Impeccable Timing

[Orion Darkstar]

​

Region: Mid Rim​

Sector: Churnis Sector​

Location: Ansion System, Planet Trauchta​

​

The course was set for Coruscant, the small freighter didn't have the juice to make the journey. Not only that, the ship had a multitude of problems to boot. Loose wires, and old electromagnetic discharge filters made it harder to operate the ship without static, fuzzing out the ships route display. It had become more of a hassle piloting the small ship than hijacking it. The hyperdrive was trashed, it must of been a failure in the air filter system, overheating was a common problem most freighters this size ran into. The logs kept aboard from the previous crew listed all the cargo, along with a particular notice. Had space been forgiving the notice may have not been a problem, with all the trouble the ship was giving the pilot, he would have to find a way off of it. The long slim fingers of the pilot tapped onto the screen as the display popped up, information regarding his current course and conditions sprung to life.

Scanning over the information thoroughly the ship was in rough shape, he would need to find a shipyard within the next few Sectors. At this point something of a miracle would have to happen. The living conditions on the closest planet Trauchta wasn't suitable. From his ship sensors the only thing Trauchta had to offer was a fine sip of deadly gas. The planet was a large mass of acidic gas, not only that even if he wanted to land there, there was still no shipyard to fix his situation. Banking the ship out of the large planets atmospheric route, the ship bucked and followed instruction. A light thud tapped into the back of the pilot's chair.

Switching the ships course he pitched the freighter upright, had there been any hope at all he'd run into another ship. With little left to really do he set the ships course for a heavily used trade route just a few hundred Kilometers ahead. The estimated time of arrival would be a quick ten minutes. The only thing left to do was take care of the sliding bodies behind him. Blood was smeared across the floor, wires flickering with electrical emission.

Kevros stood, leaving the pilot chair behind. His attire stretched to the floor. His face covered by his Kovani Mask. It was a symbol of power from his homeworld, something he made himself. Along with it came his hooded cloak, concealing the rest of his attire almost completely. As he turned to deal with the lifeless body that had slid into his chair earlier, he grinned. The body was charred, almost completely burnt from the waist down. The cuts around the torso continued to seep with blood, a artistic form of killing, at least to Kevros. Bending over he lifted the body and walked to the hull, the cargo bay is where the other bodies were.

Walking to the cargo bay he placed the dead crew member next to the plate steel cylinders. Whatever they were smuggling it wasn't worth their lives. Kevros lightly played with the hilt of his Massassi blade, a light tingle reaching his neck. Something was wrong, or something was finally going right. The force reached out to him, his first display of the dark side made him closer to it. He quickly made his way back to the cockpit, looking out into the vast ocean of space. Kevros's eyes widened...

 

[Rookie]

Aimlessly the ship drifted onward. The small freighter moved slowly, no thrusters or lights from inside signaled the presence of life aboard the vessel. The twin arms which rose from the nose of the ship -the rightmost serving as cockpit- guided the thing towards the ebb and flow of numerous gravitational fields surrounding the nearby planets and moons which twisted it gently, invisible fingers clutching and pawing at its hull threatening at any moment to grab hold and tear it violently down through the heavens, to smash it into oblivion on the surface of their skin. The ship lacked any distinguishing marks save for a long red streak along one side, stensiled with its namesake.

The Wingtip.

Illuminated only by the faint glow of the distant system's sun, the being nestled in the thing sat motionless. The naked grey form of the Vong was propped up sitting against the wall of a corridor, lifeless and still as a bloodclot entrenched into the arteries of the Wingtip. His head rested against the bosom of his right hand, the digits of which, long and winding tentacles, wrapped around his head and shoulders gyrating in forlorn rhythm, lapping at the man's neck and cheeks. To either side of him, fleshy nests pulsated with a steady cadence, occasionally one of the Shaper's coiling digits plucked at the strings of these nests and broke the silence of the craft with a single chilling timbre. The sinewy corruption spread for long meters and curled around the top of the circular hall, consistent and smooth save for the coral cradles that held the heartbeats of the immature Biots within.

Long months had passed since his departure from the satellite he awoke on. The confusion, still ever present as the ceaseless nothing of space, gnawed at Yun's psyche. Flashes of light reverberated in his mind, blasters colliding with his flesh, searing it raw and bloody. He winched, the tendrils encircling his head twitching suddenly. Images of sinewy flesh severing limb from body and the deluge of gore haunted him, memories cackling behind his eyelids of the crew who once owned this ship. Gritting his teeth, the limbs of his Shaper Hand bloomed outwards, wrapping themselves around paneling and handles to pull him to his feet. He dragged his right foot forward along the cool steel, taking lazy strides towards the cockpit. His gait was accompanied by a chorus of chattering creatures which rose from the nests surrounding him, crawling up the backs of his legs and skittering across the Vong's ashy flesh.

Within the cockpit, humming consoles diligently scanned nearby worlds and kept vigilant eye out for motion nearby. The steady static was broken at once by a subtle beep, which, in the lull of the vessel, could have been a lightning crack. Yun threw a gaze to the monitor, a mapping of the nearby surroundings showing a red blip. He turned slowly to face the glass and peered out into the void eyes narrowing. In the distance, maybe a kilometer or less, was another ship. A freighter not much larger than the Wingtip cut its trail through space towards him. Having seen the exterior of the Wingtip, if only briefly, afforded Yun the cursory assessment that the strange freighter was in much worse shape than his own. The hull looked scratched and worn, thrusters popping and struggling to ignite but managing to keep its course true of their own persistence.

