Chapter 26: Thot Ni'mai
Bothawui-9
BOTHAWUI-9 was the second-most prolific arms manufacturing world in Bothan space and the largest exporter of RIS armour. Most of the planet's five billion inhabitants resided in the temperate lowland regions of the Northern and Southern hemisphere.
The planet's sparsely-populated alpine regions were the perfect location for weapons research—in the summer. In the long Bothawui winters, even a small explosive could set off an uncontrolled avalanche. For this reason, among others, Thot Ni'mal was completely baffled when he received an emergency call saying his research village was under attack.
On the news he had seen footage of nuclear explosions detonating on the edge of Botha'ahir's exclusion zone; footage of the Republic fleet jumping to Bothawui. When he saw those at first, all he could think was those stupid redneck dome-heads are going to piss off the whole Republic.
Now, he had received a message that the Republic was attacking his village specifically.
Why are they attacking us? We did not attack them! Botha'ahir did.
Thot Ni'mai was the leader of Clan Amai, Director of Thrask Research, and Mayor of Varnek. He was far too busy to be under attack.
Tarkin's least favourite Bothan was frightened and angry. The red furred Bothan gasped at the hologram in his office "Zo sju proteka uswu?" [Who will protect us?]
[We are working on it,] growled Bothawui's junior Senator, Polo Se'lab.
[Working on it?! Thrask Industries research centres are here! We can't be under attack here. We are busy this time of year! Who the hell—]
[—Don't have time. It's a rogue element within the Republic far too close to the Chancellor. Stop all of your work. You need to get everyone away from Mount Thrask, and into the shelter.]
[Away from Mount Thrask? Ni'mai gasped in shock.
"Grum," Se'lab growled grimly in Bothese, using the Clan Leader title, [we are nearly certain that their plan is to fire Doonium Slugs at the mountain to destabilise the shields.]
Thot Ni'mai's fur pressed into his body in fear. [Who the hell would do that?! They are going to kill—]
[—Not if you get them into the shelter, Grum. You have less than forty minutes. Hopefully, I'll come up with something by then," Polo Se'lab sighed. "You'll have time to be angry later. For now, warn—]
[—I know how to do my job Senator,] Ni'mai snarled impatiently.
Useless kriffing Senator, Ni'mai thought angrily to himself after he called the chief of police. The Senator is supposed to represent us. To help make sure things like sanctions don't happen to us. The fact we are under attack means he has failed more spectacularly than I could have possibly imagined.
At the Combined Clans Council three years ago, Thot Ni'mai had voted against Polo Se'lab. Now he was more certain than ever that this Bothan was too young and too incompetent. A Senator at just eighteen years old! This is Bothawui not Naboo!
He swore under his breath angrily, then pressed the intercom for the entire Thrask Research complex. [We are evacuating to the town shelter. We have intelligence that suggests rogue elements of the Republic will be using weapons of mass destruction to—] kriff I shouldn't sound too alarmist [—weapons to penetrate the shield. We have twenty-five minutes to evacuate the eastern slopes of the city and head for shelter. Security team, meet me at the main entrance.]
All right… I'll take my datapad with me and only what I should carry. KRIFF!The Bothan hit the intercom button again with a panicky wave of his hand and snarled in Bothese, [take only what you can carry!]
Once Ni'mai stepped into the hallway and saw the panicky crowds of scientists and engineers hurrying along, self-doubt began to flood his mind. A more popular Bothan would have a calming presence. They don't trust me enough, so they are afraid. They don't think I can help them.
At the main entrance, Ni'mai stood to the right of the door to allow the panicky evacuees to continue out. The police and mountain rescue teams seemed to be doing a better job than he had anticipated. As he looked up, he could see airspeeders flying in orderly lines in the direction of Varnek hospital and the Varnek shelter. The shield was still standing and snow fell heavily through it.
The Thrask Research Centre was a large building, shaped like Bothese Cyrillic Э letter when looked down upon from the sky. Behind it, sat the Varnek shield generator—a state of the art VZ-21 deflector shield that was active all winter long for its climate control properties. When the alpine wind was blowing 100 km/h outside the shield, it would be blowing less than 20 km/h within.
Looming behind the generator, and the Research Centre, were the grey pyramid-shaped estates of the town's wealthiest inhabitants, overlooking the rest of the settlement. Ni'mai could see his own house from where he stood. Above it all, sat the pointed summit of Thrask.
Ni'mai picked up his datapad and dialled his husband. He spoke urgently into it in a breathy voice, "Hakorsk, erz woks tham?" [Hakorsk, are you there?]
"Kiz," Hakorsk replied. He continued in Bothese, [I am already in the town shelter, they are saying—]
[—Good,] Ni'mai sighed in relief. [I will be there shortly.]
His chief of security and niece's husband, Morst Ni'skar, hurriedly exited the building. He was dressed from shoulders to toe in white and red Mark-7 RIS armour, carrying his helmet and a Boola Carbine. [Sir, we need to hurry,] Ni'skar growled cautiously in his Dressel-accented Bothese.
Morst Ni'skar had dark brown fur that contrasted with his almost yellow eyes, a black mane. At nearly two meters, he was far too tall for Ni'mai to approve of.
As tall as a human, Ni'mai always thought. [Where is the rest of your team?] he growled back impatiently.
[Grum, they are helping the police to evacuate the slope,] Morst replied, his fur swirled nervously.
Ni'mai had a flash of rage and began snarling. [I said—ugh… You're right,] he sighed. [I was actually going to order you all to do that. I am glad you took the initiative.]
[Thank you, sir,] Morst said. [But we really need to get you out of here. Have you heard from Asir?]
