Public Caldera Crisis - Primo Victoria (Galidraan)

[Iskendyr Yvarro]

THE CALDERA CRISIS
​

The Tavlar Military Academy, a school aboard a converted SSD, had been near Yavin IV at the time of the Sith's invasion. The vessel fled as soon as it was able; however, they soon learned that their vessel had been compromised by the plague. Administrators did their best to keep it under control, easing the minds of their students ranging in ages from 13 to 18. No matter how valiantly the administrators and troopers fought, it seemed the plague was spreading faster than they could control it.

The vessel sent out distress signals as it headed toward Vjun. The engine room was among the first to be compromised. Engines are at maximum speed, emergency stops are not working, and any attempt at manual override has been futile. The Tavlar Military Academy speeds through the Empire of the Lost's territory. Original coordinates are planned for Ossus; however, the vessel will not make its destination.

Among the students, Iskendyr Yvarro has led fellow classmates to the command center. They have taken over for their fallen administrators. Under the leadership of stormtroopers, they attempt one last time to send out a distress signal, hoping that someone will hear their cries for help. Iskendyr aims the Tavlar Military Academy for Galidraan, while a team of troopers tries once more to take control of the engine room that is now overrun with the undead

---

Attention, this is Stormtrooper Unit Gamma-7 of the Tavlar Military Academy. Emergency situation on board. Plague outbreak. Engine failure imminent. Immediate assistance required. All available frequencies, please respond. We are headed for Galidraan, unable to maintain original course to Ossus. Coordinates: [Transmitting Coordinates].​

​

To any nearby Imperial or allied vessels, this is an urgent plea for assistance. Tavlar Military Academy is compromised, and we are rapidly losing control. Undead presence in critical areas. Casualties among personnel. Unable to halt engine acceleration. Assistance required for evacuation and containment. Repeat, this is Stormtrooper Unit Gamma-7 calling for immediate assistance.​

​

Mayday, mayday! All available forces, respond. We are racing towards Galidraan. The situation is dire. Need immediate support to regain control and prevent a catastrophic crash. Any vessel in the vicinity, please respond. We are in urgent need of assistance. This is Stormtrooper Unit Gamma-7 signing off. May the Empire hear our distress call.​

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

THE CALDERA CRISIS

Location: Hyperspace approaching transmitted coordinates in this

Loadout: Katarn MK III Night Ops armor, Single bladed lightsaber, DC-17m in blaster configuration with plenty of extra ammo
​

Kurayami had been put on high alert status along with the rest of his squadron as soon as Sith agression started, and that had only intensified once Yavin IV fell to their forces. The ship had been chosen not for speed, but for overwhelming firepower, durability, and the ability to harass ships far outside its own weight class. The 'Screamin' Demon' was also well able to evacuate at least a few people due to it's size. Wouldn't be the classiest get away, but they'd get out alive at least. The ship's navicomp beeped at him to let him know it was time to revert, and he smoothly eased the throttle back until the stars stopped being streaks of light and went back to their normal pinpricks of light.

"R6-X3 get me a diagnostic on how long it is going to take to get the ammo duplicators programmed for ionic torpedoes, and a full salvo of 32 ready to go. " A nearby gold and black R6 unit beeped in what may have been agreeance, but was hard to tell as it sounded rather annoyed at the command, the Corellian just chuckled at the exchange. "I know R6, not quite as exciting as what we did back then, but we gotta save the kids, so just get the torpedoes ready we have to knock out the engines on an SSD. You know how difficult that is lil' buddy?" More grumbling, low beeps, and squawks emanated from the astromech as he went about his assigned task, until finally a quick higher pitched beep indicated that he had finished what he had been asked to do. This was quickly followed by an inquisitive trill along with the dome moving slightly to either side. "You can hit the recharge rack for now, that should be all I need. Thanks. I'll let you know if I need anything else, R6."

While the astromech rolled happily away beeping to itself in a sing-song manner, Kurayami focused on the task at hand once more making sure all the flight data was synced to his helmet including the status of the weapons. These he switched to an automated targeting mode where he would be able to use helmet mounted cueing to designate targets for the different weapons systems and it would take only the pull of a trigger to unleash hell with the droid brains backing him. He was still a ways out from weapons range, but already the SSD loomed large on the panoramic display. This was going to be nasty from what he had heard, he might even need more power to hit these things with. If it came to that then he did have a back up but he really did not want to go that route. "Kark it. There is family on there. No mercy for anything infected. This shit stops here." He stood and made his way back to where his quarters were onboard the ship, apparently making enough noise to wake R6 and elicit a sad dwoo from the droid. He drew a small case from under the bed and opened it using his thumbprint. Inside sat two black gammaplast SE-44c heavy blaster pistols with electrum trim and krayt dragon pearl grips. The power cells had been replaced with a self recharging model and they had been modified to fire ionized particle bolts amped by an agrocite crystal each. These had been gifted to him when he joined the Commonwealth, the blasters were a unique set that had been made specially for him, a gift to recognize all he had done for the previous government and in the help of bringing the Commonwealth under one banner when asked to help, as well as his continued service to the government when asked. These he mag locked to the thigh plates on his armor so they would be within easy reach when needed.