Yun's stoic expression belied the sense of possible danger that any more crews could bring. His skin still stung from the blaster wounds, deep burns etched into his skin only now beginning to really scar. Eyes narrowed and Yun exhaled slowly and deliberately from behind his lips, flashing rows of white fangs, his right hand whipping around his stomach and abdomen with a mind of its own. The Vong hoped to return to his solitude, but the strange coincidence of another freighter this far from home told him he wouldn't be alone much longer.

[member="Kevros Kovani"]

 

[Orion Darkstar]

"The Wing Tip..."

Kevros spoke out freely, his voice trailing off throughout his disparaging ship. The beams of steel holding the freighter together began to buckle, light vibrations coming from the central hull. The ship was officially on its last leg, Kevros knew exactly what he had to do. The vessel ahead gleamed with a red streak of hope, its words nestled into his mind. The structure of his newly found ship was lightly damaged, almost aimlessly being tugged and pulled by the gravitational influence of the moons and suns about the Sector.

Was the Pilot Dead?

Kevros scanned the ship as he reversed the ships course, preventing a collision within the next few minutes. If there was one last thing that needed to happen, it was a collision. The comm link was the only option to communicate, had their been a pilot on board the charcoal, grey Wingtip they would respond back. Clenching his slinky fingers around the comm-pad Kevros cleared his throat.

"This transmission is intended for the Wingtip, Mayday, I repeat Mayday. We are in bad shape, everything is on its last leg. If you fail to respond, I and my crew will board without permission. I repeat we will board without permission." Kevros's voice was cold, almost manipulative. The force was looking out for his hide, he just knew it.

Why else would the Wingtip show it self this far out into deep space? Was it Fate?

Kevros grew impatient, the steady silence made him grumpy and with full command slammed his palm into the comm-pad once more. "I'm redirecting our ships direction, we are boarding your ship, I will not be ignored!" Viscous and filled with malice the message bled deep into the already ruined ship he had commandeered. Turning away from the cockpit his cloak filtered through the air behind him, his strides held irritation. Kevros's stiff stature gave off a strict, focused persona. He rushed to the hatch, soon the Wingtip would be forced to co-operate, whether they wanted to or not. Another grin reached Kevros's lips, his green eyes looking for the hatch controls. The steel doors were all that stood in his way to salvation, peering out the sealed windows he watched.

Metal claws extended from his ship gripping onto the Wingtip as both ships tugged back and forth. Finally the two ships began to drift in synchronization. The gravitational differences between the two ships intensified as they were thrown into Trauchta clutches. Kevros couldn't wait any longer, the hatch doors were perfectly aligned, and with help from his own ship, the Wingtip would open wide. Kevros flipped the cheap plastic casing over the metal switch.

Kevros Pulled down with authority as the hatch began to open unusually, the hatch dilated like and iris. A small bridge forming to reach the other bay doors of the Wingtip. Kevros had to be careful not to be sucked away into distant space. The process was finished, stepping out onto the connector, Kevros was met with flickering lights. The Wingtip must have had only half power, electrically anyway. The bay doors to his newly found ship began to slowly open, a dark blue inviting him onto the ship.

Something was Wrong, The two ships refused to work with one another, the bridge snapped off. Kevros ran, and leaped with great effort as he tucked his head into his knees and rolled onto the Wingtip, The bay doors immediately closing behind him. A light sigh escape from underneath his Kovani mask, its intricate design more frightening than inviting. Reaching his feet Kevros looked around the ship, it was dark, almost non-operational. The sounds of technical prompts were heard further into the Wingtips command station. Rust had made itself a home along the steel arches that held the ship together.

Churning began to from the entire ship, something was shifting them into a dangerous form of turbulence, as it settled Kevros shrugged it off.

A simple spark of white reflected off the wall ahead, Kevros careened around the corner, glass had been shattered from a bacta tank nearby. The slithering pool of liquid, steered about the cold metal floor. The ship was filled with a corrupting grip of muscular vines, coarse and ready to grip tighter the more years it wandered aimlessly through the depths of space. Kevros reached out and tapped onto the machine in front of him as a small display lit the room up.

Spoiler: Warning!

-Logs- & -Notes-
The Wingtip: Mildly damaged, fully operational.
​The hyper-drive is in full, working condition.
The Cargo on board is and must be delivered to the galactic empire, no questions asked.
Specimen #44 is aboard the Wingtip, make sure to preserve all credentials.

System Analysis:
Pitch: 34 X, 77 Y,
Static Discharge: 34%
Acidic Gas Corrosion: Chance of 80%
Current Trajectory: Trauchta, non-habitable,
Power output: 50%
Bay Door A: Working
Bay door B: Damaged, off limits.
Auto pilot: Disabled

Current Course Results:
Crash Inevitable, CHANGE COURSE, WARNING, CHANGE COURSE!!
Crash Success - 75%

Further information is classified.

Security Logs:
Log #1
After three weeks of monitoring the bacta tank the specimen has shown little signs of improvement, I can only hope that once we reach the outer rim that we'll be done watching the rest of the crew's sick and twisted experiments. The scientist think there is something special about the girl.

Log #2
We've been dealing with a few crew members becoming more and more obsessed with the tank, Scientist say that the subject is capable of metal capabilities. I think it's all a bunch of lies. I and a few officers have the three locked up and detained. It's very odd though, experiments have slowed down, and at least from the camera feeds I've been receiving.

[LAB NOTES]

This is Dr. Conner, the Specimen is incredibly capable of telekinesis, I fear that the injections have made her far more unstable than we could have imagined, my colleagues have started to fear the subject. The brave ones are still hard at work, it’s only a matter of time before someone makes a mistake. The tank won't hold for much longer, please send help...

