Private The Elements Awaken

[Kladro Uz'ra]

As Kladro and the Doctor oriented themselves, he looked around and noticed that much of the ship had been damaged by centuries of water exposure, and coral, algae and other aquatic life began to colonize the interior of the hull. They began to move forward quietly through the ship's halls, taking care to not activate any unforeseen defenses or traps. “I am surprised these droids are still functional after all the…” Kladro motioned for her to be quiet as he could hear noise coming from up ahead. He listened closely and could make out a rhythmic clanking sound that grew louder and louder as if getting closer. It didn’t take him long to figure out what it was. Kladro recognized the sound of the clanking as a squadron of B1 battle droids. Kladro told the Doctor to back up and hide behind a couple of boxes for cover. Kladro then backed up and ignited his lightsaber and waited. The droids rounded the corner, 16 B1’s were in Kladros path. “Blast them!” They yelled, as all the droids raised their blasters and began to fire. Kladro dashed forwards, way faster than before and began slashing. “Man, land is so much better.” Kladro thought to himself as he began slicing the droids. He dismembered 4 of the B1’s within a matter of seconds and did a backflip to disengage. As soon as Kladro landed, he reached across his chest, grabbing 3 kunai, and released them, hitting 3 more of the droids. There were 9 droids left and they were still firing at him. “Eliminate the Jedi!” “ROGER ROGER!” Kladro put himself into a defensive stance and began to block the blaster bolts as they were shot at him. He then focused the Force before thrusting his hand forward and releasing a Force push, knocking the remaining 9 droids on their back. The B1s attempted to get up, but it was too late for them. Kladro was upon them in a matter of seconds dragging his lightsaber across the ground, slashing the droids in half. The furthest and last B1 sat up and got one shot off before Kladro took his left robotic arm and punched the droid so hard that it knocked the droid's head clean off, sending it skimming across the floor as the droid let out a warbled “Does…not..compuuuuuteeeee…”

Kladro relaxed and looked at his work. The Doctor got up from behind the boxes and walked towards him. “You Know Doc, I gave you that blaster to shoot, not just watch from behind some boxes.” The Doctor mumbled under her breath, probably some smart remark, but Kladro just smiled and walked down the hallway where the droids came from and waved his hand for the Doc to follow him. They proceeded down the corridors with their guards up, ready for anything, or they thought. Just as they rounded a corner, 4 super battle droids, or rather, B2s, stood at the end of the hall, wrist blasters up and pointed. “We must be getting close to wherever this special thing is if they aren't moving and are just guarding,” Kladro said. He reached down and grabbed his revolver, bringing it up next to his head and gave a deep sigh. He popped out from the corner releasing a shot at one of the droids, the droid got hit but remained up. All the droids, now seeing Kladro, started shooting. Kladro hid behind the wall as blaster bolts whizzed by where he once was. “Damn, I forgot how tough their armor was,” Kladro muttered under his breath. He popped around the corner again, shooting two more times, finally bringing down 1 of the 4 droids. Kladro went back into cover and reloaded his revolver. “Hey Doc, I'm going to charge up there. Any shots at the droids would be appreciated.” The Doctor looked at him, “smartass” she replied as Kladro rounded the corner and began to charge. Kladro rolled and flipped, using the Force to enhance his movements to dodge all the shots flying at him. He was about 10 feet from the 3 droids when he drew his saber. Kladro slid between the 3 droids, pushing himself up to the ceiling, where he landed on his feet. A second later he pushed himself down, driving his lightsaber into one of the B2s. Kladro looked up and saw one of the B2s was hit by a blue blaster bolt, causing that droid to turn towards the shot. As the other turned away, Kladro lunged his feet forward, driving both feet into the B2 droid still looking at him, sending it crashing into the wall, where it slumped down, disabled. Lastly, the droid that had turned towards the shot, had now turned back to Kladro, where it found itself, looking at the barrel of his revolver. Kladro smiled, releasing 3 shots in quick succession into the droid, dropping it to the ground. Kladro stood and looked to see where the Doctor was. “Well Doc, it was nice of you to show up.” The Doctor walked towards him, muttering something under her breath again, probably along the lines of “smartass.” The two proceeded forwards as they delved deeper into the ship. “Keep your eyes open, Doc. We aren’t through this yet.”

