The Second Book of the Alienbutt Saga. The Rise of Mr Fluffy. Part 15.

The red alert had already sounded as the battle outside the ship raged, the Federation seeking to land a boarding craft onto the transporter’s hull so the droids could cut through and enter the ship. Kaela stood waiting with his fifty-strong team. Even with the reduced onboard gravity of the ship, the Marine battle armour was heavy and uncomfortable. From the large gravity boots, the chest armour with its life support system, to the combat helmet, the battle suit weighed twice that of the soldier inside it. When switched to combat mode the suit's armour became weightless but the drain on the power pack was such that it was kept switched off till the last possible moment. Losing power during a battle could prove troublesome and often deadly for the suit’s owner. A six-foot brightly coloured slow-moving statue made an easy target for the battle droids.

The loud metallic clashes sounding up and down the ship signalled that the first of the boarding craft had connected to the transporter hull. This was quickly followed by a high-pitched screech as the droids began to drill through the armoured plating of the hull, seeking to enter. “OK boys and girls, it’s power up time,” ordered Kaela. His unit sprang into action as they switched on their armour. They moved into position, each knowing their job and where they needed to be. Reaching back over his shoulder he unclipped one of his two great pulse rifles, as just up ahead in the vast hall of the ship’s cargo bay sparks began to spray down from the ship's hull, signalling that the first of the droids was almost through.
Eight hundred giant cargo units’ containers were the prize they were after, each one containing ten thousand tons of refined metal ore. A large circular section of the hull fell to the floor with a giant crash, quickly followed by the first of the battle droids leaping down into the ship’s interior. The first droids were cut down as his team opened fire. Within moments more sections of the hull fell in and the battle was joined in earnest as hundreds of battle droids swarmed into the hold.

Ponnfarr flew through the battle. The giant transport ships that his squadron were providing escort to were already being swarmed over by the small droid boarding crafts; thousands had been launched from the Federation troop carriers. Most would be destroyed by his fighter ships before they reached their destination, but hundreds always got past them. Meanwhile the squadron of frigates under his command engaged the Federation capital ships in an intense fire-fight where survival became more a matter of luck than skill. Ponnfarr cast a last quick look at the transporters. Many of the boarding craft had already attached themselves to the giant hulls. He knew the droids inside would soon be spilling into the giant transporters and the fighting inside would be much worse.
“This is Ponnfarr to all fleet. Concentrate all fire on those battle-cruisers; I want them all taken out fast,” he ordered, and instantly intense fire fell on the Federation capital ships. He had only one other Fo’c’sle ship in his command. The rest of the squadron was made up of Outer System militia and crews that had changed sides after Wickede's return with the cure for coffee. While not of the same skill as his comrades in the elite Ick squadron, they were learning quickly, and eager to prove themselves. He knew the battle would be short but brutal, as within twenty minutes the first of the transporters would make the jump to light speed. That would be the signal for the Federation Battle cruisers to target the transport ships, trying to disable or destroy them to prevent their escape, as chances of stealing more cargo would then come to an end. His job was to ensure as few of the Federation battle-cruisers as possible were still a threat when the transporters became targets. The marines inside the transporters would give their lives to protect their cargo, and he would ensure that none fell to the battle-cruisers’ lethal firepower.

To be continued.
All images are mine.