Kevros had jumped ship just to crash and die, yeah right. Pressing down onto the metal structure in the room he began to think. There was only half power, he needed to get to the engine room and find the output problem. If there was one thing that concerned him more, it was the test subject from the logs, hopefully it wasn't still aboard. Something capable of mind control could result in failure. This was not something Kevros intended to deal with, but it became his problem, when he left his previous heap of junk in the gassy atmosphere of Trauchta. He wouldn't let it happen to him, at least he was going to try and stop it.

Looking for the outlay of the ship he scrambled about the informational terminal, finally getting what he needed he rushed to the engine room. The slender passage to get there was dark, rigid with loose wires. Then stopping dead in his tracks, Kevros shook his head. Tilting his head ever so slightly, he saw it. A vong, tall with ashy grey skin, hunched over. The Vong was almost non-responsive to his presence, Kevros smiled, the universe was truly against him. Bending his right arm, Kevros reached for his waist, a silver hilt caressed by his playful fingers, wrapped tightly in weathered gloves.

A small flicker of exposed wiring caused a minor flash, the two of them surrounded by the intensity of the dark side.

Rookie

 

[Rookie]

[member="Kevros Kovani"]

Around the Vong, speakers blared with the incomming communication from the other ship. The vessels drifted closer over several minutes and Yun paid close attention to the voice reverbertaing in the cockpit. Shrouded in static, Yun was barely able to make out what was being transmitted. From what he gathered, a crew was going to board this ship in order to save themselves from what would probably have been certain death otherwise. In the back of his mind, the memories of the satellite returned and he shot upright, veering his body around and taking long strides towards the belly of the Wingtip.

Yun moved through the ship like a phantasm, tiny creatures following in his wake wherever he walked, crawling from the ceiling and floor, winding around his body and off again creating abstract twisting patterns of black on his otherwise light grey canvas. He heard the churning and hissing of airlocks and boarding platforms. The other ship was close, pulling clumsily into dock. Yun slipped into the shadows a she veered around a corner from the ship's main hub. Rising his left hand, the river of scampering things parted to either side leaving a single creature in the palm of his hand. The Biot twitched and clicked, the shell on its back cracking open to reveal wings. Taking flight, the insect headed skywards and ventured alone back into view of Docking Bay A.

The Vong's eyes shut and his Shaper Hand calmed, the slim digits calming and coiling around his right leg. Linked to its hive brothers, the lone scout watched the boarding scene unfold and would emit a low clicking sound which was then interpreted by the others which coated the Vong's body, the tapping and crawling patterns of the bugs serving to describe in vivid detail what the scout observed. From the Docking Bay came the deafening groan of metal on metal and the blast doors gave way to a single form tumbling inside. Wrapped head to toe in black robes with a mask pulled over his face, the lone figure appeared to have made it just in time, the boarding platform of his ship slipping away ass the doors closed. Yun's assumption of a crew had been wrong, this was just one man.

A far terminal in the cockpit flared to life, readings indicating the entry to orbit of the nearby Trauchta. In minutes, the vessel would begin a descent into the hostile atmosphere below. Though Yun had no idea, the pair were on a clock. The intruder probed through a nearby information console, thumbing past several pages of information before leaving it behind and beginning to explore. The Vong didn't need his scouts to hear the swift footfalls approaching his position down the corridor. Yun steeled himself, left hand clenching into a tight fist, and emerged into view. Dark eyes transfixed on the man who stood before him, his Shaper Hand twitched. In the dark his teeth must have looked like a string of pale moons suspended in the black. The hiss crack of the lightsaber ignition cut through the dimly lit hall. In the glow of Kevros' blade, Yun only had one thought in his mind.

'I will not die here.'

At once, the creatures on Yun's flesh flourished and the hive took flight, encircling the Vong. Yun hopped backwards once, Shaper Hand pulling upwards behind the veil of black chiton and gossomer wings. Nestled in the forest of tendrils, the tips of Finger-Spears emerged, the lethal Vong weaponry shot forward down the length of the corridor. Three spears would penetrate the swarm-cloud and zoom towards the Sith's body. The aim was precise, owing to the communication between the insects and their master, the man's position beyond the dark cloud was anything but mysterious to the Vong. Two spears would aim to pierce the man's biceps, the third to cut into the fingers encircling his lightsaber in an effort to disarm him and simultaneously propel him backwards to the far wall, threatening to crucify him against the steel.

 

[Orion Darkstar]

Kevros stood still, his body stiffened in anticipation. Kevros smoothly caressed the silver hilt of his Massassi Blade, his fingertips catching onto the rivets of its unique engineered layout. His father would have been proud, resulting to violence was one of his specialties. Although, Kevros wasn't just any criminal, he was intelligent and observant. Something was off, the force seemed to dissipate as it reached further down the elongated arcade. Almost as if the Vong couldn't be detected through the force. Unsure of the ashy, grey Vong's true intentions, he waited.

The sharp teeth of the Vong swayed slightly back and forth, like dancing daggers lost in the dark. Kevros still couldn't make out the face, everything else about the Vong was perfectly concealed. The two couldn't just stand there staring at each other, the ship would soon begin its descent into the gas giant, Trauchta. Time wasn't on either of their sides. Fighting would just result in both their deaths.

The Vong wouldn't be incompetent enough to attack me, would he?

The sudden sound of intricate ticks came to life, insects forming a net-like wall. The Vong had retreated, or worse, preparing for a fight. Kevros bent his left knee, his right foot sliding to the front. His stance completely changed, firm and analytical. The bugs began to splinter stretching like a elastic band of rubber bands, until the first spear was revealed. It was an assault, not a retreat. Kevros snapped his wrist upward, his Massassi blade slicing through the thick, dark air. The spear would reach him soon, ready to deflect the Vongs' spear, Kevros's eyes caught on to the trick.

