Ghost Stories

[Gilamar Skirata]

Interdiction is not a fun experience, but honestly, he felt it would have been better than being thrown out of hyperspace after your pilot is gutted by a group of hyperspace inhabiting Force wraiths. So far he had been unable to confirm if the rest of the fleet was safe, and he hoped to the Manda they were. This had started off as a fairly easy meet and swap event between the Migrant Fleet and Echoylir. They even had a Starchaser on one of their transport ships guiding the way. But something sinister happened during their trip. Beings of myth and legend infiltrated their ship, slaughtered the command bridge and seemed to be looking for something, or someone. They moved room by room killing or maiming anyone or anything that got in their way.

And here he was without his armor.

He needed to find the Starchaser. If he knew that family, and he did know at least one of them fairly well, she was their best shot out of this bad horror holo. He looked to his left and then to his right. Two Mandalorians, one barely old enough to have completed his verd'gotten and the other a large Togorian.

Great odds of survival.

He took a breath and opened the door. The emergency glowsticks lined the ceiling, giving the dark hallway a flickering red source of illumination. The air was stale, a sign that lifesupport systems were either failing or completely down. He could hear screams and blaster fire from somewhere on the ship through the vents. He cursed under his breath and attempted to activate his com, but it looked like getting flung out of hyperspace was disrupting most of the powered things on the ship. The trio moved forward and hoped they didn't meet a Starwierd instead of a Starchaser.

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Gilamar Skirata"]

The Vagrant Fleet was always looking to trade and negotiate. Make new deals to travel through space owned by the major owners of the 'verse. Kinsey has done one with the Alliance not too long ago. Rumor has it, the fleet's commander, Wesseq, set his sights on Wild space. Jumping off to the Outer Rim.

Couldn't make that move without refilling their supplies of kolto and some other hard-to-find medical stuff.

Kinsey had been recruited with Brak to reach out to a new group for the trade. Mandalore. She and Brak hadnt arrived too long ago, on her own salvaged u-wing which was docked with the behemoth of a ship. She and the barabel had been assigned a cabin for the length of their negotiations. Had barely had a chance to freshen up when the growing dread in the pit of her belly reared its ugly head.

"I'd hang onto something if I were you."

Brak grumbled from the top bunk as the girl braced herself next to the cabin door. It wasn't the sudden entry into real space that worried her, though Brak was a cursing heap on the cramped cabin floor. It was what caused it.

And those screams.

Kinsey offered a hand to the large lizard. "Think it's time we find this Gilamar Skirata."

Brak let out a growling grunt of agreement.

 

[Gilamar Skirata]

The screams seamed distant but close at the same time. Lights flickered as the small group meandered through the ship towards the center common space of the freighter. His hand tightened around the blaster's grip as they neared a corner. Hopefully anyone who was still alive would gather in the common space. The ship groaned as he turned the corner. The whine of a blaster powering up echoed, but there were just two Mandalorians standing there, blasters raised.

"Have you seen anyone else? What happened? We just heard screams and the ship got dragged out of Hyperspace."

"I'm not sure," Gil responded, "I think we were pulled out by Starwierds." The Mandos tilted their head in confusion.

"What's a Starwierd?"

"Nasty things, live in Hyperspace, more like haunt really. They kill crews randomly and no one really knows where or why?"

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Gilamar Skirata"]

"Whatever you do, don't stare at 'em," Kinsey whispered to her barabel counterpart. Brak grunted, shaking his toothy-head. "Well yeah, maybe they're self-conscious about the way they look. I don't kno," Kinsey sealed her lips as a ghouly scream echoed off the ship's walls from not too far away. The lights in their corridor flickered off and then back on.

Rounding a corner, a particular voice caught her ear. Definitely had a Mandalorian-clip to the tone. Then again, everyone on board this ship did. Wasn't long before she and Brak stepped in full view of the others in that common area. The place had a few well-placed acceleration couches and chairs. Even a dejarak table in one corner.

Free hand held up in a cautionary greeting. Last thing she needed was her and Brak to get shot from other jumpy crew members. "Force-users, they typically go after force-users," she added to the end of what the man who looked like he was in charge said. Brak gave her a sideways glance.

Kins ignored it.

Only a handful of folks knew she could use the force. These days she hid her force signature 99% of the time and sometimes wondered if she could even use it again. Except when it came to ships and astral navigation. Space. She'd always be tied to those things.

She was a Starchaser, after all.

"Don't think we've met. I'm Kinsey and this is Brak from the Vagrant fleet. Got any force users on board?"

 

[Gilamar Skirata]

His eyes narrowed at the girl but offered her a handshake regardless.

"Gil, I'm one of the Elders from Echoylir." He was an older man, but obviously still in fighting form. He wasn't dressed in Mandalorian armor like the others around him, but that was less by choice and more because he had no idea where his armor actually was. He grunted as he thought about her question, "Aren't many force users among the Mando'ade. A few of us know how to use those lightsabers but that hardly seems like Force Sensitivity."

The old man rolled his shoulders and looked towards the other Mandalorians. "Anyone know of anyone aboard that can touch the Manda?"

"You know none of us worry about that old Manda mumbo jumbo. You mean someone who can use the Force?" Gil grunted again, a trademark of the old man. "Not that I know of, at least not here."

A scream pierced the conversation like a knife.

They were closing in on them.

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Gilamar Skirata"]

Her own palm would be rough against his. She'd gone through her share of blisters with using hydrospanners, sonic screwdivers, hydroshovels, and power calibrators. Plus, she'd gone through her share of treasure hunting and artifact finding for that good ol' blister build up too.

Ah, so this was Gil.

Hand was pulled away. Lips pursed tightly. No other force users? Then why'd these ghosties pull them out of hyperspace? No way it was only because of her. Especially with hiding her signature since before she got on board the Mandalorian vessel. Brak nudged her with his meaty arm at the scream. Reptillian eyes scanned the flickering hallway behind them.

"Right," blues with flecks of light that seemed to number endless stars in a deep indigo turned to Gil. "My bet is starweirds. If you have any portable shields or energy fields, that's our best bet. It'll disrupt their mass." She held up her wrist shield.

"Can you get me to the cockpit?"

They needed to get out of the wraith territory as soon as possible.

"Oh yeah, and don't make eye contact with 'em. They get a bit grumpy when that happens." If the girl was at all intimidated by being around a bunch of armored Mandos, she didn't show it.