CHAPTER LI: INTO THE BELLY OF THE BEAST

The return trip back to Elysia had taken several precious hours, but Scaffaw was finally landing back at Vonderburg. Awaiting Bassam, Ligris, Laral, and his Warriors were masses of  Red and Gold Army troops with more equipment and, of course, Commander Braggs, Lady Kaliah, Kailen Saro, R2-A2 and BT-LR.

Commander Braggs and Lady Kaliah were dressed as Jedis, Kailen was busy loading Crytium tanks onto levitator units, while R2 and BT-LR stood in place like all droids and cyborgs do until given a duty to perform. Bassam studied his assault group and prayed to the sacred Orban not to fail. This group had to function as one in order to slay the Sith monster. Any lack of co-ordination or co-operation would lead to failure. Whether by the sacred Orban or this living life force, Bassam was praying for all of them. However, all was not hopeless. Scaffaw had passed all preliminary and secondary testing. She was a magnificent machine and would perform flawlessly when the time came. The Buras had also installed more powerful back-up shield generators in her massive hold. Direct hits from the Sith heavy guns, if any, would not damage the ship seriously with that much power reserve for the charge plating. But this was no time for pride. It was a time for personal humility for Bassam and of quiet introspection as his life flashed before him and all the wrong doings he had committed in his lifetime. He could have been a Prince of Peace, but instead was hated at worst and mistrusted at best. This time, he would have to prove himself to the entire galaxy. It was a great responsibility to lead all these people into a holy battle of good vs. the ultimate evil in the universe- the Sith.

On the ground, final preparations were underway, the last loads brought onboard within the last hour. Lines formed up at the base of the entrance ramp to Scaffaw and a royal red and gold carpet was rolled out for the final send-off. Along the line were: the Queen, Imperators Bevins and Davon, Commanders of the honorary Jedi Knights, and Red and Gold Army soldiers. Behind them were thousands of Whill workers who had stopped work to salute those that were about to attempt the impossible. Each departing member of the crew walked the line in ceremonial honor. Commander Braggs and Lady Kaliah were first, followed by Kailen Saro, and finally R2 and BT-LR. All were hailed as heroes and all were blessed by the populace and by Lady Anwar who read from the Holy Journal of Hope, “follow the light of your heart and the faith you need, you will receive.”
                                                                                                   - (Journal of Hope, Glory, passage 5:03)

By now, Slayer was on a direct intercept course for Elysia- less than nine hours away. At speed with the heavy load, Scaffaw would intercept the Slayer in roughly two hours. It would take another hour or so to break into the ship and from there several hours of infiltration and combat in a ship almost two miles long. Any delay in timing would be costly, yet they could not rush through the vast ship undetected. The DD-33s might pick up the Scaffaw upon approach and would detect the thumper once it was mag-locked to the Slayer’s hull. The armed droids would activate all known defenses but it was not clear what other obstacles the droids could throw into their path to stop them. Even Artoo could not project that. Certainly there would be complications, but they must be resolved quickly. Everyone would carry a com link and an alert com for distress. The group would split up into teams to accomplish various parts of the mission, meeting up in the bomb bay if everything went according to plan. Any rescue attempts once the mission was launched were to be aborted. All remaining groups must achieve the primary objective- delaying Red Sunset at all cost- even at the expense of lives. No exceptions.

Inside the colossus that was Slayer the noise of the power generation and Rekurium engines would overwhelm a human crew. So would the monitoring of over a million main and sub-systems that kept the mighty vessel operating with precision. The DD-33s had kept the unleashed monster on track for close to sixty-four hours and were heavily concentrated around the Main Bridge continuously tracking the Slayer’s proximity to the target Elysia. The R-Bomb was also continuously monitored both by the DD-33s and the massive Skeltors which routinely checked the manual suspension locks and release lock. The bomb bay had its own separate Bay Control Bridge which was interlinked to the Main Bridge. Course calculations, time projections, and the weapons grid were all priorities. All four hundred of the integrated T-Packs, staggered into four rows of fifty per bay door were to be fully charged at all times. Power and fuel supplies were ample, more than enough to do the job, but the DD-33s patrolled the giant vessel anyway scanning for any source of potential trouble that might jeopardize their mission. So far, all systems were green and no projections were given on potential problems- military encounters or internal malfunctions. If the DD-33s and Skeltors had been human, they would have sighed in relief.