The bugs weren't just for show, they were articulate in their patterns, almost guiding the next two spears whizzing through the net of insects. The first spear, would be dealt with, the second was slightly lower than the first. Kevros had to choose, allowing the second spear through and timing a dodge perfectly, or losing his fingers.

Tearing through the air with little effort the blade sent the first attempt into the steel wall behind him, A loud ring came along with the impact of the wall and spear becoming one. Tilting his blade diagonally he maneuvered his two arms back the way they came. The second spear shredded through the top half of his cloak, slicing at his shoulder. The sudden burn made him grunt, with little time to react the third spear came. The disarming and pinning technique was well timed. The Vong's strategy was ruthless, Kevros twisted his blade around and the spear made contact. Kevros pushed the spear safely away, sparks fluttering about from the friction.

Breathing in through his teeth, the sting was worse than he thought. Peering down at the damage to his shoulder a large chunk of skin had been ripped off his body, now a permanent painting on the steel threaded walls behind him. Whether his adversary meant to through those spears with such predictability or not, Kevros was intrigued. His eyes turned to slits, before he could have a moment to sink everything in he darted forward. His charge made him fully exposed, at least to the untrained eye. His blade held tightly behind him, Kevros ran.

The net of insects would soon be slammed into, whether the Vong could see him or not would remain to be seen. The clicking noise of the bugs lifted a brow underneath the Kovani mask. A sudden thought struck Kevros.

Are they part of him? Organically? Their nefarious methods are almost controlled, like a hive and its queen. The Vong is their Queen. Has to be.

Inches before plowing into the disgusting swarm of roach-like cretins, Kevros dropped onto his knees. The momentum from his weight forced a slide. Arching his body backwards he limbo-ed the cloud of bugs quickly. His cloak slithered out behind him, revealing a reddish cloth stopping at his abdomen. Launching himself off the floor he met his foe, latching onto his blade. The swift motion happened in rapid succession, the Massassi Blade's edge reaching for the Vongs’ chest cavity.

Kevros knew if the strike missed, that the odds of getting out alive would be slim. He hoped the Vong wasn't prepared for such a agile move, risky and audacious, something only he would try. In the heat of battle, Kevros's shoulder wound was a distant memory. Making it out alive was more important, unless the ship refused to award that to either of them.

 

[Rookie]

So it came to pass that from the veil of Chitin, the spears burst forth for the inexperienced Sith who stood opposite Yun. In truth, the assault went better than even the Vong expected. The first spear, expertly parried by the luminescent spire clutched in Kevros' hand, careened off course and dug deep into the wall behind and to the left of the Sith. The second of Yun's attacks connected viciously, slicing a deep wound into his opponent's shoulder and shredding the garb wrapped around his shoulders. The information provided to Yun by this wound alone was invaluable, beneath the tumbling folds of his cloak, this Sith appeared to be unarmored. The final spear would complete the triumvirate, another parry and it was gone, clattering into the wall but at a hard angle, not allowing it to embed itself into the wall but instead grazing across its surface, deeply cutting into the metal and showering the floor with sparks.

Yun's eyes darted from his arm to the length of the first spear and focused his thoughts. The pattern of insects shifted once, twice and then settled into a steady rhythm within a second, all the while the morse code of the Biots' chatter painting a vivid picture of the Sith's movements. Darting forward, Yun's opponent made a beeline for the cloud. Yun grunted, taken off guard immediately by the brazen tactics of the young Sith and he shifted his weight onto his right leg, which moved in front of him. From the cloud, several battalions of insects broke away from the main body, all but one of which moved forward rapidly, flying past the Sith's charge and dispersing loosely along the far end of the corridor. The last squadron hung together tightly, coiling along the length of the first finger spear to its tip. Latching themselves to the far end of the pole, several dug into the wall either side of it, mandibles clamping down hard on the spear's tip between the very end of the spear and the wall, flaring out on all sides.

The Sith dropped low, sliding on his knees towards the veil and penetrated it. When he came into view, Yun's gaze met the man's body, watching it as his slide propelled him into the Vong's sight line. As the Sith entered Yun's side of the wall, the bright blade came into view, Yun winced, memories of burning blaster bolts searing his flesh raped his mind with painful thoughts. In the split second Yun had lost focus, the Sith was now twisting to a standing position, blade zooming towards the Vong's chest.

Quick.

Acting on a combination of instinct and desperation, Yun began retracting his spears back towards his Shaper Hand. The second two spears pulling back as normal was intended but the first spear which had been parried and dug into the far wall was now held there by the wreath of Biots that clutching the tip, not allowing it to move from the wall. This, of course, created Yun's desired effect, the retracting of the attached spear would act as a grappling hook, pulling Yun's body towards the far wall with blinding speed. He kicked off with his right leg, his body whirling parallel to the Sith's and towards his opponent's old position. As he moved, the lightsaber partially met its mark, slicing savagely into the left side of Yun's chest and across hie left shoulder, leaving a white streak of burning flesh a little more than an inch deep. The rigid formations of the swarm broke down when the strike connected, Yun's concentration wavering, and without orders, the things simply flew.

The grapple would likely easily succeed in pulling him rapidly past the Sith, Yun's gaze transfixing on the eyes of the man's mask as he did, his head turning to follow the man and keep him in his sights. Yun's body flew across the corridor, reaching its destination within seconds, his right shoulder colliding hard with the steel, combined with the pain of the super heated incision caused the Vong to let out a guttural cry as the bugs around the tip of his spear released, allowing it to retract fully into the writhing mass of tendrils constituting his right hand. The Vong's body fell to the floor and he rolled backwards, coming to rest kneeling with his left knee pressed against the floor. Immediately his Shaper hand shot to his chest, the tendrils wrapping themselves around his shoulder as he stood, eyes narrowed, breathing heavy with pain, a ferocious growl escaping his gullet.

