Chap. 15 - Abomination

The simple reflection of light on the bright green cornea was enough to send a shiver through Wag Too's body and make every hair stand on end. He knew enough about beasts to recognize danger. But that thing, terrified him to the core. His hand gripped the rifle out of sheer instinct, but he didn't point it at the beast for fear of angering it. But despite the "logical" reaction of the Lurmen, the Nelvaan girl seemed very happy, even greeting the creature with a big smile.

The glowing green eye, which was situated close to the ground, rose to ten feet in height, and after a slight turn of the creature's head, it revealed a second eye just as glowing as the first. Then, a small tremor was felt. The bright green eyes came closer and closer. Each step of the creature caused a small tremor under its feet. The lurmen was more and more terrified, and the girl more and more happy. Then, the light illuminated the face of the mysterious being.

Its skull was huge and it had a thick layer of some natural material that covered its entire body. Its green eyes stared at the two beings, while a slight growl came from inside its huge mouth. The being was intimidating and big enough to devour them in one bite. But before he could even try, Wag Too fired his powerful rifle at point blank range.

The powerful blaster recoiled at him, as he didn't even stop to get a good grip on his weapon, yet the blaster simply dissipated into the creature's skin, leaving no damage to it.

Wag Too: - But what...!? - He exclaimed in shock when he saw that his weapon was useless.

However, the beast was enraged. Its roar shook every corner of the facility, and both the girl and the lurmen had to cover their ears so as not to be deaf from such a loud noise. The girl stood facing Wag Too, gesturing with her hands and yelling hundreds of words at him that the lurmen could not understand. But the Wag Too only had eyes to see how the beast came towards them.

Without giving it another second's thought, Wag Too shouldered his rifle, picked up the girl with both hands, and began to run toward the freight elevator. Seeing it, the creature became even more enraged, and after another loud roar, it began its pursuit.

Wag Too was able to turn to see the huge beast charge at the metal walls and smash them like nothing. His bulky body was clumsy in the narrow corridors, but even so, he managed to advance, destroying everything in his path. The lurmen ran with all his might, despite the fact that the girl kicked and screamed in his arms.

Wag Too turned a corner, when he saw Icarus peering through the lab doors.

Icarus: - What is happening? -

Wag Too: - Icarus!... Run! RUN! -

The droid found it strange to see Lurmen carrying the girl running desperately, but when he saw the beast turning down the corridor, he understood everything. The droid hurried to a console near his position, and as the lurmen ran through the section, Icarus punched buttons and a metal door closed between them and the creature. Then the massive metal door buckled as the creature struck it.

Wag Too: - What is that thing? - He said while listening to the blows that the creature dealt to the metal door.

Icarus: - There is no time for that now. We must get out of here. -

The group continued to run toward the elevator. Along the way, Icarus activated several metal doors, hoping the creature wouldn't reach them before escaping. They made it to the elevator in no time, got on, and headed for the main floor. That's when the girl broke free of Wag Too's grasp and started talking non-stop as the elevator went up.

Wag Too: - Ah... he's been in that state for a while. Can you tell what he is saying? -

Icarus: - I don't know. You're talking too fast. I can't understand what he says. -

The elevator reached the main floor and the doors began to open. But when the doors were barely separated by about five centimeters, the light in the facilities went out and the mechanisms stopped working.

Wag Too: - What happened? - He said as he took out his flashlight.

Icarus: - It was that thing. - He took out his lightsaber and began to cut the metal doors. - It must have consumed the power of the place. -

Wag Too: - Consumed? How consumed? What is that thing? -

Icarus: - A creature about which not much is known. Only that it is very resistant and that it feeds on energy. In my records they call it the Zillo Beast. -

The droid punched a hole in the elevator doors big enough to get through and put the lightsaber away. This time, it was Icarus who carried the girl in his hands despite her attempts to avoid it. So, they started running towards the exit of the facility.

Wag Too: - Wait... Zillo. The mythological Zillo? -

Icarus: - Correct. However, this one had something strange. It doesn't look much like the pictures I have in my records. -

Wag Too: - What do you mean? -

Icarus: - This Zillo is... different -

The group kept running until they reached the room where the secondary generator was located, which was connected to the huge corridor that led to the exit of the facilities. Without taking a break, they entered the corridor, just seconds before the floor of the room collapsed under their feet. The Zillo beast surged from the lower floors, destroying every corner of the place as it roared loudly.

Now bigger and bulkier, the Zillo beast seemed to have injected a large amount of fast-acting steroids into his body, but with tragic side effects. His face and body appeared misshapen, the thick layer of blaster-resistant skin bulging grotesquely around his figure. His huge green eyes were now almost imperceptible.

The beast saw the group fleeing towards the exit and hurried to catch up with them. Its bulky body destroyed everything in its path, including the huge metal columns that supported the place, causing huge fragments of rock to fall dangerously from the heights. Icarus and Wag Too had to avoid the boulders, while trying not to trip over the rubble that lay on the ground. But:

Wag Too: - We're not going to make it! - He said when he saw that everything was falling apart and the beast was on his heels.

Icarus: - Keep running. No matter what happens. -

The droid knew more than anyone the chances of escaping this situation alive. In less than a second he was able to analyze all the data around him, and created a plan to survive. Or at least most of them.

Icarus: - Whatever happens, don't stop running. -

Wag Too: - What? -

The lurmen couldn't even ask what he had planned, when he watched as the droid tossed the girl into his arms. His instinct was to hold her so she wouldn't hit herself, but when he looked back the droid was no longer running at his side.

