Chapter 33: Lir Sey'les

MGX-93776

The room is shaking. Staring up at the ceiling, Sey'les blinked in surprise. Loose pebble of ferrocrete rained down from the ceiling, coating her in dust. Sey'les shot straight up in bed and instantly regretted it. The tube coming out of her side, connecting to the hemodialysis pump, chafed painfully against her skin and fur.

Everything began shaking harder. The springs of her mattress creaked as more dust rained down from the ceiling. Muffled panicky yells erupted in every direction. Then, the shaking stopped. The muffled yells were replaced with muffled grumbling.

A dim red light suddenly shone through her narrow window. The hyperspace light in the sky had been blocked out by clouds of ashes since before Sey'les woke from her coma.

"What the kriff just happened?" Sey'les groaned, shielding her eyes from the light with her arm.

o.o.o.o.o

The Rodian Padawan addressed the officers assembled in the strategic planning room. Most were Clones, but also present were a few human non-Clone officers, as well as Fojo, Itoll, and Sey'les. Bafflingly to Sey'les, also in attendance were three Koorivars in thick yellow coats, and a medical droid.

"Well, it is warming up," Ekos said, optimism in his tone as he shivered slightly, wrapped in a thick red snow coat. "Do you know what this means?"

"That you are coming out of the Scaley Scape, sir," a Spick, flight officer of the LAAT wing, yelled enthusiastically. He looked like he had consumed several cafs. "I am glad to see it, sir."

"Thank you, Spick," Ekos said in a somewhat dismissive tone. "No—Well yes. Yes, Spick, it is now safe for me to be indoors on the surface level, with the heaters on. But, more importantly… Really? Do none of you know what it means?"

Itoll, whose snout had been smacked with a cloud of grey dust giving him an uncharacteristically dirty appearance, looked like he wanted to say something. Yet, his fur swirled nervously.

"We're kriffed," Sey'les grunted indifferently. "We're all kriffed."

"Excuse me Captain?" Ekos gasped in affront.

The crowd in the room shuffled uncomfortably. Scowling, Itoll shook his head angrily. Sey'les stop!

"We are kriffed, sir," Sey'les corrected herself, fur beginning to stand on end in anger as she faced the fourteen-year-old Padawan. "The sky is red, and it is warming up. We are flying straight into a star or some shtak. If the Republic can't rescue us, we are going to roast alive. The LAATs—"

"—Actually," one of the Koorivars interrupted, "you are correct that it is a star that we are seeing, but we are in orbit."

Sey'les held her snout open in amazement.

"Yes, the gravitational measurements from three points across the city confirm it. Unless the instruments at the Polytechnic and Joint-Base Golshten-Myyydril are both wrong, the planet is indeed in a stable orbit."

A wave of relief spread over the room. One of the Clones on the other side of the central holoprojector slapped another on the back with a congratulatory pat as if he had done something to make the planet go into orbit. Excited human chattering and muttering soon drowned out every other concern. Even Sey'les felt a weight lifted off her shoulders. We are going to survive.

"LISTEN UP!" Ekos screamed at the top of his lungs.

Sey'les winced, feeling a wave of anger wash over her. The room was suddenly muffled. The only things she could hear was Ekos's petulant squeaky voice, and her own breathing. The first time she had experienced something like this with Jan-Ca Suldor, she was terrified. This time, she felt nervous, but very much tired of it.

"The planet is warming up. Permacrete that was contracted during the cold will expand. Some buildings might fall. Beyond the shield, it got even colder than in here! What does that mean?" Ekos surveyed the crowd, eyes narrowed, ready to spring yet another question.

"Commander, if I may," one of the Koorivar said nervously. Once Ekos nodded, the Koorivar continued. "Most of the life on the planet has likely gone extinct. We have no idea what this will mean for the planet's carbon cycle, nor whether there will even be a carbon cycle."

"Sir?" one of the Clones croaked nervously in Ekos's direction.

"Doctor," the Korrivar corrected, facing the Clone as if the question had been addressed to him. "Yes?"

"Doctor," the Clone asked more calmly. "What is a 'carbon cycle'?"

Standing next to the Koorivar, Itoll put his palm up to his forehead as if to massage a headache.

"Well, it's quite simple really…"

Most of the Clone and non-Clone officers stood idly by, patiently listening to this Dr Koorivar who had yet to introduce himself. Ear batting with annoyance, Sey'les glared across the room to Itoll. Who knows how long this will take? At this point, the Koorivar was twirling his pointer finger, drawing a helix shape in the air.