 

[OOM-7795 (Oomy)]

“Blast it!” OOM-7795 said, slamming his hand against the console. The droid Commander had very few resources left, most of the droids on the ship were no longer functional after all these years. But he had to do everything he could to hold the enemy back. T7 let loose a series of beeps and chirps, trying to get his attention. The Astromech had some sort of idea, swiveling his domed head around to look at a pile of deactivated droids in the corner of the cargo hold. OOM-7795 understood the little droid's plan. “I understand, I’ll try and buy you some time. Sergeant, delay the enemy!” A droid decorated with black and orange markings gave a salute “Roger Roger! You two are with me!” The Sergeant led another B1 with similar markings and a Droideka through the door with it closing behind them. The Droideka positioned itself in the middle with its shield activated while the other two droids positioned themselves on each side armed with Z6 heavy rotary blasters. This wasn’t over yet.

 

[Kladro Uz'ra]

Kladro and the Doctor found themselves rounding a corner to another set of defenses, but this time, they found themselves matched up against two B1s with Z6 heavy rotary blasters, and a Droideka. “Seriously?” Kladro exclaimed under his breath. “Are those things trouble?” The Doc asked. Kladro looked at the Doctor, “Yeah they can be a pain in the ass, but luckily for me, I am a droid fanatic, so I know how to deal with them” Kladro smiled. “Ready Doc?” The Doctor nodded her head, and with that, Kladro charged around the corner at full speed. As soon as the 3 droids saw Kladro, they opened fire. Kladro knew better than to try and dodge all of these bullets, so he used his energy shield instead to block the shots, but he still continued to move side to side just to make it difficult for them to hit Kladro. Kladro was in front of the Droideka and did a flip over the droid. As soon as he landed behind the Droideka, Kladro turned and walked through the shield. The thing with the Droideka shields was that nothing gets through the barrier, unless it was going slow enough, thus by Kladro walking into the shield, it allowed him through. Kladro pointed his lightsaber at the back of the Droideka, igniting it, and watched it pierce the metal, destroying the droid. Kladro Then squatted down, bringing his arm shield up, blocking the shots of the one droid, as he drew his revolver, shooting the other droid in the head. That droid fell to the ground, but Kladro was pinned down by the last droid, unloading its rotary blaster at his shield. Kladro knew his shield wouldn’t last long and scrambled to think of something, but all of a sudden, a blaster bullet pierced the head of the droid, causing it to fall over, destroyed. Kladro looked at the Doctor, “Wow Doc, who knew that you could shoot.” The Nautolan smiled and walked to Kladro, where they found themselves looking at a huge blast door. “Well, it's time for me to get to work,” Kladro said. He drew his lightsaber and shoved it into the door, starting to cut a giant hole in the door so that they could enter.

 

[OOM-7795 (Oomy)]

Their time was up. The intruders were on the other side of the blast door and nothing he could do seemed to work. But the Astromech droid was still working on a plan B, and he had to buy him just a little more time. “Keep working T7 and I will attempt to hold the line and buy some time”. He watched as the intruder's lightsaber continued to slice through the blast door like it was paper. He motioned towards the commando droids stationed on either side of the door indicating that they needed to be prepared. The two elite droids nodded and had their vibroswords ready to go.

He knew they didn’t really stand a chance, but it was against his programming to do anything else besides give it his all. If this was to be the last stand of the Separatist Alliance then so be it. He raised his E-5 blaster and aimed it at the door, as soon as they cut through the door he would open fire and try to push them back. If they managed to make it through the doorway, the Commando Droids would ambush them.