Despite Icarus telling him otherwise, Wag Too looked back and saw Icarus, with his back to him and facing the huge creature with the ignited blue lightsaber in his right hand. His plan was simple. Sacrifice for the survival of the two of them.

Wag Too: - Icarus! What are you doing!? Must... -

Icarus: - Go away! - He yelled without turning around. - It's been an honor. My friend. -

The lurmen did not have time for tears to well up in his eyes, when the girl escaped from his grasp. He was so shocked, he didn't react fast enough to catch her. The girl began to run, passed by the droid without being able to foresee it, and stopped a few meters in front of Icarus.

Icarus: - What are you doing!? Flees! -

However, the girl did not move. It was too late. The huge beast was only a few meters away and seemed to not stop. The girl stood in her place, her hands outstretched to the sides. Both the droid and the lurmen ran to try to save her, knowing that neither would escape this situation alive. But before they could even get close, the huge creature hit the ground hard.

The earth shook, and a loud sound produced by the impact shook every corner of the place. The huge corridor shook violently, as debris of all sizes fell from the ceiling. A thick smoke curtain rose, affecting the visibility of those present. Both the droid and the lurmen had to cover their faces to prevent a fragment of rock traveling at high speed from hitting their faces. And after several seconds of shock, everything was completely calm.

The droid and the lurmen were close enough to each other that he could see their worried faces. The dust was thick, thick enough to make it hard for Wag Too to breathe, and impeded visibility for a few yards. The only thing that could be heard were small fragments of rock that fell occasionally, and a loud periodic sound, surely the breathing of the Zillo beast.

Both the droid and the lurmen believed the worst and really didn't want to look at what might have happened to the girl. "Why did you do that?" They both wondered to themselves. But when the smokescreen descended, it revealed a most shocking scenario.

The huge beast remained motionless, and maintained a slow and calm breath. Now being closer, they could see in greater detail the skin of the creature, and the lumps that atrophied its body, causing a type of blisters of blue coloration that seemed extremely painful. His huge green eyes were closed, though several layers of skin bulged dangerously above the lids. It didn't take an expert to understand that the creature was suffering from its condition. And the most surprising thing was to see the girl, still alive, kindly embracing the disfigured face of the Zillo beast with her small hands.

Wag Too: - Hey... What does... Taromi mean? - He asked, trying to understand what had happened.

Icarus: - Family. - He said with a sad voice.

The droid switched off the lightsaber and stowed it in the arm compartment, easing some of the tension from the lurmen who could barely loosen his grip on his rifle. Still, the droid seemed to know what would happen next.

In a scene that lasted just over thirty seconds, the Zillo beast remained calm while evoking small moans. The girl clung tightly to the bumps on her face, tears welling up in her huge black eyes. The beast's breathing was getting weaker, and little by little, the light in its eyes dimmed. And after an agonizing period of waiting, the Zillo beast breathed its last.

Everyone present immediately realized what had happened. The girl broke into a heartbreaking cry as her feet failed her and she crumpled in front of the beast's carcass. Icarus remained behind, letting the little girl vent. For someone like him it would be the most logical, but the lurmen did not have that heart of metal.

Wag Too dropped his rifle and approached the girl. In a way, it reminded him of his little brothers when they were still alive. The lurmen approached and put a hand on her shoulder to try to comfort her, but instead, the girl turned around and pressed her forehead against the lurmen's chest, making her cry even worse. Wag Too understood her, for he too knew what it was like to lose his "Tamori".

-------O-------

Some time later, he was inside the Kestrel Nova, and Wag Too entered the cockpit where Icarus lay sitting on the captain's seat.

Icarus: - Is everything okay? -

Wag Too: - Yes. She fell asleep when she stopped crying. -

The droid pressed a few buttons, and a panel displayed the image of the girl sleeping on the hospital bed.

Wag Too: - Poor. He has lost a lot in a very short time. What happened back there? -

The droid looked at the lurmen for a moment, hesitating whether or not to answer his question, but after a long sigh, he decided to. He connected his hand to the terminal in the captain's seat, and a projection of a Skakoan appeared on the cockpit projector. Then, the projection began to speak.

"(...) Record 5: The experiments on the Zillo beast have been a complete success. The individual generates fur more frequently, which makes it easier to reduce harvest time. This new material is as resistant as the original, and its mass production will be very helpful in winning the war against the Republic.(...)

(...) Record 9: The creature is beginning to suffer some failures in its biology. His DNA does not respond as planned, and the energy he consumes disrupts the junctions of the ribonucleotide chain, forming new unstable sections of DNA that are harmful to the individual. We will have to administer a more aggressive dose to keep the subject stable.(...)

(...) Record 16: The experiment has been a failure. The mutations on the subject are too aggressive and the individual's life is in danger after exposure to a prolonged source of energy. At this point, it is impossible to guarantee the subject's survival. (Sigh) We'll put him to sleep to avoid long-term problems. We'll harvest what's left and move on to the next test subject. This is the 7th failure. (...)"

The recording ended, leaving Wag Too really shocked, but before he could ask a question, a robotic voice was heard.

- Warning. You want to permanently delete the selected records. This action will have no return. Deleted files cannot be recovered... Processing... Request accepted... Selected files deleted. -

Icarus: - With luck, this would be the last copy of the files. These types of experiments are not necessary for the Galaxy. - He said with a voice from beyond the grave.

Wag Too: - Who... Who was that? -

Icarus: - His name was Wat Tambor. My creator. -

The lurmen was shocked at the droid's words. He wasn't sure if it was possible, but he could see traces of sadness inside Icarus, but before he could ask:

Icarus: - Prepare the cannons. - He said with a stern voice. - We will destroy the mountain and the facilities under it. -