The heroes were picked up shortly in a small repulsorlift craft and taken down to the heart of the city. There, they were led through long, lit hallways, where Pheleeni rushed around them to various tasks, stopping only to gawk at the odd, tall aliens in their world.
They were taken to the Prime Minister. His name was Bornu Gorko, and he flailed his tentacle-arms in an annoyed fashion. Y3-Ns stepped forward and translated. “His magnificence asks why we have brought war to his planet.”
Mikau Me, ever the diplomat, bowed and said “We have not brought you war, your honor. The Republic is and has been at war for a week now. We were followed to your planet, yes, but we never meant to bring the war to your home.”
This was said to Gorko, and the reply came through Y3. “He says he is sorry for not being aware of the war. It seems the mineral content of the sky-silt that gathers before the rain blocks incoming transmissions.”
Magnus muttered “Seems everyone’s getting their news late these days.”
Y3 went on. “He says his people have been prepared for the eventuality of war, however, and he is scrambling the Pheleeni to their ‘Air Towers’. I think these are the local starfighters.”
“What were the huts we were in, above?” Mikau asked.
“These are survival outposts. Each is manned by one Pheleeni, and the huts are built to withstand the storms, each stocked with consumables suited for a wide variety of spacefaring species.”
“I see.”
Before Mikau could form another question, Bornu Gorko snorted one of his own to the droid, who dutifully translated. “His magnificence asks why you have come to Pheleeni, if not to bring war.”
“Our ship had damaged velocital dampers. We put down here on your beautiful planet to seek repairs. As our ship has been recently acquired by the Separatists, we are now without need of repairs, and in need of a new ship.”
Gorko thought about this, then twittered his answer to Y3. “He offers one of two solutions: One, you are given a Pheleeni Air Tower, and ascend to the sky to infiltrate the Separatist ship and rescue the
Indelible. This he offers you as a gift. Two, you are each given Pheleeni Air Towers to pilot in the war over his city, which is sure to come to pass within the hour. In exchange for your aid in the fight he will reward us with a transport.”
Pock was confused. His eyebrows scrunched together and he said “I thought we beat the Separatists already.”
Mikau nodded sadly. “Yes, we turned away the ground forces, with the aid of nature. The next assault will be on the city itself. The three capital ships in Pheleen’s orbit have more than enough starships on board to send down a fearsome attack. We have only until the mineral clouds completely vaporize from solid form before the attack comes.”
Gorku spoke as he pressed a tentacle into a control panel, and a large white disc floated to the center of the room, low to the ground. It stopped and a holographic layout of the city appeared in mild blue outlines. Small dots were rising from the city, and other dots were coming down from the sky. They began exchanging blaster fire. Y3-Ns said “Prime Minister Gorko says that even now, Separatist droid ships are piercing the atmosphere and attacking. The valiant Pheleeni Air Force is rising to the task, and should soon-“ Y3 stopped in the middle of his sentence. “Oh my, what is that?”
From the right side of the holographic city layout, something was coming into view. Something very, very large. It towered as high as the city itself. It was slowly walking on six spiderlike legs. It was shaped roughly like a sentry droid. From one side jutted an immense scythe mounted on a thin hydraulic arm. On each “shoulder” was mounted a gun turret pod. From these, laserfire arced out at the Air Towers.
Everyone in the room watched this giant walking monstrosity as it drew close to a building. Its scythe-arm pulled back and paused, then rocketed around in a semicircle, shearing through the building entirely. The little holographic building toppled in half. A rumble shook the room where the Prime Minister and the heroes watched as the building fell outside, killing roughly 1,300 Pheleeni in one stroke. The walker moved on. At the other side of the holo-table, another walker appeared. Both were slowly walking towards the center of the glass metropolis.
Bornu Gorko and the other Pheleeni in the room began madly snorting and wailing in what must have been terror and fury combined.
“Y3,” Magnus said. “Tell them to prep three Air Towers. We’re going up.”
Within moments they were hustling down the hallways towards the hangars. Pock seemed excited. “Do I get my own Air Tower?”
“No. You fly with me. Mikau and Jaren will each fly one. In ours, I will be the gunner, and you will be the pilot, my young padawan.”
“I will??”
“You’re a better pilot than I am anyway.”
“This is so wizard.”
Magnus paused and turned to his student with a stern glare. “Pock, calm yourself. This is not for fun. This is not a game. Many are dying around us, and we are being given the opportunity to help them. A Jedi does not let his emotions control him… especially not when there is work to be done.”
“I’m sorry, master.”
“It is nothing. Let us go.”
They stepped into thin rooms with ascending vertical ladders. These they each climbed, and found themselves in small cockpits. Pock tried out the controls. “Hmm… these seem to be made for tentacles, but the system’s familiar enough.”
“Good,” Magnus said. “Let’s get going.”
Pock, Jaren, and Mikau took off in their Pheleeni Air Towers. These, it seemed, were just tiny buildings, identical to the rising glass and steel structures that made up the city in all but size. They separated from their docks and flew upwards to join the fray.
Above the city, the air was alight with laserfire. Air Towers were weaving amidst the cityscape and blasting at Droid Starfighters. Just at the edge of the city limits were the two gargantuan walkers, set forward on their destructive path.
More to come…