Making his way back to the pilot's chair he flipped on the IFF and began transmitting a Commonwealth code before opening a channel to ATC. As of now all his weapons were powered down, though the shields were at full power. "Stormtrooper Unit Gamma-7 of Tavlar Military Academy, this is Kurayami Bloodborn. I intercepted your distress call and am here to provide aid. I will await landing clearance."

Iskendyr Yvarro

​

 

[Iskendyr Yvarro]

THE CALDERA CRISIS​

Attention, this is Stormtrooper Unit Gamma-7 of the Tavlar Military Academy. Acknowledging your response. We're granting you clearance now. We desperately need your help. Undead outbreak on board. Engaging emergency protocols for evacuation. Please expedite your assistance.

Thank you for responding. Time is critical.

---

Fifteen-year-old Cadet Iskendyr Yvarro felt the weight of responsibility press down on his young shoulders as he darted through the dimly lit corridors of the Tavlar Military Academy's command center. The air was thick with tension, and the unsettling sounds of the undead clawing at the doors echoed through the metallic halls. Verat and Drannon close behind him, the command center wouldn't be far. They had left only to help jettison escape pods for their fellow cadets.

He barked orders to the dwindling Stormtrooper Unit Gamma-9 near engineering, coordinating their desperate efforts to fend off the relentless horde. Whilst Stormtrooper Unit Gamma-7 barked at him and his classmates to get back to the control center. Amid the chaos, Iskendyr toggled communication channels on a nearby panel, urging his fellow cadets to reach escape pods and make their way to safety.

Every transmission brought a mix of relief and heartbreak, as the voices of those lost to the plague intermingled with the pleas for salvation. The young man and his two classmates reached the safety of the command center, the fading numbers of Stormtrooper Unit Gamma-7 shut the doors behind them and Iskendyr rather than pause for breath raced to the communications console. His hand swiftly moving across the panels and switches. Traumatized yet resolute, Iskendyr knew he had to navigate his peers through the ship's dark corridors, pushing escape pods and ensuring that every survivor, trooper, and administrator had a chance at life beyond the plagued starship. The teenager's voice was going hoarse, beside him Verat and Drannon were doing much of the same.

The weight of leadership hung heavily on the young cadets, but they couldn't afford to falter—they were the beacons of hope in the encroaching darkness. Iskendyr's blood soaked uniform told the horrific tale of survival, "Drannon! Verat!" Shouted the teenage imperial, "blockade the doors." There just a handful of them, each one just as tired as the other, clutching their blaster rifles, their once pristine Imperial gray uniforms covered in blood, and sweat. "Gamma-9 do you read? Gamma-9?"

He heard a crackle over the comms, the gurgling sounds of blood in the throat. Iskendyr looked away as his hands fumbled with the controls shutting off the comms. Drannon and Verat exchanged looks with Iskendyr, and then the trio looked over toward the Sergeant of Gamma Unit-7.

Kurayami Bloodborn ​

 

[Lily Rhodes]

Lily's heart was in her throat, she hadn't had time to breath since leaving Alvaria. Celanon had been a nightmare she'd not had a chance to process, the refugees at Vjun and their desperation had rattled her further. It should have been something she was use to, she grew up around desperate, but this...this was tainted with something dark and twisted. Like a great shadow was just starting to stretch across the galaxy and all she could do was run from it.

And to make it worse, her family was involved. Family she didn't know she had until a few weeks ago.

The Pilgrim's Rest lurched as it reverted out of hyperspace, she pushed the ship to its limits to stream after the Tavlar Military Academy opening comms to both the gunship and the star destroyer, trying her best to keep her voice calm as she extended her mind reaching out across the star destroyer ahead of her searching for a familiar mind.

"Tavlar this is the Pilgrim's Rest, I haven't got much in the way of weapons or fighting but I can evacuate people. Where do you need me?"

She found him, focused, but beneath it she felt his fear and his pain.

Iskey, I'm here.

Kurayami Bloodborn Iskendyr Yvarro

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

THE CALDERA CRISIS

Location: Hyperspace approaching transmitted coordinates in this

Loadout: Katarn MK III Night Ops armor, Single bladed lightsaber, DC-17m in blaster configuration with plenty of extra ammo, Modified SE-44c heavy blaster pistols as detailed in first post
​

"Roger that Stormtrooper Unit Gamma-7, receiving clearance codes now. Inputting and retransmitting landing, making my way as fast as this ship can carry me to designated bay. Assistance inbound." Kurayami pushed the throttles to full military power, hearing the engines rumble to life, though it was barely noticeable how the speed changed. As he accelerated towards the landing bay he caught notice of a ping as another ship entered the system and transmitted.

