Act 07: I need a sample

[Captain Larraq]

Mesen'loras Campaign
Act 07: I need a sample



Larraq had thought the Qellan was joking when he finally told him what he needed. His final report had mentioned needing a sample. What it hadn't mentioned was that the sample was alive, over 400 meters long, and required a carefully balanced aquatic environment to stay alive. He had tried to explain to Skek'zus that his ability to operate... indiscriminately did not extend outside of Mandalorian boarders. But the Qellan hadn't cared. He needed one of the creatures removed from the ocean and relocated somewhere where it could be... more easily managed.

Then there was the question of where to put the bloody thing! Wayland offered the ideal isolation required for such a project, but was too dangerous and unpredictable. There were plenty of planets with existing oceans to store it in, but keeping it from wandering off would be next to impossible. Ord Cestus had a fairly low population and plenty of restricted locations to hide a creature so large. And since the genetics research facility was located on the planet, it seemed the perfect fit. In fact, Kibo Lake was an absolutely ideal place to stash the monstrous Lygria that Skek'zus wanted. Larraq had almost placed the order when the Qellan reminded him of the lethal microorganisms that populated the planet's waters.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Larraq, with his limited knowledge of marine biology, had asked Skek'zus Quall about the mater. When Skek'zus had told Larraq about the Lygria and explained what made it the ideal species, Larraq could have sworn he mentioned something about Lygria eating microorganisms. Skek'zus, still on Argyra IV, asked for samples of water from Kibo Lake (complete with the deadly microorganisms) to be sent to him as quickly as possible. A few days later Skek'zus checked in again and informed Larraq that Kibo Lake would actually be an ideal location for his sample. It was large enough to sustain the creature and the water was similar enough to Argya's oceans to be non-lethal to the creature. More importantly though, the microorganisms that populated the lake were a suitable food-source for the Lygria.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Skek'zus had later sent back five containment cells to the Auron Helix complex on Ord Cestus. Each containment cell was twenty by twenty by ten meters and contained a juvenile Lygria for study. Three were released into Kibo Lake for monitoring and the other two were kept in the lab for genetic sequencing. During that time, Larraq was busy planning and preparing for the most expensive fishing trip of his life. Major modifications were made to the cargo bays of the Connestoga Bulk Freighter owned by Mandal Hypernautics and operated by Hyperion Mining. The disruption in mining operations alone was costing him more money than he cared to think about. Smaller freighters could compensate for the redeployment if this particular resource... But it was still at a loss. For three weeks the Connestoga sat in dry dock and failed to earn money for Larraq. For three weeks her massive cargo holds were torn apart and turned into three of the largest... aquariums ever made.

 

[Captain Larraq]

The Connestoga was huge. 2,000 meters long and equipped with three massive cargo bays that ran the length of it. After her brief retrofit, she would have been the perfect ship for the job. If the frelling thing could enter atmosphere. But since low orbit was the best if could do, Larraq would have to improvise. For that, he had requisitioned the A'den Verd and the Shab'rudur. The two Keldabe-class Battleships operated by Hyperion Security and owned by Mandal Hypernautics. Together, the three ships made their way to Argya IV with the dubious explanation of scientific research to the local government.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Rygel Larraq stared into the main holoprojector of the Shab'rudur. His feet planted firmly on the deck of the bridge, he felt the ship shudder slightly as it lowered itself through the atmosphere of the planet. Vast, endless ocean spread out below them. “Are you in position yet?” Asked the voice of Skek'zus Quall through the speakers of the bridge, his small survey ship was outlined on the holoprojector. It raced alone above the ocean waves as it tracked the progression of the giants that hid in its depths. Specifically, a pod of Lygria. “Almost.” Said Larraq, the communicator by the collar of his uniform picking up his voice and relaying it to the Qellan Bioscientist. “How much time to we have before the pod reaches point Alpha?” he asked as he watched his ships descend closer and closer to the ocean below them.

