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Belanna with other Kets, had been busy, retrieving items, from one of the storage facilities. The main storage area and the delivery - embarkation building as it was. Massive in size. Liken to two aircraft hangars put together. Fixed, optical scanning units.
Backed up by the Opticons.
She had seen the Monicon. Thinking how unusual it was to see one, Opticons, usual, Monicons? No. She pointed it out to the others. "Must be expecting a secure consignment in the docking area." They were not far from the arrivals chamber.
It linked a walk way with the lower cargo unloading and loading bays below it.
Monicons had a circular GREEN stripe when non armed, YELLOW when on standby and a red stripe around them and all clearly visible should it consider there was a threat. Nivana, Kibu and Lumark? It had links to the main systems thus accepted their presence here, was not a threat and legit.All of them were enroute to retrieve some of the cargo from the vessel, about to dock.
They had seen the Monicon, as it moved forward away from them, towards the central docking area. Ahead of it, the craft lurched as it touched down, came to a halt. The clamps now anchoring it down. Vessels were always clamped. For security reasons.
Nothing out of the ordinary there! A lot of other places with similar arrival zones and docking areas used the same practices.
On docking, the craft had knocked out one of the locking terminal sensors, the cable ripped out and lying across the floor.
“I've not seen one of them in ages.“ it was Torven who had arrived with Eula in tow. Both of them watching the hovering Monicon.
“Cargo freighter. Esteran 5 type C D class Magellan Fador engines.“ Nivana grinned. “Load of rubbish! Noisy and a nightmare to maneuver. Why they’re mostly used for carrying freight, short hops. Bet this one, came from Cados or the Sat.”
Hovering, almost in front of and feet from the hatch, the Monicon strip, had changed color to yellow. The hatch to the craft now started to open. Not it should be noted, a passenger disembarkation hatch. Passengers were stepping out onto the gantry, top right of the craft; that led them onto the walkway, into the main arrivals chamber.
As the hatch fully opened, to show the hold, and its contents?
The Monicon strip changed color again, this time, it was red, but flashing. A lot of Kets would NOT, have known what that meant! Torven knew straight away! "Its arming its primary weapon, must have detected a threat!" The Monicon began to spin.
"Its powering up!“ His voice died away. From within the hold something moved. Belanna had stepped back as Eula looked at Torven watching what was happening?
“Its a hostile, looks to me like a Solite, heck I haven't seen one of those since Kinos.“ Nivana had shifted to see more of what was happening. Whatever it was, it discharged an energy weapon that blew the Monicon to bits.
It happened so fast, the Kets ducked, as bits of the now defunct, Monicon, exploded outwards, whistling past them! “Wooo!“ Squealed Eula, helping Torvan, knocked over by the blast to his feet. Within seconds of it being blown away, two other Monicon units arrived, engaging the thing, whatever it was; in a fire fight!
There were figures running along the gantry to get out of the ensuing battle and that included some of the Kets! The defence shielding on the thing, was impressive. Suddenly it targeted both of them one after the other, as they too exploded, pieces thrown out, embedded in the overhang, the bulkheads and whistling past the heads of the Kets, who were lying flat on the gantry, with some protection from the side units on it. Torvan hissing in their ears.
“I think we, ought to make a run for it! Whatever it is, its on the move! I'm not hanging around to see if it comes my way."
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