Vectoring the ship for final approach he called for R6 once again. "R6, take over the controls and guide us in. Keep to the vector set. Once we land I want the engines primed just in case. Once I get back with a few passengers we are out of here and hitting it with full ordnance 'til it stops moving. Understand?" The answer came in a series of quick trills, beeps, and whistles. It could only be assumed that this was an affirmative though the angry sounding squawks and lower tones that came next made the Corellian nod his head solemnly. "I know X3 but those poor bastards are dealing with undead. I can't leave them to fend for themselves. If you could go with I'd bring you but trust me, I need you here. I swear to you I will be back. If the Netherworld itself can't take me what chance do a few undead stand lil' buddy, huh?" The smirk could almost be heard in the way Kurayami talked to the droid. Still, the little astromech responded with angry sounding growls and ended with a sad dwoo as the ship set down in the hangar, bouncing slightly as it settled on its landing struts. He hit the button next to ramp and watched it descend as the sounds outside filtered in now. Bringing the DC-17m up into a ready position, Kurayami began to move forward towards the nearest door as R6 closed the gunship's ramp, all he needed was a readout of the Tavlar so he could reach Gamma-7.

"Gamma-7 this is Bloodborn, I am onboard. Need guidance to your location so far no resistance on my end. I expect that to change as soon as this door opens though." Reaching out through the Force he could feel the overwhelming fear of those beyond and the desperation to survive. Deep breaths worked to center himself as he hit the control panel to open the hangar door. Entering the narrow hallway he could already see some of the undead shambling towards fresh meat. Quick three round bursts to the head of each undead would put each of them down for a moment at the least. Long enough to keep moving forward at a decent clip. Even so, it would take a good amount of time to cover an appreciable distance and to do so would mean fighting for every inch on an SSD. Not exactly a quick proposition.

Iskendyr Yvarro | Lily Rhodes​

 

[Iskendyr Yvarro]

In the command center, Iskendyr flanked by his determined classmates Verat and Drannon, furiously worked the intricate network of cameras and internal defense mechanisms aboard the Tavlar Military Academy. The flickering screens displayed scenes of horror—undead marauding through once-pristine halls, relentless in their pursuit of the living. The cadets synchronized their efforts, manipulating the ship's defenses and redirecting the few functional security droids towards key areas. Stormtrooper Unit Gamma-7, stationed strategically near the command center's entrances and exits, fought valiantly to stem the tide of approaching threats. Iskendyr, with a mixture of dread and determination, guided his comrades through the labyrinthine corridors. As alarms blared and lights flashed, the trio struggled to maintain control over the ship's dwindling systems, their every action a desperate bid to buy precious moments for their fellow cadets and the beleaguered troopers.

Gamma-7 acknowledged Bloodborn, “we’ll do what we can.” They alternated, providing him instructions, rudimentary at first. They added he could look to maps embedded throughout the corridors as their communications became erratic. Behind the blockaded doors, the unit continued to pick off the undead.

Iskendyr felt a familiar presence in the Force, one he met what felt like ages ago near the Outer Rim. Lily. His heart pounded, and then quickly he thought, what is she doing here? She’s going to get killed. Not a moment sooner she made contact with the ship. “Acknowledged, Pilgrim’s Rest, remain where you are. We’ll do what we can to guide students toward you.”

He suppressed his anxiety and focused on guiding his fellow students toward the awaiting vessel. Urging them forward with words of reassurance, Iskendyr led the way through the labyrinthine passages, avoiding the relentless undead and coordinating with Lily to secure a safe route. Each step was laden with tension, the weight of the task bore down on him. Iskendyr's heart pounded with both fear and relief with each passing moment. The Dosuunian teenager continued to push his fears down, his priority to evacuate the imperiled students remained. The hope of escape flickered in the dim corridors as he, Verat and Drannon watched on the cameras as their fellow students rushed toward Pilgrim’s Rest.

Kurayami Bloodborn | Lily Rhodes ​

 

[Lily Rhodes]

Docking at the speed the Academy was moving at was difficult, she lost a panel in the first attempt whixh rattled her nerves far more than she would like, though she was unsure how much of that fear was hers and that of the students working their way towards her. She shut them out, focusing her telepathic energy on Iskey and tried again.

The Rest gave her a green light, and she lepat out of her seat, snatching up a Toff blaster rifle she palmed open the door to allow the incoming students quick access. She wasn't the best shot but it was more for her own comfort than anything else.

The students were armed and far more skilled than Lily, racing towards her while still as fast as a firing retreat could. The undead hot on their heels, the noises made her blood run cold and she gripped the rifle a little tighter moving away from the door as the student flooded in. She bolted back for the pilots seat.

"We're clear!"

Shaking hands moved over the controls, uncoupling them from the docking arm. Her heart was in her throat, shaky as she spoke. "P-passengers secure." She took a breath closed her eyes. "Isk- Tavlar command, where next?"

Iskendyr Yvarro Kurayami Bloodborn

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

THE CALDERA CRISIS

Loadout: Katarn MK III Night Ops armor, Single bladed lightsaber, DC-17m in blaster configuration with plenty of extra ammo, Modified SE-44c heavy blaster pistols as detailed in first post
​

Kurayami hardly even took note of the fact that Lily managed to dock with the Tavlar as he was busy deciphering the comms from Unit Gamma-7 as well as making sure to keep his six clear. There were the odd soldiers and cadets that were able to provide support, but for the most part he was moving forward with a singular goal and on his own, meaning if he saw someone come in contact with the undead he put one through the head for safety's sake. It was cruel and perhaps colder than needed in some cases, but there was no taking chances with this thing. He had seen what Blackwing could do firsthand many years ago. It was not something to take lightly, and if this was that or some variant thereof then it was even more important to put down anyone who could possibly have been bitten when you didn't have but a few doses of the vax with you. He could only hope that others who arrived, if indeed any would have access to some as a preventative measure. The Deecee was clearing the way nicely but it only had limited ammo and that meant he could find himself in a tight spot soon with all the shooting he was doing. Good thing he had the 44's.