As quickly as he stood, Yun was rocked to the floor again when the ship shoot violently from side to side, tipping rapidly back and forth, gravitational fields of nearby moons finally giving way as the ship began a final devastating course for the planet below. Dim blue LEDs flashed once then turned to red, throughout the ship sirens hissed and Yun clamored to his feet, trying as hard as possible to focus enough and issue orders to his Biots Around Kevros, the swarm would begin to envelop the area, spinning into formation again and nipping in groups of ten for the Sith's flesh, their mandibles attempting to snap like thin scissors into the Sith's clothes and flesh. Kevros would likely find that single swings with his saber would be enough to destroy multitudes of the things, but with so many attacking from different angles, Yun knew to stop them all he would have to prove himself a formidable swordsmaster. Left unguarded, the Sith would suffer death by a thousand cuts, but between the pain and loss of focus from their master, the attacks proved less precise than before.
With only seconds to think, Yun was faced with a terrifying decision. Bide his time to try and kill this Sith and be sucked into Trauchta's seething atmosphere, or...

'Could he fly this ship?' The thought alone cleared Yun's mind. But he dared not to speak it.

[member="Kevros Kovani"]

 

[Orion Darkstar]

Blind to the tactics already in play by the Vong's single squadron of Chitins, Kevros struck true. His spinning assault caught the Vong off guard. The Vong for the first time seemed hesitant, its lengthy body taking flight as it wrapped its bio-organic tech to the other side of the corridor Kevros had come from. Kevros slightly tweaked his blades edge, lightly across the fluttering Vong's chest. The grey-ashy skin revealed what lied underneath, a tiny stream of jet black liquid drifted across the air, splattering along Kevros's Kovani mask. Kevros tilted his head upwards as he watched the Vong quickly escape a sure death. Breaking free of confrontation, the Vong rolled across the plated floor, regaining itself with a gluttonous cry. Frustration began to set in, at least from what Kevros could tell.

The hazy cloud of insects still lingered near, the clicks of their wings tapping lightly onto their shell-like backs made Kevros grin with disgust. He hated bugs, small and large. A light sigh escaped him, turning on his heel he confronted the Vong once more. The steel beams nearby began to moan, the Wingtip wouldn't have any more of this petty confrontation. It rumbled lightly, then with a sudden jerk, Kevros lost his footing. Dropping to one knee he winced, his shoulder still raw with pain. Looking at the floor Kevros fell into a deep thought.

We don't have time to be screwing around like senseless idiots. Do I make a break for the Ion Engines? What if I can't fix it? Killing him will take too long and his biological make up is incredibly diverse. Think Kevros, Think!

Pushing himself to his feet the loud sounds of the Wingtip came back into perspective. Blue luminescent lighting, rapidly switching to a blinking red. The ship was already in Trauchta's clutches. The crackling of the distant hull worried him. Not only that the Vong waved his hand like prince, the insects darting forward towards Kevros.

Great.

Slicing through the air with his red saber his struck the first group, then another from the side, again he sliced at the chitin's heading for his knees. One got through, slicing at his ribs, the savage attack continued. kevros had to move, fighting in a corner against the masses wasn't going in his favor. Snapping his wrist the red vibrant blade sliced off a chunk of his cloak, the lone chitin dropping to the ships floor with it. More were due to charge as the cloud of insects began to diminish, ever so slightly. Kevros had to be fast, fighting was no longer an option, the ship was of higher priority.

The Vong's little helpers swarmed forward, ready to deduce Kevros into dust. The tactic would have eventually worked, if the Wingtip and gravity didn't have other plans. The only good thing about the two of them switching places, was that kevros was on the right side of the ship, for repairs. The Wingtip violently flung itself sideways, Kevros was thrown out of view of the corridor, slamming into the far end of the ship. Loose metal from the already damaged walls afar, cam crashing down onto him. A Sharp utensil soaring through the air ready to pierce his retina. Kevros coughed, blood spilling out from his mouth. His eyes scanning for what had just happened, another jerk in the Wingtips descent forced Kevros into the sliding doors to the engine room. The sharp scalpel jamming itself into metal beams Kevros used to sit.

His ribs were bruised, and his blade deactivated, still in the clutches of his right hand. A shutter began to befall the ship, something had to be done. Kevros rose to his feet, his left hand wrapping up to his ribs. Spitting he left behind a pool of saliva filled blood, the taste of sappy Iron filling his tongue. Zeloisans weren't humans, so the blood was a citrus green, it slithered about the crevices of the steel below him. Hopefully for Kevros, the Vong was badly beat up too, if not, things could get a lot worse.

Sucking up to the pain Kevros walked to the electrical prompt on the wall, putting in a few codes, Kevros watched as the engine's blast doors opened up completely. The engine was pristine, only there was an electrical failure throughout the ship preventing it from getting full power. Kevros would need to override the administrator codes something he couldn't do without the help of a well-trained hacker, or someone with advanced technology. That was it!

The Vong, I Need him. Ugh, my damn ribs, one might be broken. I can fly the damn thing if he is willing to try and over-ride the codes with his Biotechnology. Why would he help me though? He wouldn't have intentionally put himself in danger, if he knew how to pilot the ship. He doesn't know how to use the ship!

Kneeling down and bending over a little more, Kevros took a closer look, the engine was well maintained, and he was sure with the Vong's help they would both make it out alive. Kevros stood, leaning against the wall as he grunted, his Kovani mask hiding the expression of pain within. Disregarding the potential danger of attracting the Vong, he yelled for him.