Itoll returned her eye contact and sighed reluctantly. He turned to Dr Koorivar. "Doctor Myrr," he said, interrupting the Koorivar mid-sentence. The tension in the room increased tenfold. Everyone turned to Itoll. "As you said, respectfully, time is of the essence."

"Lieutenant Commander," Ekos screeched huffily. "Get to the point."

"Sorry sir," Itoll stammered. "It's just that we really don't need to know how the carbon cycle works to do our jobs."

Sey'les shifted slightly, adjusting the weight of her hemodialysis pump backpack, then yelled "HOOOAH!"

No one said a word. Fur twirling with embarrassment, she glared at Itoll, who glared back, face scrunched in the start of a snarl.

For a moment, Sey'les thought Itoll was going to berate her. Instead, he shook his head, then turned back to Dr Koorivar—Dr Myrr apparently. "That information on the Carbon Cycle is available on our datapads anyways. I suggest, sir, Commader Ekos, I suggest we start delegating tasks instead of explaining the situation to everyone."

"Good idea," Ekos exclaimed, holding a finger into the air. "Do that! Briefing adjourned!"

o.o.o.o.o

As the crowd spilled out of the briefing room, a few Wookiees lurked by, attempting to eavesdrop on the briefing. Sey'les wondered whose idea it was to not brief a single Wookiee.

A few of the Clone Officers found the article on Carbon Cycles on their datapads. One of them enthusiastically screamed "Marvellous!"

This is just too much stupid. As Sey'les walked down the hall, her fur twitched with annoyance. Whose idea was it to make a fourteen-year-old a Commander?

Too much stupid for one morning! Sey'les began walking faster, panting as she made a beeline for the mess hall. Too stupid to handle without a caf.

o.o.o.o.o

Four hours went by.

To Sey'les's pleasant surprise, Itoll did not put Team Muun on welfare check-ups and refuse collection. Instead, they were to escort Dr Myrr beyond the safety of the Azagor City shield, to check on the condition of the environment.

"I have never worked with a Bothan before," Myrr said, as he and Team Muun arrived at their RTT-04 transport.

In the dim red light, the six members of Team Muun and one Koorivar wore spacesuits up to their shoulders and carried helmets. Sey'les, Wulf, and the Clones wore cold weather beanies atop their heads, while Myrr wore a sock of some sort over his horn.

A Clone engineer stepped down from the top of the RTT-04 and gave Sey'les a brisk salute. "Captain, we got the engine started. She should be good to go."

Scrunching her face in the bitter cold wind, Sey'les returned the salute. "Thank you, Corporal."

"Do you want to practice driving a bigger vehicle?" Wulf asked, holding up the keys.

Sey'les's ears batted in annoyance.

"You drive, Trooper," Dub grunted

"Yes sir," Wulf said with mock enthusiasm, stepping into the side door.

The rest of Team Muun followed suit. As she took a seat next to Wulf in the cockpit, Sey'les instinctively reached for her backpack, to set her hemodialysis pump down. Nope. It is in my space suit. She sighed in relief. For the first time since waking up in the hospital, she didn't have to worry about the tube connecting to her artificial kidney.

Wulf smiled as he revved the engine. "Oh sorry," he stammered, catching Sey'les's eye. "It's just well, ma'am, you haven't looked happy in a while."

Sey'les blinked in surprise and straightened the smirk on the tip of her snout. She pressed the comm button the dashboard. "Muun Leader to Actual, we are all inside and ready to go. Power cells are charged to 81%. Temperature outside is -31."

Ekos' voice squeaked out of the dashboard over a tone of static. "All right Muun Leader, you may proceed to the edge of the city. If conditions become too hostile, return to the shields."

"You don't need to tell me twice, sir," Sey'les grunted, terminating the line. "All right, Dr Myrr, you need to—"

"—Apologies Captain," Myrr winced, struggling to tug his seatbelt over his space suit.

Knot unbuckled himself and tugged Myrr's belt close.

"Thank you!"

"Don't mention it," Knot replied darkly, unable to hide his suspicions. Like Sey'les, Knot had spent most of the time during the hyperspace cataclysm in intensive care. Shortly after being released for duty, he was thrust into working with the formerly-Separatist inhabitants of Azagor without so much as a meal with them to get acquainted.

Wulf engaged the drive, hovering the RTT-04 out of the icy lot. Under the dim red light emanating from the thick clouds, the streets were abuzz with activity.

Grand Army of the Republic vehicles, mostly TX-130s and Juggernauts, hovered and rolled down the streets. The multispecies residents of the apartment blocks ambled outside in lines, wearing thick coats, while Republic medical personnel checked up on them. Yet, amidst the otherwise improving situation, in front of a few of the apartments, body bags were lined in rows.