Clamping the Deecee to his back, he reached down and drew the heavy pistols that rested at his hips as the lifeform scanners on his HUD sent out a pulse followed quickly by the millimeter wave radar. Ducking behind a pillar to catch his breath for a moment he looked around the corridor and noted the plaque containing the map on the opposite wall. That was simple to read using the electro binoculars and zooming in. Looked like he was adjacent to the main hallway and that was why things had been a bit more quiet for him. Still not quiet enough, but he knew the press of humanity on the other side would be immense and that he would have to face it soon.

Which begged two main questions, how soon? More importantly, how bad would it be when he did enter that hallway? Each of these pistols could absolutely decimate a human sized target and held enough rounds to put a dent in a good size group, but they were average otherwise, and the recharge rate from empty left something to be desired. While he continued to ponder his situation and rest he heard the unmistakable shambling of nearby undead horrors nearby and cursed his luck in Mando'a and Corellian before firing in a carefully stuttered pattern towards the threats. The golden particle bolts lanced through the air until their targets had been found and hit. Or the nearest object. Either worked really. Whatever wasn't vaporized by direct impact from the hits was reduced to a pile of goop. "Zombies. So frakking rude sometimes. I just want to get my bearings and catch my breath. I will kill you in a minute. No, that isn't good enough anymore, I swear necromancy used to have some class attached to it."

Iskendyr Yvarro | Lily Rhodes ​

 

[Iskendyr Yvarro]

In the command center of the academy, tensions reached a fever pitch as Iskendyr, Verat, and Drannon frantically guided a group of desperate cadets towards escape pods. The situation was dire, and the stark reality of half the cadets meeting their demise played out on the monitors. Iskendyr, his eyes tightly shut, averted his gaze, the desperation palpable in the air. As the haunting scenes unfolded, an unfamiliar voice pierced the room, echoing with an otherworldly resonance.

"You brought them to Galidraan." The voice hung in the air, and Iskendyr's eyes shot open to witness the spectral figure of his great-grandmother. "You brought a super star destroyer, filled with bloody blackwing-infected horrors, to Galidraan." The accusation struck Iskendyr like a bolt of lightning, and he stared in shock at the apparition before him. Confused and terrified, he wondered if this was a manifestation of his psychometric abilities or something far more supernatural. As his great-grandmother's anger reverberated through the air, Iskendyr was left speechless, grappling with the weight of her accusations.

Pleas for salvation over the comms distracted her but for a moment. "Must I do everything." She commented departing into the aether for all Iskendyr knew. He leaned over the station, and only heard Verat. "The hell are you doing, Yvarro? Can't you hear them screamin'?!"

"Right," he acknowledged, focusing his attention on the monitors on his console. Except the moment he moved to speak to them, the cadets who had plead for help were rushing toward the escape pods with ease. Then, they were jettisoned all before he could do so himself. Confused he looked between his hands and then, there she was again.

"I'll do what I can to lead Mr. Bloodborn to you, do try to figure out how to avoid splattering our fellow Galidraani," and with that she disappeared again. Iskendyr looked over at his canteen bottle, when he tried to reach of it, the thing flew in the opposite direction. "I meant it, Iskendyr Delyo Yvarro." Words he heard, but knew not the direction they had arrived from. Exhaling, Iskendyr convinced himself that it was merely a symptom of the trauma he was experiencing. He returned to his duties, guiding who he could out to safety, stopping only to fire his blaster at the undead who dared crawl over the barricades.

"I'm sending another group to you," Isky acknowledged Lily over comms, his voice tense with urgency, "be ready."

With determination etched across his face, Isky embarked on another harrowing mission. Guiding a new group of cadets, accompanied by the diminishing number of troopers, through the maze-like corridors of the academy. The unsettling symphony of undead horrors clawing and scratching outside the confines of the command center intensified. Beads of sweat formed on Isky's brow, and he hastily wiped them away with the back of his sleeve. The relentless pounding of his heart echoed the urgency of the situation, each beat seemingly louder, threatening to break free from his chest. The weight of responsibility bore down on him, and yet, with grim determination, he pressed on.

All the while, Iskendyr wrestled with the haunting directive to divert the academy away from Galidraan. The weight of the impending doom pressed upon him as he sought a solution. "Drannon, do we have any way of maneuvering the ship?" he inquired, desperation evident in his voice. Drannon's expression offered little hope as he responded.

"Unless there's a way of jettisoning the engines, I don't think so. No one's been able to get into engineering, Yvarro."

Iskendyr's mind raced, contemplating options. "There's got to be a way," he muttered, thinking aloud. "Torps ought to do it, but we don't exactly have those measures—wait." A spark of an idea flashed in his mind, prompting him to move toward a different console. "Can we try to shoot it with whatever automated internal defenses we have?"

"Shoot what?"

"The controls."

"Even if you could aim for them, you're not gonna be able to hit what you need," Verat chimed in. "You'd need someone to operate the defenses here, and a team to get in. We tried that, remember?"