But they were unaware that even now, Scaffaw was slowly creeping up on the Slayer with Artoo busy co-ordinating the precise landing area for the pulse thumper while BT-LR translated for the Bura crewman flying the ship. The sight of Slayer was incredible, like the tip of a giant arrow two miles long “cutting” through space on its trajectory towards Elysia. Yet the Buras did not marvel at the machine, their concentration locked on the precise maneuvering and velocity calculations needed to ensure the pulse thumper could lock into place on target. There was also the problem of the assault cylinder and its interlocking to the pulse thumper once the pulse thumper was locked into place. That cylinder had to be aligned as well. This was going to take a miracle, so the Buras started praying out loud. The BT-LR could not understand human behaviors like this; after all, as a cyborg, BT-LR rationalized that it all was a matter of precise timing and calculations. That is why the Sith had placed droids and mechanoids aboard their vessel- lack of emotional instability!

Below Scaffaw’s main bridge the Bura engineers were carefully securing the pulse thumper to the guiderail system that would take the thumper out to the crane line and then move it into place above the targeted area calculated by Artoo. Because the pulse thumper was much smaller than a conventional ground thumper there was no need to affix control lines to lower her onto the Slayer. Instead, once the thumper was aligned Scaffaw’s main grappling beam would take over and guide the thumper with precision onto the target.

The problem was with the assault cylinder that would host the raiding party. It did not possess the complex targeting system of the pulse thumper and, being manufactured by RSI of the Whills, the Buras could not guarantee a precision lock to the thumper’s main entry hatch. The assault cylinder would have to be manually lowered by control lines which required precise calculations that could not be performed by the R2 unit nor translated by the BT-LR cyborg since they would be aboard the assault cylinder themselves. The Bura star pilot, bay engineers, crane operator, and observer would all have to co-ordinate their efforts to manually guide the assault cylinder into place.

Everyone aboard knew the dangers as Bassam had explained the situation. Right now, everyone was preparing for action in the massive loading bay of the ship. Boman and Kali helped each other with their armor and weapons while Bassam, Laral, and Ligris all went through their weapons inventory. Bassam was bringing along a false imager, two Kasamirs, plenty of ammo, a handful of claw detonators, and his holy Orban. Laral was taking much the same, but it was his responsibility to carry both a tremblar and ALD-7. Ligris had no need of his Black Wave weapon because it would have no effect on machines; therefore, he had grabbed one of the Whills' SH-5 assault rifles, plenty of ammo, detonators, and four Coanda side-binders. Kailen was armed with of all things a Sith KA-47 Hailstorm! There were plenty of them captured back at Jeranu and she felt safer with the Sith weapon. She also carried a pouch of magnetic detonators. Ligris looked over at Kailen slinging the Sith weapon over her shoulder and, lifting his faceplate, asked her why she had brought that weapon along- it was a bad omen. Kailen laughed and said she didn’t believe in such things; besides, what better justice than to destroy a Sith weapon of mass destruction using their own weapons against them? Ligris was not amused. Neither was Bassam who was worried that the presence of two women here might jeopardize the mission. But Lady Kaliah was a battle maiden and Kailen was needed for her mechanical expertise in case of emergency. All were suited for combat and ready for the assault to begin.

The powerful repulsor lift carried the huge pulse thumper into place and the raiding party watched in anticipation of the beginning of their effort to save Elysia and the galaxy. Bassam beamed with pride and told everyone, “behold, the operations of the mighty Scaffaw!” Looking to the Bura engineers he ordered, “let the operation commence immediately!” The engineers secured the pulse thumper to the guide way rail runner and then the huge machine was making its way slowly past the raiders and behind an airlock door. The Scaffaw’s bay doors opened and everyone watched as the thumper was carried by rail runner onto an extension track and then swung onto the main crane rail line where it was locked into place by the Bura crane operator and observer. Artoo through BT-LR had given the precise co-ordinates to the Bura star pilot who now locked the ship into autopilot and activated the targeting mechanism which tracked the sensors located on the thumper’s four massive lander legs that would unfold shortly during the descent.