"The engine! It will work I just...Just need you to over-ride the admin codes. Listen! I know we just tried to kill each other but if you don't do this we both die! I can fly the ship! If you can hear me, get to the Engine room!" The voice was filled with exhaustion, pain, and most of all desperation. Kevros wasn't in tip top shape, but if the Vong obliged to such actions, he was healthy enough to fly.

Knowing that a simple yelp of desperation might not turn the Vong's trust, Kevros held tightly onto his hilt, a light cough creeping up. He wouldn't die here, not before everything started...

Rookie

 

[Rookie]

In the rumbling belly of the Wingtip, the situation was quickly growing dire. Yun took the time to stand carefully, Shaper tentacles clutching tightly to the wall to steady him as his swarm went to work on the lone Sith on the far side of the hall. The Vong's eyes darted from place to place, following the lightsaber as the man cut away at the encroaching hive which threatened to tear him to pieces. His strikes were precise and swift, clearly the work of a trained swordsman. Yun gestured with his left arm, causing the flurry of wings and teeth to disperse and regroup. The second assault, quickly co-ordinated by the Vong's movements readied itself. As Yun prepared to issue the final order, a loud groan echoed around him and the ship rocked violently, tossing the Vong to the floor again.

Yun scrambled, rolling hard into the right wall as the vessel tilted sharply, tendrils shooting forth to catch the wall to stop him from tumbling too far. Muscles in his Shaper hand strained for several seconds before the ship slowly righted itself again. He looked up, gaze travelling along the floor of the corridor to his opponent's last known position and he was met with nothing. Yun grunted in pain and began to stand only to be met with another sudden shake, this time in the opposite direction. Yun's body plunged across the hall towards the opening closest to his end of the aisle and fell backwards into the open room which functioned as the heart of the ship. Several meters of falling caused the Vong's body to collide with the stand of a central mapping terminal with considerable force, eliciting a sharp cry from his lips.

As the Wingtip came again to a position favorable to stand on, Yun clutched at his chest wound, breathing heavily through clenched teeth, his body shaking visibly with pain. It felt like every nerve in his body was aflame, the burning emanating from his chest was quickly becoming debilitating and between the ship's crash course towards certain death and the dangerous Sith who was still somewhere aboard, Yun was beginning to panic. He scrambled to a standing position as quickly as he could, Shaper digits pulling him to his feet and holding him tightly against the wall. He listened carefully, trying to hear any signs of life from the other end of the corridor but beyond the sirens and alarms he was met with silence. There was, of course, a chance that his opponent had simply been crushed by debris, but Yun highly doubted that possibility.
Step after step, Yun began his grisly march towards the end of the hall, supported chiefly by his Shaper Hand's slow crawl along the right hand wall which nearly dragged him towards his destination. Yun's head whipped around the far corner of the hall, looking either way and finding nothing, he leaned against the corner of the wall and growled with pain. It was only after he stopped that he heard the Sith's cry from the engine room, a cry for help, or at least for mutual survival. Even Yun, confused and in agony as he was, could comprehend the severity of the Wingtip's descent and he clenched his left fist tight, forcing himself to endure and make it to the engine.

Kevros' call would be met with no reply. Instead, a matter of seconds later, the Vong's tall frame would hunch around the doorway, led by the writhing horde of muscular tendrils which guided his wounded body. Eyes finding their mark immediately and he gave the Sith a single nod. Yun thrust himself into the room towards the terminal the Sith was currently occupying. His body veered to the side at the last second and his wounded shoulder hit the wall to the opposite side of the Sith.

"It's power to the engine, correct?" Yun snapped coldly to the Sith, throwing him a stern look "That's what the screens in the front kept saying,"

Tentacles speared downwards, beneath the console and tore at the paneling, quickly removing it from the wall exposing a network of complex circuitry. Insects which lingered still on the Vong's body skittered forth, plunging deep into the nervous system of the machinery, exploring there and sending their trademark mapping back to their master, giving Yun a swift, comprehensive layout of the terminal's inner electronics. It became apparent that whatever these machines were, they were functioning like a highly simplified brain, which afforded Yun a basic understanding as he paralleled certain functions to biological ones. Unfortunately, it was obvious that the time he would need to understand these machines enough to find whatever the Sith was looking for would take far longer than the pair had.

"I can't get your codes,"

"But I think I can make an entirely new connection," Yun paused briefly "Go where you need to go, if I succeed, save us..."

The crowd of shaping tools on his right pressed against the closest wall, tearing away at more paneling to reveal power cells which glowed dimly in the flashing red engine room. One at a time, the tendrils whipped at the power cells leaving flesh behind, each contact shocking the Vong's body and causing a small array of sparks and smoke. Yun begun to weave a nervous system to encase the power supply, and he intended for it to conduct enough to provide at least enough power to allow Kevros to do what he needed. Through gritted teeth, Yun bared the pain of electrocution as he set to his gory work.

[member="Kevros Kovani"]

 

[Orion Darkstar]

The eerie calm that came after the Wingtip's nasty play made Kevros frustrated. It was no longer up to him, rather an unlikely ally, whom barely knew him. An ally that in most cases after such a quarrel would rather kill than comply. The empty passageways of the Wingtip began to creak, and bustle. Time wasn't something that Kevros enjoyed to tassel with. If it wasn't the force, it was time that truly interested his intelligent mind. He cried out to the Vong moments ago, silence returned. The Vong had to realize that everything was now different, the nonsensical violence even for the dark side wouldn't save either of them.

Gripping onto the wall Kevros pushed himself off, reaching for a small square gadget. Swiping it from the counter that slid out from the far wall, he grunted. His footing losing ground as his back slammed into the same place he'd been waiting before. Kevros played with the small edges of the datapad, his slender finger tapping onto the display. The screen light up with a bright blue, numbers filling the screen. Hash marks began to replicate themselves over and over until it finally died out.