Pursing his lips in frustration, Iskendyr acknowledged the challenges. Nevertheless, he returned to the other console, determined to do everything in his power for his fellow cadets while desperately searching for a glimmer of hope. Hope that perhaps would come from elsewhere, as Iskendyr would not realize until later that he hadn't switched the communications off, and that Lily could hear it all.

Lily Rhodes | Kurayami Bloodborn ​

 

[Lily Rhodes]

Lily listened intently her head titled, her hands had paused over the controls. She could do more. The thought that she could help that she had direction steadied her hands. "I need a pilot." She said into the group of students one stepped forward and she got out of the ship. "The Rest is yours, temporarily. Don't break her, she's more than just a ship she's my home. Save your friends. I'll be back."

She closed her eyes, she had teleported anywhere she couldn't see before but she could feel Iskey, feel him like he was standing next to her.

Time and space folded around her, and she vanished from the Pilgrims Rest.

"I can get in there."

She appeared behind Iskendyr and the others, wiping a trickle of blood from her nose, a side effect Malum had warned her about. She was a sorry state to look at, huge shadows under her eyes and she was definitely in need of a bath but she'd not stopped since Celanon, she'd not had time to take care of herself.

"Iskey, I can get us into engineering."

Iskendyr Yvarro Kurayami Bloodborn

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

THE CALDERA CRISIS

Loadout: Katarn MK III Night Ops armor, Single bladed lightsaber, DC-17m in blaster configuration with plenty of extra ammo, Modified SE-44c heavy blaster pistols as detailed in first post
​

Looked like the issue had been decided for him. He was going to have to press onward into the adjoining hallway and through the masses of undead to get to the survivors, hopefully in time. The Corellian cursed his luck in this case, but was glad that he'd had a long run at least. As the door slid open the Force flared in warning. Kurayami lived up to his last name in that moment as he threw his head forward with Force enhanced speed and caved in the skull of a waiting undead, painting the mirrored gold visor with viscera and blood. Slowly the pistol in his right hand came up and he did his utmost to pick off targets one at a time without rushing and still at a fair pace.

Again the Force swelled, his body tensed as his eyes flitted over the scans, but those were clear...okay, clear-ish for the moment. So it wasn't immenint death for him. Was it? At least not from a zombie, no. His eyes widened as he broke into a sprint towards where he felt the ripples of the Force emanate from. Wherever that disturbance was, is where he was going to likely make the most difference and was likely the source of this whole deal.

Suddenly he found himself dropping into a forward roll, quite lacking grace as it was unplanned and meant only to halt his progress. He couldn't abandon those in the command center. That was his mission was to get his family out of here, as he stood and dusted himself off another ripple in the Force, same place, but a different starting point? Maybe? Or was that an echo of the first one? Because damn that was a big one. He shook his head clearing it and regaining his composure as a realization washed over him about that first ripple.

That had been someone familiar...he knew that signature well, but she was long gone and had no reason to...oh frakking hell she had every reason to be pissed right now. This was her homeworld. He could just hear her haunting him if he let this go to shit and so seemingly to no one as he continued working his way forward, possibly even on open comms came the ramblings of The Drunken Savant himself, "Yea I know it's your home planet okay? So don't you sass me with, 'Ami you got some 'splainin to do.' if this frakking shitshow goes any further sideways than it already has okay, Fio?"

Iskendyr Yvarro | Lily Rhodes ​

 

[Iskendyr Yvarro]

Iskendyr was talking with Verat and Drannon in one moment, the next Lily was right there. He clutched his chest having nearly jumped out of his skin, or so he felt, having been so startled. First he swore he was seeing his dead relative, next Lily was there. As if the clamoring of the undead wasn’t unsettling enough. He was happy to see Lily of course, his heart swelled, but perhaps that was more of the shock of having witnessed the deaths of so many students, instructors and administrators.

“What in the bloody hell,” he began and then rubbed his eyes and looked at Lily, “not that I’m not glad to see you, but... wait, why is your nose, is that blood?”

Verat and Drannon were also trying to make sure they were seeing the right thing. “Who the hell is she?” Drannon inquired, while Verat wanted to raise his weapon. Isky pushed the weapon down and explained.

“This is uh... my uh, she uh, this is Lily. We are friends, yes, friends, and um... I’m not sure h-h-how,” he gestured to her and then motioned with his hands and, “poofed.” He began to nervously ramble, the nerves and the trauma of the situation started to bear down on him, “however here she is, and... saying she can get us in engineering, no less.”

“It’s bloody suicide,” Verat spat out.

Drannon meanwhile, “hang on, ain’t that a Force power? Bein’ able to like blink about? You sure this one ain’t a Sith?” Drannon kept his weapon on the ready.

“I’m... I don’t, listen, first if we got into there. We’re facing hordes, and I mean hordes of undead, blackwing infected, undead,” the Dosuunian-born Galidraani tried to explain, “and you, you want to.” Again he motioned with his hands, “poof us, there?”