The crane operator was moving the pulse thumper into place directly below him for precise navigation and then activated the main grappling beam which targeted one of the nearest lock lugs located around a safety ring that ran the entire diameter of the pulse thumper. With a touch of a button the grappling beam locked onto the thumper while the crane operator disengaged and released the securing mechanism. For a second or two the thumper swung free drifting a bit to the left and right and then once the grappling beam intensified it was held firmly in place as it descended towards the target location programmed by Artoo. The thumper’s four lander legs unfolded and began signaling immediately. Everyone watched the view screens with anxiety. Scaffaw was directly above and slightly behind the Slayer’s Main Bridge buried in the vessel’s structure. Speed and heading were evenly matched, automated almost as well as the DD-33 controlled Slayer.

After a harrowing ten minutes the tension was over as the pulse thumper set down softly on the Slayer’s hull and signaled a precise target lock. The grappling beam disengaged as the unfolded lander legs mag-locked onto the obsidian hyper plating with no problems. But then sensors imbedded in the hull of the Slayer picked up a disturbance to the outer hull aft of the Main Bridge at point EA35. No damage was done to the hull, so the DD-33s attributed the disturbance to space debris and returned to monitoring the ship’s vital operations. No alarms sounded… yet.

Now the hard part came. Bassam led his raiding party into the assault cylinder made by RSI into which the Gold Army had help load four Crytium tanks with attached levitators. The Crytium tanks might be needed to destroy vital equipment inside the Slayer so they were loaded along with all manner of assault gear, rappelling lines, vision devices, and anything else RSI had thought might ensure the mission’s success. The assault cylinder, therefore, was extremely crowded with three humans, two Buras, one Kraal, one droid, and one cyborg.  The fact that everyone was now committed to executing this mission made Kailen sick. She thought she was going to vomit, but Ligris held her tight as the Bura engineer secured the airlock door and attached the ball mount. Everyone tried to relax as the unit rose with the repulsor lift and then slid onto the guiderail which then took them out of the bay with a slow ride to the main rail runner. Once locked onto the main rail line the Bura crane operator guided them to directly below his position and then secured the ball mount for safety before lowering the lift lines carefully via view screen and mag-locking them into place at four connection points above the crew compartment. Slowly, the assault cylinder was lowered with the crane operator carefully waiting for the transponders to become active once the assault cylinder was within range of the pulse thumper. A minute or so passed and then the pinging of the transponders was heard. This was good news for all concerned, especially the raiding party inside the cylinder.

Once the transponders aligned properly then a signal tone would sound. The assault cylinder was now coming down close and the transponder was still pinging. The crane operator was carefully shifting the lines until the signal tone sounded. As soon as it did, then the assault cylinder was guided carefully by sound until it mag-locked onto the thumpers main hatch. The mating had been a success and everyone shouted for joy. The crane operator then signaled the star pilot to keep the ship on autopilot, matching the velocity and heading of Slayer.

Only this time, the imbedded sensors had picked up the disturbance again in area EA35 and now warning flashers and alarms were sounding all over the ship. The DD-33s analysed the disturbance, but it was minor. No visual equipment was mounted on the outer hull, nothing that could be knocked out, the imbedded hull sensors the only equipment set into the obsidian block hull. Their lone function was to report a hull breach or unusual activity on the hull. Right now something was wrong at area EA35. Armed DD-33s were sent to investigate below that area of the hull in a space largely open- part of the blast door protection system in case of catastrophic core detonations. There was nothing there except reinforced obsidian blocks stacked loosely. The DD-33s raced to the nearest Levi-train and traveled by conduit tunnel to the nearest corridor leading to the area. Upon reaching the area no sign of hull degradation was detected. This was reported back to the Main Bridge.