 

[Captain Larraq]

“The pod will be in position in three minutes. How long till your ships are in position?” Asked Skek'zus, his voice sounding slightly irritated that the Mandalorian warships were not already where he had instructed them to be placed. Larraq glanced at the sub-commander of the ship for conformation before answering. The senior officer held up two fingers on his right hand and Larraq relayed the message. “Two minutes till we're in optimal position.” He said simply. “Is the pod still maintaining a depth of fifteen kilometers?” Larraq asked as he pulled a pack of cigarettes from his breast pocket. “Current scans put the pod at 14.875 kilometers below the surface. Individual members are spread out along a five by four kilometer area with a depth ranging from 13.56 kilometers to 17.3472 kilometers.” Answered the scientists in his usual tone of annoyed boredom.

 

[Captain Larraq]

A flare of light illuminated Larraq's face as he lit his cigarette and waited. A timer was added to the forward view display and he watched as the numbers counted down and the ships lowered themselves to the precise coordinates that Skek'zus had given them. A thick plume of smoke trailed from Larraq's nostrils as he exhaled his cigarette. “Arm the warheads.” Larraq said at last to the sub-commander. “Yes sir.” came the snap response from the officer and his orders were relayed to the men and women in the main hanger. Internal cameras activated and Larraq watched from a side viewscreen as teams of Hyperion Security soldiers began working on a dozen Seismic 7 charges. Similar charges were being armed in the A'den Verd's hanger. In all, twenty four of the destructive bombs would be used in this exercise.

 

[Captain Larraq]

“Nearing destination.” Came the sharp report of the navigational officer. Larraq took in a long drag from his cigarette and exhaled another plum of smoke. “Begin deploying charges.” Larraq said to the sub-commander. Orders were relayed down the chain of command, and in the hanger Larraq could see the teams of men and women setting the timed detonators and pushing the charges out of the shielded hanger and off of the ship. One by one the charges fell from the pair of Battleships and splashed into the water bellow, sinking rapidly into the darkness of Argya IV's oceans. The two Keldabe-class Battleships continued drifting forward as the bombs were dropped, spreading their payload over a two kilometer stretch of water. Larraq watched it all take place on the holoprojectors and viewscreens of the Shab'rudur as he smoked his cigarette. <This is one of the dumbest plans I've ever heard of.> Larraq thought to himself as the last bomb disappeared beneath the ocean waves.

 

[Captain Larraq]

“Alright. Get us to altitude. Point Foxtrot.” Larraq said absently as he toyed with the cigarette between his fingers, flicking the ash into an empty coffee mug. “I'd really rather not get hit by one of these damned seamonsters.” He continued as he took another drag from his cigarette. Twenty four small, red dots fell lower and lower into the ocean waters on the forward holodisplay, his two Battleships rising higher and higher as they gained distance from the site. Another marker moved slowly across the projection, displaying the progress of the pod of Lygria as they made their way through the ocean waters. They were more or less moving as had been predicted and Larraq could see the small survey ship gain altitude to match that of the battleships. A timer ticked away as the bombs descended and the warheads closed in their self-destruction. "Point Foxtrot achieved." Reported the sub-commander as Larraq continued to gaze into the holodisplay. Red dots descended past the approaching icon of the pod and slowly slipped behind the creatures as they continued to prowl the ocean depths in their search for food.

 

[Captain Larraq]

The timer struck zero and the cluster of icons blinked out as the bombs detonated several kilometers below the the surface of the vast ocean. Three kilometers above the blinking lights of the Siezmic 7 explosives, the massive icon displaying the location of the pod took a sharp turn and began racing towards the surface. <I'll be damned.> Larraq thought to himself as he stamped out his cigarette in the coffee mug. <It worked.>

Seconds ticked by as the icon continued to race towards the surface of the ocean. “Warm up tractor beams and boost sensors.” Larraq said to the sub-commander who relayed his instructions to the appropriate teams of mando'ad. Flipping a switch at the station he stood by, Larraq re-opened communications with the Qellan and his survey ship. “It's show time Skek'zus. Pick your sample quickly so we can grab it and get off this world. I don't want to have to chase these things down and I want to get out of here before Green Peace shows up asking questions about those bombs.”