Fiolette reappeared and Iskendyr yelped, “bloody hells, I can’t take much ‘ore of this, first it’s you then it’s her, and then you again.” He jabbed his hand toward the woman he could see, Fiolette, his great grandmother. The others couldn’t see anything, perhaps - except Lily if she was sensitive enough to Netherworld-energies, to everyone else he stabbed the air with his hand.

“I told you to figure out how to move this ship away from Galidraan, not talk up some scoundrel who clearly hasn’t told you everything,” Fiolette chastised him, “you were not asked to chat up your crush.”

“I don’t... she’s not, I mean,” he stammered, and then pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m bloody workin’ on it.”

Verat and Drannon both circled their index fingers around their temples, signaling that the two Coruscanti boys thought Iskendyr crazy. The added whistle cemented that thought, and Iskendyr sighed all he wanted to do was punch something. He wanted to scream, cry, laugh, anything that meant perhaps this was all one nightmare, and he’d wake up back home.

But no he was out here in the middle of the void, with a ship full of undead hurtling at breakneck speed toward Galidraan. Fiolette sighed and then walked around Lily, “fine, she can get you there, but you are not to move until the path is clear. I’ll let you know when the path is clear.”

She disappeared from view again, Fiolette intended to go straight to engineering. She took a detour toward Mr. Bloodborn, withdrawing her Imperial Vibrosword, necrotic hellfire flourished from her blade as with each sweep and swing she cleared out a small path for her old friend. From there she made haste for engineering, and once she was there. The old Admiral went to war against the undead, with hellfire, burned away at their flesh and bones.

For Iskendyr it felt like an eternity, but the reality was only eight to ten minutes. Fiolette said nothing when she appeared, except to give him a disapproving look. She motioned for him and Lily to follow her to engineering where the scorch marks of the necrotic fires could be seen.

Kurayami Bloodborn | Lily Rhodes ​

 

[Lily Rhodes]

Lily wiped the blood frok her bose again and took a step closer to Iskendyr. "Its fine, I'm fine." He was fumbling, the way he'd fumbled when she'd sadi goodbye to him the last time they met it made her heart swell and she had to fight every urge to hug him.⁹

She shot a look at Drannon, "Yes, its a force power, very smart of you to notice, but no, I am not a sith."

When Fio appeared Lily felt and heard her, but could not see her. She was like hot iron, blazing with disappointment. "Scoundrel is a bit...well..." Technically, Fio wasn't wrong. Lily did very much fit into the category of scoundrel. She went pink as she called her Iskey's crush, and became incredibly interested in her feet.

Staying quiet as she felt the presence moved around her assessing her, she lifted her gaze to meet Iskendyr's. She got the distinct impression anything she said would like get Iskey into trouble.

Lily let out a breath as Fio left them. Her eyes shifted to Veran and Drannon. "Aren't you supposed to be guiding survivor's to my ship?" She asked trying to get their attention away from her and Iskey as she took his hand and tugged him to the otherside of the room.

"I'm sorry, I should have warned you before I came aboard. We can talk about all the things I haven't told you when we get out of here, I promise. I assume she's a relative of yours?"

She flinched as Fio returned hot as ever. "I can't see her, but I'm guessing its time. I can teleport us there but it's unfamiliar to me, I need..." she paused still holding his hand windering how best to ask. "I need to see it in your mind. I won't delve any further, if you can picture it for me."

As he did, Lily closed her eyes, taking his other hand and focusing on the image he brought forward as she folded time and space around them.

Iskendyr Yvarro Kurayami Bloodborn

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

THE CALDERA CRISIS

Loadout: Katarn MK III Night Ops armor, Single bladed lightsaber, DC-17m in blaster configuration with plenty of extra ammo, Modified SE-44c heavy blaster pistols as detailed in first post
​

Again, the specter of FIo appeared in where he could only assume Iskendyr was holed up with those under his command for the time being. Also seemed to be where the other Force signature ended its journey? So he should focus on getting there stat especially since he was closing in and things had calmed down quite a bit from earlier. Still the occasional shamblers to worry about, but for the most part it was not nearly as chaotic as earlier.

Then Fio disappeared and reappeared near his position. She didn't speak, but she didn't have to with the swing of her vibroblade and the necrotic flames told him that she wanted him to follow the path she had just carved for him and thus he didn't question it and just amped himself with Force speed and dashed forward through patch cleared by the flames. He was not far behind his old friend in engaging the threat in engineering. Waiting a few more moments may not have been a bad idea as it was utterly packed with undead. Thankfully, Fiolette had managed to clear a decent number, but some from the outskirts had managed to keep from her rage and found him to be a tasty looking snack.

Holstering the right pistol, Kurayami drew upon the hate in the surrounding area, siphoning it into himself and focusing it into a miniscule point, before ensing it hurtling at the closest group of shambling undead, the Force Destruction blast leaving nothing behind of them or the nearby crates. Thankfully those didn't look to have been vital to anything or overly volatile. Still, he wouldn't take the chance of accidentally putting a bit too much into it and and hitting something important. So he force pulled the 44 from his right hip back to his hand and kept firing into the mass of undead alternating fire from each pistol so as not to exhaust the power cell too quickly. Hopefully within a short enough time the two of them could clear this section of hostiles, still, it would be quite the bloody, if not glorious battle.