Meanwhile, with the assault cylinder securely in place, Bassam ordered everyone to wear protective earpieces and secure themselves tightly in a seated position. The pulse thumper’s ramming would shake the assault cylinder unmercifully. Bassam only hoped that it took no more than four to six rams to breach the hull so as not to dislodge the assault cylinder. Inside the assault cylinder Bassam held the pulse thumper’s controller and lowered his head as he pushed the initiate button. The pulse rings powered up quickly with powerful rhythmic humming.

The DD-33s under area EA35 were about to return back to their stations when the first strike hit. The pulse thumper was an lectromagnetic driven type with a Viktalen ramming ball with a conductive coating. Having been lectromagnetically pulled to the top of the thumper the ball was hyper-accelerated into the obsidian hull of Slayer and impacted with such force that eight feet of armor was smashed. The noise of the impact shook the assault cylinder and was heard by everyone despite the earpieces. It was a deafening crash and the DD-33s were almost knocked over by the force of impact. Sensors now detected a hull collapse in area EA35 and reinforcements were sent in. The DD-33s in the area reported that the armored ceiling was bulging downward and that… suddenly… CRASH!!!… a second impact hit and this time both DD-33s were downed. Another eight feet of obsidian armor was crushed under the Viktalen ball rammer and sections of the armored ceiling began to crack. DD-33 repair mechanoid reinforcements poured into the Levi-trains which were also rocked by the impacts with reverberations that felt like use of explosives. A Levi-train was in a conduit tunnel when the third impact hit. A powerful CRASH!!! And the Levi-train was flung sideways sending the mechanoids slamming into cars and damaging  many of them beyond repair. The armored roof was now caving in and small sections of thick cast obsidian armor rained down on the DD-33s down on the deck. They were being crushed by the weight of tons of obsidian armor- twenty four feet now plowed through by the rammer which impacted a fourth time. The crash of this ram dislodged the ceiling armor and crushed the DD-33s into scrap metal. Those DD-33s in the corridor were tossed around like metal cans with several of the sector control guns malfunctioning and firing on the DD-33s which erupted in flames of burning debris.

Chaos was reigning in the Main Bridge as a complete hull collapse was imminent in area EA35. The DD-33s frantically tried to dispatch armed droids to the area to repulse any intruders but it was too late. A final fifth thump smashed right through the obsidian armor and the Vikatalen ball dropped through a gaping hole ten feet in diameter and plummeted to the deck fifty feet below. At this point the Main Bridge ordered the area sealed as shields raised up in all connecting corridors. Those DD-33s that did make it into the area in time were trapped in the chamber now amidst twisted and bent obsidian armor scattered on the deck and blocking their movements. The DD-33s waited to see what would emerge from the gaping hole in the ceiling.

The wouldn’t have to wait long as everyone in the assault cylinder tried to recover from the vibrations of the thumper and removed their earpieces. The noise had been devastating. Bassam was surprised that no one had been injured or had perforated eardrums. But at last they could unsecure themselves and now move from the assault cylinder into the thumper’s main hatch. Bassam ordered Ligris and Boman to bring rappelling gear. Kailen and Lady Kaliah were to activate the Crytium tank levitators and interlink them for transport. R2 and BT-LT were to follow behind. Laral would accompany Bassam up front, weapons at the ready. Slowly, they collected their gear and once the cylinder and thumper were stabilized the raiding party moved from the assault cylinder into the thumper’s entry hatch which led to the pulse core which was now empty of the Viktalen rammer. The lectromagnetic pulsers were shut down and the core was dark.

Peering down into the gaping hole, it was obvious that they would have to rappel down to the deck, not knowing what was waiting for them. Bassam ordered Laral to go first and to place bio-luminous lighting sticks on the armor walls as he slowly descended. Laral secured his line while Ligris and Boman carefully lowered him down into the unknown. Slowly descending, Laral attached the bio-sticks every five feet. They glowed bright blue and lit up the hole but Laral could not see the deck yet nor what was waiting there. With one hand he lowered himself and placed the sticks while holding his slung Kasamir by his right side to fire once fired upon. Down he went… 10 feet… 20 feet… then at 30 feet he could hear noises coming from the deck. He com linked to Bassam to stop the lowering.