"Wow. Minus forty outside and the Wookiees are still… Wow!" Wulf took his eyes off the road for a moment, craning his neck as he stared out the side window. "How cold can it get before they freeze their asses off?!"

"Hmmm…" Sey'les muttered, looking at the thermometer. "Actually, minus fifty here. I dunno. Never asked Woshyrryagh, or Archumagh… Or Yarua." She looked out the window thoughtfully as they passed a parked Juggernaut. In the subzero temperatures, unclothed Wookiees were hauling crates of provisions from the Juggernaut into the nearest apartment. "Maybe next time Woshyrryagh comes by to visit, I can ask him. Assuming we survive this and get back to Coruscant."

"Huh," Wulf grunted, with more than a hint of jealously. "Next time Woshyrryagh comes to visit—"

"—Hold that thought," Sey'les interrupted strategically. As the barrier loomed closer outside, she pressed the comm. "Muun Leader to Actual, we are approaching the barrier. Holding position ten meters beyond to take measurements."

"Echo one here," Itoll's voice growled onto the comm. "You may proceed as planned."

"Copy that," she said professionally. "Muun Leader out."

Wulf tapped all twenty of his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel, looking very much like he wanted to say something.

Unbuckling from her seat, she ignored him, spinning around to face the rest of Team Muun and Dr Myrr. "Helmets on everyone. The temperature here is even lower than in the city, so we can expect… Well… Cold."

Dr Myrr snorted, laughing aloud for a moment, then caught himself. "I am—I am sorry Captain," he stammered.

"It's all right," Sey'les muttered bitterly, holding her helmet in two hands. As she lowered it onto her shoulders, an audible hiss sounded off, then she turned on her helmet comm. "This is Muun Leader, do you read me?"

"I read you," Wulf sighed.

"I read you," Knot, Dub, and Dubs said in unison.

"I read you loud and clear!" Grath yelled enthusiastically.

"Do you—" Sey'les looked at Dr Myrr. The Koorivar's mouth was moving nearly voicelessly. Even with her Bothan ears, Sey'les could only hear a faint muffled Koorivar mumble through her helmet. "Dub, help Dr Myrr!"

"On it, ma'am," Dub said, grabbing Dr Myrr's wrist. He pointed to the comm button, which Myrr promptly pressed.

"That's better," the Koorivar sighed in relief, then looked around to everyone staring at him expectantly. "Oh right!" he began fumbling with a series of gizmos and datapads under his seat. Then he withdrew a two-meter-long pole. "Ready when you are!"

After a brief set of instructions, followed by her team yelling "Hooah," Sey'les and Team Muun stepped out into the cold. Beyond the forcefield, the red daylight seemed a bit brighter, but all of their instruments told them it was colder.

"Minus seventy-eight now," Wulf whistled onto the comm. "Captain, do you think Woshyrryagh would freeze his ass off at seventy-eight below zero?"

"Wulf!" Sey'les yelped. "This isn't—You know better. Stop."

"He's right," Dubs said, looking at his wrist-mounted datapad.

"WHAT?!" Sey'les snarled, clenching her gloved hand into a fist.

"No ma'am! Sorry!" Dubs stammered. "I meant the temperature!"

The visor of Sey'les's helmet was now fogging over. I almost punched Dubs. What am I thinking? Shtak. Get rid of distractions. "Wulf, get back to the transport and wait."

"Yes ma'am," the Ardennian muttered bitterly.

Sey'les did not need to turn around to make sure he was listening. About time, she thought, as she stared ahead at the forcefield barrier. Now closer to the edge, she could see a pile of snow, ash, and debris, a meter or so tall, squashed against the forcefield forming an eerie cliffside.

"It's a wonder we lost to the Republic at all," Myrr chuckled bitterly, breaking the awkward silence.

"The kriff is that supposed to mean?" Sey'les retorted, fur twitching in annoyance.

Myrr spoke next in a disarming tone. "Just… Never mind, sorry Captain, didn't mean anything by it."

"Good," she grunted, looking down at the datapad mounted to her wrist. The temperature displayed was now -89.2º. Colder than the coldest winter on Bothawui. "My display shows minus eighty-nine, confirm."

"Mine shows a hundred and two below zero," Myrr said grimly, standing ahead of directly at the shield barrier. "Proceeding to take a manual temperature reading."

Sey'les and the Clones gathered around behind him expectantly. The Koorivar thrust the pole through the shield barrier, then held it still for a moment, staring at the datapad affixed at the end.

"It is to be expected," Myrr explained without being asked. "The closer we get to the shield boundary, the colder it will be. Without the warmth of the town generator or buildings, the surrounds are much colder than Azagor." The shield rippled outwards from the pole as if it were water.