Iskendyr Yvarro | Lily Rhodes​

 

[Iskendyr Yvarro]

If Lily could sense it, Fiolette glared at her, questioning the presence of this scoundrel from the Firefist Galaxy near her great-grandson. She pushed past them, tapping Kurayami on his shoulder, and gestured with her sword toward Lily and Iskendyr.

"Iskendyr, Mr. Bloodborn is right here; you'll have the help you need. I'll return as soon as possible; Gamma Unit 7 won't hold out for much longer without my assistance," and with that, Fiolette departed.

Iskendyr, still catching his breath and trying to stop his nosebleed, quipped, "Sithshit on Life Day, warn me next time." Whether she warned him or not, he couldn't recall in the midst of the horror. Turning to Mr. Bloodborn, he introduced him to Lily and mentioned his great-grandmother, Fiolette Yvarro. The focus shifted to shutting down the engines, he led Lily and Mr. Bloodborn to the control room there in engineering.

He prayed for his nose to stop bleeding, finally wiping away the drops on his pants. "Right, so, here," he clasped his hands together and headed toward the main control consoles. "Are the consoles we need; however," his heart sank as he realized they had been brutalized by the undead. "Are... going to be useless." Still, it wouldn't stop him from attempting to do what he could with those consoles.

"Two options: shut them down manually or figure out how to get them to jettison away from the ship." The unspoken third option was to shoot the engines off with deadly force, but Iskendyr recognized the catastrophic consequences for Galidraan and everyone still holding out hope aboard the ship. The urgency of the situation pressed upon them, and Iskendyr grappled with the weight of their choices.

Iskendyr, faced with the damaged control consoles and the urgency of the situation, assessed his options to shut down the engines of the military academy. First, he considered a manual shutdown, attempting to access the damaged consoles directly. With nimble fingers, he worked on rerouting power and isolating critical systems. However, the chaotic state of the control room and the severity of the damage made this option increasingly impractical.

Realizing the limitations, Iskendyr pivoted to the second option. He sought to override the engine controls and initiate an emergency jettison. "Got it," he declared having decided on a solution, "we'll need to get through the maintenance shaft to access a secondary control panel, from there I can try to bypass any security protocols and firewalls there and hopefully initiate an emergency jettison of the engines."

Kurayami Bloodborn | Lily Rhodes ​

 

[Lily Rhodes]

Lily ached. Travelling in the force took its toll, she hated that it had hurt Iskey, but worse, she could feel the corruption eating at her energy. She justified the use of it easily, to save him. To save as many of the students as posisble and help Iskendyr achieve his goal? The line was worth crossing.

She had faith that she'd find her balance again. Her own nosebleed came with a headache, sharp and throbbing behind her left eye. She didn't complain. She greeted Mr Bloodborn with a nod, wiping away the blood.

"To be clear," Lily said as Iskendyr settled on a solution. "You want to crawl through cramped spaces, with limited exits, on a ship full of undead?"

There was a long pause."Right. Okay. Fine. I can pull all of us out if things go sideways, totally fine." There was a slight hysterical edge to her voice that suggested it was absolutely not fine.

"Its going to be just like Coruscant, crawling around in little spaces trying not to get caught..." she walked towards the nearest maintenance shaft. "Couldn't have just gone to home to Jaibrek, had to be all 'trust in the force'." She was muttering to herself as she pulled crates underneath it. Climbing on top of them to release the grate she got back down. And let out a sigh.

Iskendyr would have to take the lead, but before he could get into the shaft, Lily seized an oppurtune moment, she kissed him. Hard.

"I really like you. Please do not get me killed."

Iskendyr Yvarro Kurayami Bloodborn

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

THE CALDERA CRISIS

Loadout: Katarn MK III Night Ops armor, Single bladed lightsaber, DC-17m in blaster configuration with plenty of extra ammo, Modified SE-44c heavy blaster pistols as detailed in first post
​

Kurayami was busy chacking the scanners, flipping through all available modes making sure everything was clear enough for the moment that he paid little heed to Iskendyr or Lily in the background. He could sense the malice from Fiolette, that was hard to miss even if you tried, but that was also none of his business so he wasn't going to try and figure out what the issue was there. Then Fio made sure he was aware of the two, tapping his shoulder pauldron with her sword and gesturing towards them communicating everything needed in the one motion. He simply nodded and lowered his weapons as he approached the two lovebirds. "So looks like the little lady helped to you two to where you needed to be. So for that I thank you Lily, as for your great-grandmother Iskendyr, yes, I am well aware. She helped to guide me here and we managed to clear out most of the surrounding area before you two popped in. Impressive use of Fold Space. Careful with the nosebleeds though, too much strain will take you outta the fight. Right now we need you both able to think and fight."

He listened as the youngster went over their options since the two nearby consoles were toasted. While it may have been possible to come up with a different solution given time, that was a luxury they were running preciously short on currently as both the Force and his scanners were telling him that the undead were making their way back here drawn by the smell of fresh meat. Lil's suggestion wasn't a bad one per se, but it would be a lot of strain. "Listen to me well Lily, if it comes down to that, open your mind to me, draw upon my reserves of energy to get us out to the hangar. My ship is there and I can have my droid drop the ramp in no time. As soon as we are there I can sever any nascent Force bond and get us out of dodge. Let's hope it doesn't come to that though. You two stay ahead of me in the tunnels and no matter what...keep moving forward. Let's go."