Ten DD-33s had managed to survive the jolting of the ship and were locked in area EA35. Scanning upwards they could see a faint blue light emanating from the gaping hole and were now all preparing to fire at anything that attempted to come through it. The noise Laral heard was the DD-33 gun external compartments opening with extenders armed with turbo pulse guns set on auto-lock. Each DD-33 held two of them, twenty guns in all.

Laral could sense the danger and stopped short at 33 feet. His field of vision was not that good as he still had about five more feet to go to discover the armed DD-33s, but he grabbed his Kasamir anyway and fired a short burst into the deck below. Immediately the twenty guns erupted and Laral immediately com linked to be pulled back up several feet as the ricocheting hyper-rounds were striking all around his feet. Fortunately, the DD-33s were blocked by obsidian armor debris and several crushed droids. Their fire was disruptive at best, but there was no way to drop down into that fire barrage. Bassam pondered the problem for a moment and then ordered that the tremblar be brought down. Carefully, a second line was thrown down and the tremblar lowered down with it to Laral. He knew what to do.

Aiming the device at the deck below, Laral fired the device which shook the deck sending the DD-33s off balance. A second shot and many of them had fallen over. Firing still continued from the DD-33s farthest away near the sealed corridors and Laral judged that the armed droids were vunerable to this kind of attack. Laral stuck three more times in rapid succession until no more shots were fired. He tugged on the line to be lowered down quickly and this time he descended very quickly into the Slayer’s cavernous interior. Laral landed on the debris but quickly moved behind one of the solid obsidian blocks. He could see several DD-33s downed and a few remaing upright but malfunctioning. Laral aimed his Kasamir and took out those he could see. He counted four destroyed and four more struggling to get back up. No more were in sight and all firing had stopped. Laral ordered that the tremblar be lowered and his weapons casing.

Bassam was about to do that when Kailen discovered that RSI had included an absorption device. With joy she announced it to Bassam, “Hey, RSI has given us an absoption dampener! We don’t need the rappelling lines at all. Once this is activated it will automatically fill with a bio-gelatinous material and we can jump right onto it. Whill military and civilian fire fighting crews use these all the time for jumpers!” Bassam was a bit skeptical, but ordered it lowered down to Laral who was instructed to place it under the hole, unfold it, and then pull the hand grip until it released from the device. Laral did as instructed and the absoption dampener expanded rapidly filling with a gelatinous material that spontaneously reacted with the small amount of chemicals in the dampener. It filled to a large diameter and was very firm yet cushiony. Laral tried it out by jumping onto it. It was completely safe… but to make sure Laral com linked to Bassam and asked him to drop the weapons casings first. They landed with barely a sound-all intact. After all the weapons and equipment had been dropped, it was time for everyone else to jump.

Bassam decided the females were lightest and should go first. Lady Kaliah jumped, then a reluctant Kailen. All went well. Next went Ligris who despite his 300 lbs landed without incident. He was followed by Boman. Artoo rolled forward and landed sensor eye down, but was quickly brought back up by Ligris and Boman. The BT-LR started to protest with Bassam. “Sir, might I inquire if there might be a more dignified method of descent?” Bassam urged the cyborg to lean forward, “Come closer and I will tell you a secret.” The BT-LR was surprised and responded, “Very good Sir.” As he leaned over, Bassam told him to look down into the hole. The BT-LR couldn’t wait to find out what the secret was. Bassam then told him, “If you had wings you could fly down there, but since not… Bassam pushed the cyborg forward which yelled for help as it hit the absoption dampener intact. The BT-LR was in shock, but Artoo quickly criticized him. That brought the cyborg back to life and an argument soon started. Things were returning to normal!

Bassam remained in the hatch and then slowly set the Crytium tanks to auto-descend to the deck. Crytium liquid was deadly, so these units had to be carefully handled. Bassam warned everyone in advance and sent them down one-by-one. Two sensor eyes watched the intruders and reported all their activity back to the Main Bridge. The DD-33s ordered the two remaining hidden droids to maintain their position and report all activities so that a plan could be devised to destroy the intruders.