Sey'les stared at the shield, momentarily mesmerised by the red light beyond and the ripples.

"Blast that's cold," Dubs exclaimed, looking over Myrr's shoulder. "How could anything have survived out there?"

"A hundred and thirty five below zero," Myrr reported. "That is about as warm as we expected, twenty-six degrees warmer than our instrumental estimates showed yesterday. Good, the planet's warming up. Captain, you are going to want to report that."

"Copy," Sey'les said, switching comm channels. "Muun Leader to Echo One, Echo Actual, or whoever—"

"—Echo one here," Itoll responded impatiently. "What is it Sey'les?"

"We're at the shield. It's minus a hundred and thirty five outside."

"Copy that." In a momentary pause, Sey'les could hear Itoll's and a few other voices having a discussion. Then Itoll's voice returned. "Muun Leader, that's within our safety parameters. Proceed as planned. If the temperature drops below minus a hundred and fifty, return to the shield."

o.o.o.o.o

The reason for aborting the mission if the temperature dropped below -150º C was simple. While the Republic spacesuits could keep them alive at temperatures approaching Absolute Zero, the liquid in the battery cells their transport used froze solid at around -160º.

After the transport scraped its underside on the snow and debris immediately outside the shield, it hovered smoothly along into the cold dim red light. The savannah that was, now buried under a meter of snow, ice, and a mix of frozen ashy mud.

As they looped around the perimeter of Azagor, back towards Joint Base Golshten-Myyydril, Dr Myrr called them to a stop next to a grove of spindly frozen things Sey'les could not identify. The temperature was hovering at -110º, with the red sun still completely obscured behind the clouds.

Team Muun had not taken off their environmental suits since the shield perimeter. The glare from her visor's interior coupled with the glare of the cockpit windows made it doubly difficult to see outside.

"What the kriff could that be?" Sey'les growled aloud, half to herself.

"Trees," Myrr said matter of factly as he stepped out the side door. "The state of the vegetation will—AHHH!" The second his left boot hit the ground, it slid out from under him. The Koorivar yelled in terror as he collapsed onto his back, sliding into an icy ditch.

"Medic!" Sey'les yelped. "Be careful!"

"Proceeding with caution Captain," Grath said, stepping gingerly onto the frozen mud.

"I think I am all right," Myrr gasped, now crouching cautiously to his knees.

Sey'les stepped out cautiously, grabbing onto a handlebar on the side of the transport. Wulf disembarked closely behind her.

"Give me a hand!" Knot grunted, struggling to pull Myrr up.

As if to show off, Wulf brushed Knot's hand out of the way. He grabbed each of Myrr's hands with one of his own, then used a third hand to grab the grip at the chest of Myrr's spacesuit.

"Thank you," Myrr sighed, standing still as Knot and Dub checked his suit for breaches.

Content with Myrr's safety, Sey'les looked at the sky, trying to make out any shape that could possibly be the sun. Instead, it was nothing but swirling red clouds. The light was slightly brighter outside the shield, but not by much.

"Dr Myrr is fine, ma'am," Knot said.

"Good, okay, do what you brought us out here to do. And be careful."

Myrr walked around the front of the transport, more gingerly this time. Team Muun followed, boots crunching audibly on the snow. It was a satisfying sound Sey'les had not heard since Antar 4.

Myrr pulled out a small set of clippers and vial as he approached the trees.

They were unlike anything the Bothan had ever seen. At multiple points along the bark, the wood was split open with frozen sap jutting out. All of the leaves had long since blown away in the hypermatter explosion and subsequent cataclysms that wracked the continent.

The Koorivar struggled for a moment, tugging the clippers as hard as he could.

"Wulf," Sey'les muttered into the comm, cocking her head towards the Koorivar. In actuality, while the planet-lubber Bothan's head cocked inside her helmet, her helmet did not turn at all.

"Hey doc," Wulf said, "mind if I have a try?"

"Not at all," Myrr sighed, handing the Ardennian his tools.

As Wulf groaned away, slowly squeezing off a frozen branch, Sey'les approached the trees, ears perked up. "What happened to them?"

"We call this 'exploding trees,'" Myrr explained with a chuckle. "Most of the time, trees expand as the liquid inside freezes. But on rare occasion, the temperature decreases too fast for that to be possible."

"Are they alive sir?" Grath asked, approaching the grove. He reached out with his gloved hand to the nearest tree, caressing it like a wounded animal.

"Too early to tell," Myrr answered, then turned to the Ardennian. "All right, now Trooper, could you take this vibro-shovel and dig up a soil sample."

Wulf clenched his lower jaw as he took the shovel. "Yes sir."