He was tempted to let the kiss pass without comment, but what kind of uncle would he be if he did that? "No time for long goodbyes lovebirds, besides, you'll see each other plenty soon enough. Save the makeouts for the victory on my ship with the drinks okay?"

Iskendyr Yvarro | Lily Rhodes ​

 

[Iskendyr Yvarro]

Iskendyr wanted to interject, but Lily wasn't wrong, they were about to crawl through cramped spaces with little to no exits on a ship full of undead, "yeah, so... ab-" his fingers tapping on one another nervously as he looked away for a moment. "Right, think and fight, think and fight," he repeated what Mr. Bloodborn stated and then his attention turned back to Lily. "Wh- I uh, I mean, I am really, really grateful that y-you're both 'ere?" Iskendyr offered up and was wondering why his voice just couldn't hold at the proper tone. This is not what he thought he'd sound like, he swore he'd be all heroic and have that deep, voice, the kind that they show at the holocinema palace.

"I'll uh h-" just as he was getting the words out that he'd take lead, Lily kissed him. She kissed him, was that the second time? That was the second time. He stood there with his brain, short-circuiting on the spot, until he felt someone smacked him upside the head. "What the-" It was Fiolette and the look she gave him told him he needed to get moving as the opening to the shaft popped open with a fiery rage. "I get it, I'm going, I'm going, bloody, Force-ghost," Iskendyr cursed as he hoisted himself up into the vent. "I'm uh, I don't want anything to happen to you, Lily. Tis why I didn't want you 'ere, y'know, I uh... I care a lot, 'bout you and all."

Fiolette pushed past Mr. Bloodborn with a look that just told him there would be absolutely no drinking or making out on his boat as she pushed her way forward, making sure the way forward was clear. All Iskendyr had to do was follow the smell of burning ash which wasn't hard to do. He inevitably managed to reach the area he needed to. Fio popped that vent open as well and then worked to clear the area of undead. Iskendyr managed to get down first, then side stepped to help Lily Rhodes down from the vent. "Right panel is over here, just keep them off me, will you?"

Kurayami Bloodborn ​

 

[Lily Rhodes]

Lily couldn't help but smile, following him up into the vents. She opened her mind to both of them as they shuffled along, Mr Bloodborns calm, balancing out the race the was Iskey's mind. Lily settled into the balance, finding a calm centre between them. She held on to Iskey's hand a little longer than needed after being helped down, giving him a small smile before drawing a blaster from her hip.

She was not a fighter, she never had been, but killing undead before they reached Iskey was a necessity. She watched the swatches fall to the unseen force ghosts power. "You're grandma is kinda badass." Lily commented, following him to the panel. "Terrifying, but a badass." She turned her back to Iskey as he set to work, wiping sweaty palms on her trousers and hoping no one would notice.

"I really need to take Velok up on some training." she muttered to herself. If she was going to keep getting herself into the situations, she needed to better learn to fight and defend herself. A sideways glance towards Kurayami and she gave him a tight smile. "I'm not a fighter," she offered in explanation "I'm a reader...and a thief." She added with a shrug.

Still, as the next wave of undead began to stumble into the room following Fio's clear out Lily did not hesitate to open fire.

Kurayami Bloodborn Iskendyr Yvarro

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

THE CALDERA CRISIS

Loadout: Katarn MK III Night Ops armor, Single bladed lightsaber, DC-17m in blaster configuration with plenty of extra ammo, Modified SE-44c heavy blaster pistols as detailed in first post
​

Iskendyr was stumbling over his words which was adorable for a lovestruck kid, in any situation other than this. Such was the curse of young love Kurayami had to mentally chide himself. He hadn't always been the one to mentally focus so sharply on the objective either, and had any of his past flames been here would his focus have been as sharp? Not likely if he were completely honest with himself. That sense of loss was really what had forged him and forced him to hone his skill to the point they were at and still he wasn't satisfied.

Thankfully Fio ripped the grate off and ended the debate of how long it would last, though she was clearly a bit angry with his joke at the teens' expense as well. "Well damn Fio! Sorry for trying to lighten the mood for the two teens facing death and a lifetime of trauma! You wanna yell at 'em that bad? Don't you make me pull your bougie ass outta the Netherworld!" He grumbled incoherently as he followed the two into the maintenance shaft, whether it had to do with having to holster the weapons or Fio giving him a hard time for trying to bring some humor to the dark situation was hard to tell.

Once they had reached their destination and were all boots on the ground again Kurayami nodded to Iskendyr "Consider it done." He then smiled beneath his helmet towards Lily as he unholstered the 44's again. "Trust me kid, no one starts out as a fighter. I sure as hell didn't, took a lot of patching up, a lot of failures, and a lot of time spent training and in the thick of it to get to where I am now. We'll be just fine, nothin' is going to stop us from getting out of here. Especially some shambling undead. Promise ya that." Kurayami did all he could to keep calm within, controlling his breathing and entering an almost meditative state as he began targeting the next wave of undead and picking them off alongside Lily.

Iskendyr Yvarro | Lily Rhodes ​