[I was about to call her,] Ni'mai growled dialling his niece. She had joined the Varnek police a year ago. The datapad rang several times and no one picked up. [I'll drive,] Ni'mai snarled. [Maybe she'll pick up if you call her.]
The two crossed the grounds towards Ni'mai's landspeeder.
On an emotional level, Ni'mai still did not understand how this Askar was now a member of his family. He still had difficulty imagining Morst in the picture with Asir even though they had been together for two years now.
Intellectually, Thot Ni'mai understood. Off-worlders were exotic and easily drew attention to themselves. His niece had simply fallen for this big stupid Askar. Thot Ni'mai would have been more comfortable with it all if Morst had joined the Amai Clan instead of dragging his daughter into the Askar Clan. This Askar changed his family name to hers as a 'compromise' and then Asir just joined his clan! That's not right!
As they hovered through the snowy streets of Varnek, Morst sighed when Asir did not pick up for him either. [She's probably busy sir, we all are.]
[Yes, but she should be busy near or in the shelter,] Ni'mai snarled. [We are going to be even more busy once this stupid attack is over.]
[Sir, respectfully,] the large Askar growled, [that is for me to worry about. I am her husband.]
[And I am a Clan Leader,] Ni'mai snarled. [It is my responsibility to—AAHH!] the red-furred Amai yelped as the bottom of his speeder scraped a snowdrift.
Morst began laughing, then suppressed his laughter under Ni'mai's glare. [She can take care of herself sir. You may be Clan leader, but she is in my Clan now.]
[Don't remind me,] Ni'mai growled.
Two blocks away from the shelter the street was packed with abandoned speeders. Many panicking Bothans were violating the rules, parking in the middle of the road.
Ni'mai pulled to the side and parallel parked under a large, typical, motivational billboard featuring a smiling Bothan celebrity with a cocky grin. The caption read "ЭРЗ-ТОЛСКЎОКС!" YOU ARE AWESOME!
A few stragglers were running along the sidewalk in a panic. Ni'mai put his beanie on over his cold ears and walked cautiously on the sidewalk, afraid of slipping and falling.
A minute later, the previously white cloudy sky suddenly glowed orange. The snow began to fall as a mix of rain and slush. Steam began rising from all of the snow piles. Everything felt warmer.
Both of the Bothans swore and turned around, looking at Mount Thrask. A bright glow fell from the sky accompanied by not just one sonic boom, but a repeated thunder of sonic booms, emanating from a spot above where they could see the object. It looked like a comet but burned much dimmer.
When glow reached the pinnacle of Mount Thrask, the mountaintop disappeared in a cloud of dust. A crack formed down the entire slope and a ripple formed on the shield. Ni'mai yelped in terror as Morst tackled him to the ground, squashing him under his bulky RIS armour.
Morst stammered, [Sir, we need to duck and—]
—Windows shattered and alarms went off. It was the loudest sound Ni'mai had ever heard. Dirty snow blew off the sidewalk and clean snow blew off all of the sloped rooftops above. The crunching noise of an avalanche and rockslide began rumbling through the shield. At the foothills of Mount Thrask, buildings began disappearing under the torrent of snow and rock. The shield turned off.
Morst pulled Ni'mai to his feet. Ni'mai's ears were ringing. He could not hear Morst's voice but could see his snout opening and closing. KRIFF I MUST BE DEAF! I MUST BE DEAF! I AM TOO IMPORTANT TO BE DEAF!
Ni'mai hung his head sadly, touching his face as if trying to pat his hearing back to working order. [AHH! Stop yelling so loudly!] he screamed at Morst as his hearing returned.
[Sorry sir,] Morst growled. [I did not mean to hurt your ears but that was—wait,] he picked up his datapad.
Asir's voice came through it. [LET ME TALK TO HER!] Ni'mai snarled.
Morst held his hand out dismissively in front of Ni'mai, flashing the lazy Spacer hand gesture for [just wait one moment.]
The Biting wind began blowing through the town and the smell of the air changed to gunpowder. Grey ash began falling, mixing with the snow.
Ni'mai began snarling the moment Morst handed him the datapad. [ASIR, GET TO THE SHELTER! That's an order to you and the other cops.]
[Uncle Thot, we are getting air support from Kas'shtarn. We intend to defend the city. Republic LAATs are closing in on the plaza—]
[—get down here!] Ni'mai snarled furiously in Bothese.
[We are moving in on one! An LAAT is down! I say again, we have shot down one LAAT! We are going to arrest these scumbags—]
—Ni'mai snarled obscenities. [STOP IT! GET OVER HERE!]
[Uncle, I can't hear you. You are far too staticky. Asir Ni'skar out.]
Ni'mai was livid.
[Sir, I am requesting permission to rescue Asir.]
[Of course,] Ni'mai snarled. [I am coming with you. She started acting like an Askar—this is your fault!]
[Have you ever fired a blaster?] Morst asked as he put his helmet on. He ignored Ni'mai's hissy fit.
[I design blasters for a living! You rednecks just shoot them!]
[You did not answer my question,] Morst said sternly in Bothese, his voice echoing from his helmet. [These invaders are probably going to want to capture you. I will bring Asir and the other cops back,] he growled. [Go to the bunker and do your job as Clan leader. You wonder why you aren't the favourite when—]
[—ENOUGH!] Ni'mai snarled, [you don't get to order me around—]
[—if you have so much of problem with it, I can move to back Thelus with Asir. I am growing weary of your prejudice, sir,] Morst growled, folding his armoured arms.
[Fine I'll go to the bunker,] Ni'mai sighed defeated.
[Glad to hear it sir,] Morst said, the electronics in his suit clicking on as it connected with his brain. [I will keep my channel open to the emergency radio and when I find the cops, I will get them to do it too. You can coordinate us if you wish.]
[Get Asir back to safety,] Ni'mai said sternly.