"Sir, I... You should see that."

Shep's voice came through the speakers, and Ragout ran towards the c.o.c.kpit, followed closely by Dageer.

They didn't need Shep to tell them what it was when they arrived. Instead of the normal space vacuum, all they could see through the windows was a red, big, and moving, mass.

Whatever it was, it was big enough to curl around the entire ship. It was also leaving some kind of secretion where it passed, and blocking the scanners.

"What is the problem, Dageer? Oh... I see."

General Di entered the c.o.c.kpit, which started to get quite crowded, and instantly saw the thing outside.

"Do you know what that is, master?"

"Unfortunately, yes. A crimson slug. They coil around sh.i.p.s and squash them until they break. After which they will eat everything and everyone."

As if to prove he was right, alarms suddenly started going off, dyeing the ship with red. Lights started flashing on the control panel, and Shep looked at them worried.

"Section 12 is being crushed, general. If this thing doesn't stop, the ship will split in half. The turrets are destroyed. What do we do?"

Solemnly, General Di motioned for Dageer and Ragout to follow him.

"We have to scare it away."

...

General Di put on a helmet shaped like a bubble, with two tubes on the back connecting to a small tank. Ragout did the same. The sub-commander looked at the Jedis and asked the same question for the fifth time.

"Are you sure about this, general?"

"It's our only option, Dageer. Or the ship is gone, and we with it."

Dageer looked at Hell Squad, and shrugged. Since the Jedi already set his mind on it, there was nothing he could do to stop him. So, it was better to go along and ensure that their plan was a success.

Dageer verified that his helmet was safely locked on, and told Hell Squad to do the same. The Phase II helmets could be used in space for a short amount of time, although not for what General Di wanted. The survival capability of the helmet was so rescue sh.i.p.s could find soldiers lost in space after a battle. Dageer bet the armor's designers never thought someone would purposely go out in the vacuum with it.

Still, they were doing it. Dageer closed the door of the isolation chamber, and pressed a button on the wall. The wall opened, and the loss of pressure pulled them, but all the clones had tied themselves to the ship. The Jedis simply attached themselves to the ship using the Force.

"Out."

General Di's voice was muffled because of the mask, but his command tone was clear. Hell Squad left the ship, and for a few moments floated in space. Then they pushed a button in the cable tying them, and were pulled to the ship.

"Magnetic locks on."

When his feet touched the outside of the ship, Dageer turned on the magnetic locks on his boots. They gave off a light blue glimmer, and Dageer felt his feet safely glued to the ship.

He took a first tentatively step. It was weird at first, because he could feel the lack of gravity trying to make him float.

They were on the side of the ship, but it was too dark to see anything clearly. Still, Dageer thought he saw something moving. When they walked a few more steps, trying to get to the top of the ship, he knew he was right.

A giant worm, at least one hundred meters long, was coiling its body around the corvette. The metal plates that made the exterior of the ship were bending under the pressure that the crimson slug applied.

He aimed his blaster at the creature, but he doubted it would do any damage to it.

"General, how... How do we fight this thing?"

"We aren't trying to fight it, Dageer. It is just looking for food. If we show it isn't worthy, it will leave. There is no need to kill a being who just wants to survive."

Once again, the Jedi philosophy of not killing unless necessary could cause problems. And, in Dageer's opinion, killing the crimson slug was entirely necessary.

"Ragout, let's try to send it away."

"Yes, master."

The Jedis approached the moving mass that was the crimson slug, and stopped about ten meters away from it. Dageer warned Hell Squad.

"Stay ready, boys. I don't think this thing will go away quietly."

"Is there anything we can do if it doesn't?"

"Shut up, Cell."

Without touching their lightsabers, General Di and Ragout touched the sides of the crimson slug. The creature was so big that it didn't even notice.

Tense seconds passed, when nothing happened. Then, suddenly, the slug started shaking. Its tail twitched uncontrollably, and missed Hell Squad by mere meters.

Dageer was about to open fire, even though he knew it was pointless, when General Di stopped him.

"Hold your fire! It is confused! It doesn't want to hurt us!"

Ragout's words weren't enough to convince Dageer, but orders were orders. He closed his fist above his head, a clear signal for the clones to stop. With the corner of his eyes, he saw Cell tense up and then relax and mumble something.

"I'm not sure about that..."

"Shut up, Cell."

Dageer felt the ship rock under his feet, and, consequently, he also swayed from one side to another.

The crimson slug grew increasingly relentless, and Dageer gripped his blaster nervously. He could face an army of droids unfazed, but fighting a giant worm, on the vacuum of space, was a little too much.

"Push together, Ragout!"

Dageer barely heard General Di, but he saw their faces frown in concentration, and the crimson slug stifled. The corvette shook once more when the huge body impacted down.

The crimson slug's tail twitched a few times, and then the huge body unfurled, and the ship sunk under its weight.

Minutes tickled by when everyone stood quiet, uncertain of what to do. Then, the crimson slug slid down the sides of the ship.