Chapter 32: Fraedrak Saxon
Thellus Asteroid, Dressel System
The Mandalorian Consulate's Strategic Operation's Division was in chaos. Plastisheet was strewn across the floor as panicking officers burned documents in the incinerator.
Clan Askar was furious. The whole Bothan military was angry. Admiral Gyar'trek had, somehow, unilaterally declared Martial Law even though she had no legal authority to do so without the consent of the mayor.
Fraedrak did not understand it. None of the Bothans in the local government seemed to be challenging it. It just happened. These Bothans are skrogging insane.
The Diplomatic Corps was still in communication with the Consulate. They were sending over someone, probably their least favourite Bothan, to provide the Mandalorian Protectors with diplomatic clearance to conduct military operations against any Mandalorian targets.
The eighty protectors on the way would not arrive until tomorrow.
No one said it aloud, but Fraedrak suspected everyone was thinking it. There is a greater than zero chance that, thanks to Ambassador Rook, the Bothans will eat us. Literally.
While Ambassador Rook was demanding for the Bothans to render a captured Mandalorian terrorist, more terrorists blew up the Bothawui First Fleet's flagship.
One new piece of information however confused Fraedrak deeply. It was at the top of his mind after seeing footage of a civilian, Nezir Mi'trek, beat a Mandalorian in armour, with her bare hands and no adrenal implants. "So… Bothans and Shistavanens can kriff? And have babies? They can do this without any genetic tampering or Cloning?"
"Yeah," Carla Viszla, the Medical Attaché, grunted as she threw a stack of plastisheet in the fire.
"Huh," Fraedrak muttered "In that case, I can't believe how brave these little Bothans are. Even if I could have babies with a Wookiee, I definitely wouldn't." He dropped three manilla folders into the fire. We are burning this stuff because the Bothans might attack. They might all attack. If they attack us, we don't want them to know that we hacked their whole Spynet and have been watching them snarl, yelp, kriff, and fight each other in the office for the last five years. Let's talk about something else. Something other than 'we might die. We might be literally eaten by these savages.'
"Actually," Carla groaned, heaving a heavy box filled with plastisheet up onto the desk. "Shistavanens have about 20% more maximal pull strength than a Wookiee on average. Keep in mind that a Shistavanen weighs about 20 kilos less than a Wookiee. For muscle to weight ratio, Shistavanens are among the strongest sentient mammals out there."
"What you are telling me then is…" Fraedrak groaned, lifting Carla's other box. He took a deep breath, then continued. "What you are telling me is that it would be even crazier than kriffing a Wookiee, right?"
"Pretty much," Carla chuckled, the glow of the flames reflecting off her sweaty forehead. "Except, I guess Shistavanens can actually speak."
"True," Fraedrak agreed. "Shistavanens can at least talk, unlike Wookiees. Not like you can even have a conversation with a Wookiee, is it?"
o.o.o.o.o
Lir Sey'les
The Wookiees just would not stop talking. General Prococia had called on Sey'les's emergency channel and she could not hear a word.
"SHAYSHAY!" ["SILENCE!"] Sey'les snarled in Shyriiwook.
"Uma masha." ["Yes ma'am,"] Roarer of Yowls moaned sadly. The Wookiees at the table in the mess hall went silent.
Itoll's fur swirled nervously as he set down his fork, then looked down at the comm in the centre of the table. Fojo and Wulf looked down at it too. They expected this to be an emergency of some sort.
"Captain Sey'les," Prococia's Caamasi voice echoed from her comm. "Thank you for getting the Wookiees to be quiet."
"Uh…" Sey'les muttered, her snout agape. No way… He called me to tell me to tell the Wookiees to be quiet? Did that really just happen? "Is that all sir?"
"No Captain," Prococia said calmly. "We have an emergency situation. Lieutenant Itoll Oc?"
"Yes sir?" Itoll asked.
Sey'les scowled. So you are telling my Lieutenant, rather than—
"—Take Fojo and round up the Koorivar POWs."
Sey'les and Itoll began furiously sniffing the air. An odd garlicy smell began filling the room mixed with smoke.
Itoll's fur fell flat. "What are we doing to the POWs sir?!"
"Nothing. We are getting them to help us extinguish a fire," Prococia said calmly.
"A fire?!" Fojo gasped.
"Yes Ensign," Prococia's voice said from the comm. "A fire."
Alarms began sounding off in every direction. The interior lights of the mess hall dimmed ominously.
o.o.o.o.o
A scent of garlic and smoke clung in the air. Separatist Actinium bombs rained down onto the city shield. In every direction, the savannah was on fire. The fire bled through the shield on all sides, creeping and closer to the city. Even though the sun had set, a hot white light reflected off the shield as more and more black spheres impacted it.
As Sey'les, Wulf, Dub, Dubs, Grath, and Knot ran towards the fire, pulling three hoses, her fur swirled more nervously. Yeah. I've definitely smelled that in a real dream, she thought.
The fire was nearly at the front entrance to Joint-Base Golshten-Myyydril.
Standing in formation next to the Clones, Sey'les pulled the nozzle. She swore under her breath as she struggled to hold the fire hose. She had never even held one before. The heavy cold metal head slipped out of her fingers, spraying drops of water into the air.
"Ma'am!" Dub yelled, running to her assistance. "It takes two to operate these."
A wall of water hit Sey'les in the face. She fell over, yelping, then stood up snarling. "TWO TO A FIRE HOSE!"
"Sorry ma'am," Wulf croaked, picking up the fire hose from the ground with Grath's help.
More Clones arrived, all properly holding their fire hoses.
"We got you transpirators!" Itoll mumbled through a snouted transpirator. Around Itoll stood a dozen Koorivars, all wearing orange jumpsuits, fireproof trench-coats they had taken from the Azagor fire department, and transpirators.
Sey'les groaned in frustration, pulling her transpirator on. I hate these things. The smell of the smoke grew fainter, but the mask rubbed her snout from all sides.
At first, nothing seemed to stop the inferno. As LAAT hovered overhead, dropping flame retardant, the inferno inched closer and closer. The flames leapt over the pavement from both sides of the highway.
Sey'les panted in her transpirator as a thick humid wet smoke floated from the fire. Burning through their fuel, the flames finally began to subside. "I think we got it!" Sey'les yipped excitedly. Sweet! That was actually fast!
"Yes Captain," Ekos said, levitating a hose in mid-air sprinkling water onto the subsiding blaze. "Now, we have to do this… everywhere."
Sey'les sighed. Oh yeah. The fire is in every direction. Several buildings on the outskirts of the city were already ablaze. There were some Clones and Koorivar firefighters who had been deployed to other areas of the city, but not nearly enough.
"We are going to be really unpopular if anyone dies," Itoll mumbled in his transpirator.
Sey'les's fur swirled nervously. I had not even thought of that part. Damn. You're right.