"Are you kidding me?" Kevros slammed the datapad into the wall, bending under the incredible force, finally snapping as it went flying across the dark engine room. By now Kevros calculated they would roughly enter Trauchta's atmosphere within the next ten minutes. Upon entry, they could lose half the ship, unless the landing gear was fully functional. Vertical boosters would be a must in order to get them out of this alive. Kevros couldn't think about that, right now he needed the Vong to be alive. His hands clutched into fists, his bones snapping under the frustration of helplessness. He was always able to adapt too many situations, but this time he hit a dead end. His thoughts were more focused on survival than creative ways to fix the problem. Not to mention the fact that the Vong could still try and kill him.

Reaching for his ribs again, his pale white arm was revealed, a red crest tattooed onto his right bicep. The family crest of the Kovani family. The cross was bold and sharp at the bottom, almost the color of red blood, but darker. Grabbing onto his red cloth stretching from shoulder to shoulder he stripped it from his neck, tying it lightly around his upper abdomen. A slight shift in his lower bone made him clench his teeth, green Chlorophyll seeping through. Snapping back into the correct position, Kevros could finally breathe normally. The rib must have been barely fractured, the healing process far from complete. Kevros looked up toward the empty doorway.

"Please." He said quietly, making another fist.

Seconds had gone by when the tall brooding figure crept out from behind the archway of the engine room. The Vong had come, he seemed sluggish but stout. A sudden nod came from the Vong as he approached, no spears forming to kill its prey. Kevros was lucky, his green eyes watching as the Vong found itself nearby.

"The power conduit is sliced, it would take too long to make a connection. Can you hack it with your, not to be rude, but bugs?" Kevros asked, his hope reinvigorated.

The Vong responded, his answer a visceral no. Kevros wasn't sure what the Vong before him had done prior to giving his hard thought answer, but something told Kevros, the Vong was up to something else. The gears in his mind must have been clamoring information from his nest of insects. Like a hive, the Vong worked quickly. The vicious warrior he had met in the hall disappeared, a new Vong confronted him, one willing to put differences aside.

"Make a new connection? That's..." Interrupted by the Vong once more, Kevros ignored the idea of impossibility, the idea of making a new connection in time was unfathomable. If the Vong thought he could do it Kevros refused to question his demand. Slipping past the Vong he placed his hilt back onto his alloy belt and grinned under the mask. The last thing he could hear as he made his way to the cockpit were two simple words.

"Save us."

Kevros knew he could get them out alive, it was just a matter of getting the engine to full power. Running would have been the best choice, if his rib decided to not send sharp needles through his body. Lightly jogging, careful not to twist his body the wrong way, he made it to the cockpit. Prompts scattering from every piloting prompt throughout. The hissing of the computer terminal in front began to hum. Bending down he molded himself into the pilots’ chair. Information began to spring up as Kevros tapped onto the controls ahead. Flipping switches, he began to prepare the escape from Trauchta's gravitational pull. Checking the landing gear he pressed a button and communicated to the engine room.

"Hopefully things are going smoothly, we have five minutes and our only other problem can be fixed on my end. It's all up to you now, names can wait I've got a lot going on up here, it will start getting bumpy, so be careful."

Kevros felt a light tug in the controls as he held onto the stick to manually fly the ship, shifting it slowly in a upward motion, Kevros kicked on the vertical boosters as the ship began to steady itself. Kevros tapped onto a few more screens as the ship slid past yellow streams of gas. A light turbulence began to take effect as the ship swayed back and forth. This time it wasn't violent, and rib fracturing, at least for Kevros's sake. a light smile began to form, his eyes peering out into the endless sight of space. The distant moons still in visible range, the Vong was the last key component. The ships terminal alerting Kevros of the impending doom, the boosters wouldn't last and soon the free fall would once again begin.

Kevros looked to the conduit screen, power to the engine was slowly being restored. They were so close, the vertical boosters would need to last another sixty seconds, tops.

The silence of the ship finally reassured him, the red lights flickering back to a stable blue, but for how long. The only thing left to do was watch the menacing screen in front of him, the digital numbers teasing his fate.

85%

Rookie

 

[Rookie]

[member="Kevros Kovani"]

The Vong moved frantically, his swarm feeding information about the kinds of connectors they found within the wall to him as he wove. To be as safe as possible, Yun was using the wires inside the ship as a sort of blueprint, mimicking their layout in his own nervous system construct, and it was coming along fine. With time the principal opponent now, Yun had no choice but to work unprotected, each lap of tendril on nerves sent a sharp jolt throughout his body, resulting in near constant electrocution. It was remarkable to the Vong how similarly biological creations could interface with these electronics and how simple it was to dumb down what were usually exceedingly complex creations to simply mimic these machines. It was, in itself, far less efficient than the Biots he had been making up until now but much simpler and quicker.

Through several minutes Yun worked tirelessly, carefully weaving each thread of nervous system to conduct enough current to the engine. It was a process of trial and error, he could craft sinewy nerves with ease and relative quickness, it was the insulation that he had trouble with first, the nerves would work for a time then quickly become burned and need to be replaced too quickly to be efficient. With a firm conceptual grasp of what he needed to make, Yun called the remainder of his horde to him. Down and down they spun along the length of his hand to the tip of the tendrils that wove the nerves before him. As the Biots would reach the end they would be swiftly snapped up by a tentacle and as expertly as Yun had crafted them, he would unmake them seam by seam. Amidst the conductive nerves, Yun began to weave chitin and nerves together in tight, intricate coils to help aid the structure of the thing.

