TTO Episode 10.1

Episode 10

The Book of Edo

10.1       

Micahly and Tonta Bruin was exemplary guides when we entered once again the tunnels. It seems the Grecian have an affinity for the subterranean. The journey took not long before we reached another huge cavern. Before then, I had detested the tunnels. On Mistral, the place was all wide green stretches with the rolling hills and the streams of water. That was outside the cities which were all encompassed of tall blocks of structures and the intricate multi levels of roads that wound around the structures. It was the balance in the world at Mistral.

The natural and constructed.

The order and the chaos.

There in Grecia IV it was the same. The Federation ruled the surface and the Resistance below it.

“Welcome to Fortress of Resistance. I am Greio, the nine hundred and sixtieth scholar of the Temple.” The speaker was different from the earlier one named Greco. Greio was a short statute person with protruding ears and wrinkled facial muscles in the green gown. He had no hairs on his head unlike Greco. We were standing in the side of the cavern around a makeshift table that could seat twelve. Instead of the layout of goods, the table was inlaid with the map of the village and projected into a two dimensional hologram. It sunk into the table at a depth of two feet and above it there were six screens that showed the scenes on the surface.

“I am unlike the others for I am from a small community of the Grecian. We were …. have smaller frames but we made up for the mind. We are the intellectual ones. Incidentally Grand Master Seldon is one like us.”

I smiled. It was assumed that the Grecian were all alike and Grand Master Seldon was always portrayed as a tall figure in the three layers of gown.

“Greco was my friend before he believed in the Federation of Planets. He believed in the Hundred Years and its power. He had wanted the Hundred Years to go on like the Thousand Years but there was not the in the revelation. Greco did not understand the words of the Grand Master. When he betrayed us, I lost a friend.”  Greio then smiled. “Sad loss to him for he was not see this.”

I saw then the cavern was filled with the armoured vehicles of assorted designs. There was the six wheeler armoured transporter with the twin sets of double mini cannons on the top. There were also the heavy armoured with the long barrelled cannon tank. The armoured vehicles were all gunning their engines and then lined up to move out into a tunnel.

“The armoured section will buy us time while we evacuate.” Greio then move us to the next cavern. It was larger and the first thing I saw was the HP-109.

The Hawken Predator was a bird of prey with the sloping forward double wings and the cockpit which sat on the extended hull from the main unit at the rear. The craft held the three barrel rotary cannons on the tip of the wings and below the cockpit at the extended sloping hull. There was another turret above on the main unit which housed the revolving three barrel rotary cannons. Below the main unit was an array of six missiles launcher that was also on the swivel stand. The cockpit could sit three persons with one as the pilot while the main unit holds enough space for six persons with ample rooms for storage of weapons. The craft was powered by the double engine at the rear. It holds also the jump-light drive which shortened the distance of travel between the galaxies.

“The Xeon IV had been modified with a more updated reading on its sensors. Her designation is now the Sweeping Eagle as requested by Kuzuka.” Grecio commented on the craft. He was then interrupted by the technician that came with an update.

“The hideouts are exposed.” Grecio took the report and read it. The Stingers have done their worst, and added with the reinforcement from the frigate, the slopes were all cleared of vegetation if not they are not covered in soot or flames. The troopers called in the frigate to lent firepower on the surface. The frigate cannons hit the uncovered entrance to the tunnels. Those tunnels were cleared out of the fighters on his instructions. He needed to lead the troopers into the tunnels there for the traps to be sprung. The traps failed when the frigate cannons detonated the mines. Nevertheless, the troopers rushed in but all they will discover were rubbles. He had wanted to send in the fighters but he waited it out.

“Harmost  Grecio, we have the armoured ready to move out.” The Technician reported in. “They are bringing in the Trekkers.”

“Rush up the crafts. I want a full evacuation on the others.” Grecio gave his command to the Technician. He then looked at the screen above him. He swiped with his right hand and the scene changed to the planet orbit.

“We may need to rush that evacuation order. The frigate is not alone.” Grecio motioned to the screens. All the six screens displayed the two cruisers. As in its namesake, the cruisers were named the Scimitars. Each Scimitar cruiser held a crew of five thousand with a complement of eight thousand troopers and two hundred Stringers in its ten hangers. The cruiser deadly weapon was its double phaser cannons which could pierce a planet from its surface to the core with its energy blasts. It also housed over two hundred double cannon turrets on the sides of the ship which protect it from enemy fighters.

“I want the salvaged Stingers to join in the incoming squadron.” I saw on the screen the two squadrons of Stingers that was enforcing the other Stingers on the surface. Grecio have given the new order. He then swiped the screen to five other locations.

“Sound the departure there too.” Grecio told the other technicians to sound the evacuation. The technicians rushed off to sound the order. It was then I looked at the flying crafts there. There was our Sweeping Eagle, the six Stingers that was pulled to the runway. Two of the Stingers looked sad with the improvised engine replaced there. It won’t hit the speed of the normal Stingers but it will pull through. The markings were from different squadrons. There were three transporters; the commercial models which could not carry the load of minerals cargo but it will house the mining equipment. They measured about three hundred feet each but these were modified with the cannons on its hull. The technicians were loading the essential equipment in one of the transporters while the second one was with the non-fighters including the technicians’ dependents. It was the last transporter that screamed out loud in my mind.

“The bombs are loaded on the last craft. We got the volunteers to man it.”