 

[Captain Larraq]

“We've been ready Mr Larraq.” Skek'zus said with his usual hint of annoyance. “Just make sure the specimen is acquired intact. Whatever you do, please resist the urge to shoot at the creatures.”

Larraq was about to reprimand the Qellan when he realized that he had probably been directing his last comment at his crew, more so than himself. Glancing around the room, Larraq realized that the fear may just be justified. If these creatures were as big as the Skek'zus claimed, he could easily see one of the junior officers getting jumpy and pulling the trigger on the creatures. “Sub-commander, power down weapons and activate safety protocols.” Larraq said calmly to the senior officer who relayed his message with his own look of annoyance at the mistrust the scientists had in his crew.

 

[Captain Larraq]

The yellow, pulsing contact icon closed with the ocean's surface in the holoprojector. “Display external images.” Larraq said to the bridge crew and the holoprojector switched from showing the artificial simulation and instead projected numerous images of the rolling ocean waves. Larraq shifted his stance in annoyance while he waited for the first of the creatures to show itself. Seconds later, “Hazmana!” a junior officer cried out in alarm as the first creature erupted from the surface of the ocean and took to the skies. Two, then five, then twelve more followed the creature into the atmosphere of the planet. They were enormous! Thirty two of the things eventually became airborn, flapping their massive wings gradually as they approached the Hyperion Security Battleships. Most of the Lygria were nearly half a kilometer below the altitude of the two ships, but some of the larger ones were at the same or higher altitude.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Massive whip-like tails threaded through the air like contrails, wings the length of battleships flapped in rhythm, and gusts of wind buffeted the two Battleships. The flowed over, under, and around the two ships. Some of the creatures nearly dwarfing the two warships with their own bulk. <What the hazmana have you gotten me into?> Larraq thought to himself as he watched the creatures surround his ships. “There.” Came Skek'zus's voice over the bridge speakers once more. “A small female. Two hundred meters to your right and five hundred meters below you. Do you see her?” The Qellan asked. “I see her.” Larraq answered as the creature was highlighted on the forward holoprojector. “Full power to repulsors.” Larraq said to the bridge officers. “Get us on her starboard, 50 meters above the thing.”

 

[Captain Larraq]

Larraq stepped forward and approached the holoprojector, watching the display as the creature grew closer. The two battleships moving into position on either side of it. “Target that thing and activate Tractor Beams.” Larraq ordered, his crew jumping to follow his orders. A thin shimmer surrounded the creature as the shield created by the multiple tractor beams came to full power, trapping it and the air around it in a sphere of energy. Wings flapped and tail flailed as the creature struggled in its new confinement. “Increase power to tractor beams and get us to Rallypoint Hotel.” Larraq said as he leaned back against the row of control consoles and enjoyed a moment of victory. The Qellan's crazy plan was working. His crew complied and the two ships moved up as one, quickly gaining altitude and dragging the creature between them. The rest of the pod of Lygria fluttered and flapped their wings, appearing to ignore the two ships among their pod as they made their escape with their prize.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Blue skies turned pale and were replaced by the blackness of space. The curve of the planet panned out before them as they continued to gain altitude and move away from the planet. The creature flailed helplessly in its energy prison as Tractor Beams dragged it away from its home. The Connestoga came into view quickly as they reached Rallypoint Hotel. The upper cargo bay opened and exposed, a thin layer of energy shielding keeping the thousands of tons of liquid water safely contained within its hull. Seconds turned to minutes as the two Battleships maneuvered into position and deposited their precious cargo into the Connestoga and the cargobay door of the ship closed it in. They had it. Larraq breathed a sigh of relief before giving one more order. “Good job men. Now get us the frell out of here and back to Ord Cestus.” Seconds later, the three ships jumped to hyperspace and made their return to Mandalorian boarders.