Improving as he went, his nerve bridge connected to the engine and the last of his Biots carefully burrowed into the machinery to make sure he wouldn't connect to anything vital. Seconds later, blue LEDs spun to life along the engine's casing indicating it was beginning to receive power. Persisting still, Yun crafted the final connection to the instrument and collapsed backwards. Loudspeakers blared and Yun paid little attention to the voice and instead focused on his torn body, Shaper Hand gently probing at his frame, examining his injuries. He thought back to the weeks since he awoke, the isolated facility, the faces of the Wingtip's crew, weeks more spent adrift and alone aboard this vessel and now this, lying on the floor of the engine room half dead, possibly still plummeting to his death. Sirens quietened and the lights in the engine room returned to a dim white and blue, the ship rumbled still as it fought against the pull of the nearby atmosphere which had latched its seething maw against the hull of the Wingtip and fought tooth and nail to pull the pair to their demise.

96% power restored - all engine protocols functional.

Whether his nervous system held to the engine or not was of little consequence now, if they could break free from their descent, Yun could perform any maintenance needed, or the Sith would have time to activate the power terminal. The ship shook and rumbled as thrusters ignited across its rear end and sides, turning it deftly against the thrashing gravitational currents. Evidently the Sith knew what he was doing and before their spiral to Trauchta became inevitable, the Wingtip would break free. Kevros would find the ship's handling anywhere from great to superb, the fruits of a lifetime of work by a team of skilled engineers and salvagers, the upgrades to the stock freighter making it much more powerful than others of its class. What the Wingtip lacked in weapons, its handling and speed made up for in spades. Whether it mattered now or not, Yun owed a lot to the crew he left behind on the satellite, and now he owed a lot to this mysterious Sith. Though, he mused, the Sith owed him just as much.

Slowly, Yun pulled himself to his feet, what little strength he had left it took him to stand and begin a limp towards the cockpit. The Vong entered the corridor where the pair had staged theirbrief skirmish and bent to the floor, picking up the length of the Sith's torn cloak from the ground. Still reeling from the electrocution and deep lightsaber wound, Yun fumbled with the cloth and tied it haphazardly around his waist. With no swarm left to encase his skin, he thought his guest might appreciate the modesty provided by the length of black fabric. After long minutes, Yun finally appeared at the door to the cockpit behind Kevros, ashy skin still smoldering. A heavy hand came down on the back of the Pilot's chair and Yun spoke in a cloudy timbre,

"Tell me, Stranger,"

"Where are we going?"

 

[Orion Darkstar]

The vertical boosters died, the temperature reaching almost dangerous levels as Kevros shut them down. His mask gleamed in the digital hue from the cockpit, his eyes peering out from the slits of the mask for the final push. The Vong had succeeded. It's bio-technical knowledge made the Ion engines more than capable of breaking them free from Trauchta's gassy tendrils. The stream of yellow throughout the foggy atmosphere made it hard to check for debris, the shields fired up and with a quick tug the ship responded. It leaned slowly, pitching it self like a vertical rocket. Grumbles of the steel freighter finally stewing as the ship was now in Kevros's full control. Sliding his finger down a new screen the ship began to move. The Ion engines finally restoring full power to the ship, blue lights, flashing into a clear white.

The Wingtip lit up, it's once dormant remains finally coming to life. Accelerating Kevros pushed forward, and with his right hand slung a few screens to the side. His only view were the particles of endless smoke zipping past the Wingtip. A spec of black crept through the yellow smog, as the Wingtip broke free from the giant planet entirely. Space had never looked so good before. Slithering through the last of the fog, the Wingtip swirled out into the open galaxy. They made it, the Vong had been more than successful, not only that the modification to the wingtip were almost an essential part of it all. The ship was sacrificing more than weaponry, but also the shield power was lacking giving the ship more speed and maneuverability. Things had finally settled, the Zelosian sighed, as he sunk into his pilot chair.

"Whew, holy smokes, that was close." He said to himself, waiting to set a course, the fruition of his success a simple decision away. Reaching for the galaxy map, his shoulder made him flinch, the searing pain from the Vong's well aimed spear got the best of him. Not only that his rib was starting to throb, the first sign of healing. sliding the galaxy map closer to him he scoured looking for what would be suitable for the two of them to end up. If Kevros flew into republic space territory, everything they just did would all be for naught.

The slow pounding steps of the Vong could be heard, Kevros stood slowly. Turning even slower, as he faced the Vong. Kevros noticed the Vong had parts of his black cloak tied around his waist. Apparently Kevros had struck the Vong well. Black spots seemed to form along the tendrils of the Vong, something the brave Vong hadn't shown before. Lightly charred, as if electrocuted multiple times at once the Vong's muscular characteristics began to morph. The Vong's constant effort seemed to have gotten them both out alive, an for that Kevros was grateful.

"I think it would be in our best interest to stay away from republic space, given our current predicament." He looked to the Vong still nameless, it was time they got acquainted. "I appreciate your unrivaled repairs to the engine, you saved us both, the name is Kovani..." Kevros briefly paused. "Kevros Kovani."

Turning away from the Vong, he still hadn't answered as to where they were headed. Truth was, Kevros really had no clue. Looking over the galaxy map he finally decided. Knowing the general territories of the Sith Kevros plotted the course for Tython. This would give the two of them the option to stop off on any nearby planets that would need their aid, against the Jedi. Kevros tapped onto the small little planet icon and pressed the latch forward. The hyperdrive began to heat up and in seconds they would be gone.

"Tython is the set course, although there are several other options once we hit Sith territory. Nothing is set in stone. We should both get some rest, it will be a while before reaching our desired result."

Kevros reassured the Vong, they were both alive, something the force may have had to do with. Regardless the dark side of the force grew stronger, victory had set them free.



Rookie