickly raced through the shafts like the incredible professional racing Velosa Hounds! As the dogs rumbled through the long shafts Bassam could hear them coming and told Ligris to make Mandras climb faster. Ligris pushed at Mandras’ feet but the angle was very steep and they all were almost out of breath. Still, they pressed on with the Dibras now barking at their heels as they climbed. The Z-4 had electronically plotted the dogs’ route and impulse programmed their brains to follow the course. They did it with a precision that was better than instinct. The dogs had reached the prisoners and were attempting to claw their way up to snare them. Bassam could actually feel the Dibra’s hot breath on his heels, the dogs were that close.

Finally, they reached intersection 23 but were shocked to see it ended in a long, straight vertical shaft. As they came upon it Bassam told Mandras to stand up in it and then use his legs to climb it- quickly! Mandras stood up and braced one foot on the shaft up high while he jumped up and planted his other foot behind him. Slowly he inched upwards as Ligris followed and Bassam finally entered the shaft too.

All three of them were trying to move up the vertical shaft as far as they could as the Dibras formed at the base of the shaft. Snarling, they tried to claw at the shaft but could not climb it. Two were in the shaft on their hind legs as the other four moved into a central point where the four shafts intersected. All six dogs were barking now and the noise was terrible. But at last Mandras had made it to the top and could look out into the yard from the base of the tower where the vent ended. But the opening was too small and they were trapped.

“What now Bassam? We’re trapped. The exit is too small to fit through and the yard is filled with more Dibras plus the auto-guns.” Bassam paused for a moment and strained to yell back, “DO YOU HAVE SO LITTLE FAITH? PASS DOWN THE RIFLE.”

Neither Mandras nor Ligris had a clue about what Bassam was thinking and yet they somehow trusted his decisions. Mandras passed the rifle to Ligris and Ligris passed it to Bassam. Bassam took one look at the barking dogs and moved the selector button down to single fire. The Sith meter read twelve bursts left before a complete re-charge. There were at least six dogs down there and that meant twelve heads to kill.

Slowly and patiently Bassam used inner guidance to mark his targets. He then systematically killed each dog. With four well aimed shots he killed the two dogs in the shaft. As they fell, Bassam quickly marked and shot two dogs in the cross shafts as the last two jumped over the first dead pair and entered the shaft. Bassam hit them also and as all six dead dogs piled up at the base of the vertical shaft. Bassam could see the red flashers on their collars blinking.

The Z-4 was alerted by the sudden death of all six dogs and knew there would be a powerful detonation below the main tower. The Z-4 was confident that the prisoners would all be killed in the shafts, but did not take into account shaft #1 which was the Tower shaft which rose fifty feet to the base of the actual Tower gun defense system. Right now, Bassam, Ligris, and Mandras were crammed together at the top of the shaft with the dogs dead 50 feet below. They braced for the detonation which erupted exactly 15 seconds after the first dog was killed. The other dogs’ collars detonated with the first explosion and blew the shafts and roof support base to pieces.

Outside of Dandau, the nervous Grynd Cedes driver was jolted by the powerful explosion and watched as the entire sixty foot Main Tower was starting to break free of the Main Building and came crashing down directly for the Main Gate, exactly where the Cedes was parked. The Grynd had no time to start up the speedmaster and escape, so he just shut his eyes and awaited his inevitable death.

The Z-4 detected the explosion from the outside yard scanners and watched as the Main Tower collapsed from its base and fall right into the Main Gate creating a crumbling bridge from the Main Building all the way out to the street in front of the Main Gate. It was still intact but crumbling here and there.  The Lectrobars went dead as the striking Tower guns overloaded the gate and fence, blowing sections of it and knocking out the yard guns too. The Z-4 was certain the three prisoners had died in the blast but then saw a body emerge from the smoking end of the Tower base. It was Prisoner 003! Following him were Prisoners 002, and 001! The Z-4 watched as the trio mounted the collapsed Main Tower and walked across it like a bridge to freedom. Bassam was the first to climb down the Tower guns and landed right on the parked Cede’s hood! The Grynd driver who was still alive beneath the Tower’s inoperable guns was shocked… but then dropped down Ligris the bounty hunter, and finally the Great Madras himself. The Grynd watched as all three shook hands and hugged each other at which point the Grynd’s mouth dropped open wide.

Dandau’s security measures had failed and with it the Zux Z-4 supercomputer. Therefore, the machine set an auto destruct mechanism within itself and blew up the entire prison complex. Bassam, Ligris, Mandras, and the Grynd driver all watched as Dandau tore itself apart with detonations of the outer yard mines which killed the last Dibras- hurling them forty feet in the air and littering the streets with their mutilated bodies. The security fence fell inwards and the large Main Building went up in a massive fireball, throwing debris everywhere. Once the Main Building was destroyed the Main Tower fell backwards and crashed into what was left of the outer yard. Slowly, it cracked and crumbled to pieces as the four stood back and watched Dandau implode.

Smiling, the Great Mandras greeted the driver as he, Ligris, and Bassam Omenga hopped into the Cedes. Bassam leaned forward towards the Grynd driver and asked where he might find his ship Scaffaw. The driver clutched his heart and then fainted.

Ligris took over and immediately took Bassam back to the Mourners Shrine for a lesson in attempted genocide and its effect on the Grynd population. Meanwhile, Madras ordered that the Scaffaw be immediately re-activated and re-fueled for flight within one hour. The Grynd Historical Preservation Society was appalled and asked the Great Madras if he were mentally ill. The Great Madras reassured them that it was a global emergency and necessary. Maintenance workers and droids  swarmed the giant bird at the heart of the city as droves of Grynds came out to get a closer look at the Scaffaw- which looked like a giant white hursa with wings.

Today in Gog’s history books would be “another” Day of Remembrance… and possibly a Day of Redemption.