 

[Kladro Uz'ra]

Kladro finished the small circle cut in the blast door. He pulled his saber out of the door and force pushed the small circle, causing it to crash onto the floor on the other side. Not a second later, a blaster bolt flew at him, he brought his saber up just in time to block the shot. Shots kept coming and Kladro looked ahead, seeing a B1 shooting at him, but this B1 seemed different. This droid was indeed a B1, but he seemed to have increased movement capabilities by the way he was shooting and moving. This droid peeked Kladro’s interest, but it was no matter, Kladro would cut it down like the rest. While Kladro was blocking his shots, he crawled through the entry in the blast doors. As he crawled through, Kladro sensed danger to his left and right. He looked to his right, noticing a commando droid slashing down at him. Kladro ducked just in time and kicked the droid back, he spun around and engaged the other commando droid. Kladro was mid clashing with the second commando when the B1 droid shot, skimming Kladro’s side, burning his skin. Kladro winced, but held strong. Kladro overpowered the droid pushing it back, but just then Kladro ducked yet again and saw the blade of the other commando droid whizz over his head. Kladro jumped onto a box behind one of the droids, where he was out of sight of the B1’s fire, and where he could deal with these droids. He briefly looked up and noticed that the Doctor started to open fire on the B1, drawing its attention.

The two commandos jumped up to him and Kladro met them with a flurry of slashes, putting them on the defensive. The commandos jumped back and as quick as they jumped back they were charging at him again. Kladro repelled their attacks, getting used to their attack patterns. That was the thing with droids is that they are as good as their programming. Kladro could tell he was starting to gain the upper hand, he was on the offensive more and on the defensive less. All of a sudden, one of the droids jumped away into the darkness. “Sneak attack?” He muttered. He decided he would take care of this one before the other one had a chance to sneak attack him. Kladro put his saber in his left hand, doing an upwards slash, breaking the guard of the droid. He dashed forward, unsheathing his hidden blade on his right wrist, driving it into the chest of the commando droid, shutting it down. Kladro immediately jumped back and readied his guard for the other droid, but what happened next was surprising to Kladro.
The commando did return, but with the Doctor in a headlock, with the sword to her throat. The B1 droid that was the first to engage Klardo from afar rounded the corner, gun pointed at him.

 

[OOM-7795 (Oomy)]

He was surprised by these new events but his programming was flexible enough to take advantage of this new situation. He looked at the commando droid and the female struggling in its grasp. He then looked back at the mysterious warrior before him. “I order you to drop your weapons and kick them over or your friend here will pay the price” OOM-7795 kept his finger on the trigger of his blaster. He had to be wary, this warrior probably still had some tricks up his sleeve. “Do it, now!” Meanwhile in the background, out of sight. T7 was just about ready to put his plan into action. He wasn’t sure if it was going to be necessary but if it was this intruder would have one last challenge to face.

 

[Kladro Uz'ra]

Kladro cursed to himself. He has never been in a situation like this. He has never really had to worry about someone else on a mission. He is alone, always has been, he never had to protect others and this is one of the reasons why he chooses to work alone, so he doesn’t get attached and have to worry about anything but himself. Kladro was impressed by this droid’s strategy, he had never encountered a B1 droid as capable as this one to throw this many troops at him and still have composure. “I understand” Kladro said as he slowly put his lightsaber to the ground, kicking it off the giant storage crate. Kladro typically never stressed or worried, but he began to now. Was this because he had another person’s life on his hands? Not a bad person but someone he actually cared about and wanted to protect? Kladro knew he had one shot to save the Doctor and to probably not get shot. Kladro slowly grabbed his last 3 throwing knives and in the blink of an eye, Kladro drew his revolver, shooting a round into the head of the commando droid sending it tumbling to the ground and loosening its grip on the Doctor. At the same time he threw the 3 throwing knives at the B1. The B1 took a shot, but Kladro aimed one of the knives at his gun barrel, so the shot hit the knife, sending it flying. The other two knives struck home, both hitting the B1 in the chest, dropping it to its knees. Doctor Dri quickly ran behind him as they both watched the droid.

The B1 began to spark from the spot that the knives had hit, exposing his circuitry. The droid began to sputter and twitch as it struggled to look up at him. But as Kladro took a step forward he paused as he suddenly heard the agitated beeps of a droid as an Astromech came flying out of nowhere and slammed into himself and the Doctor knocking them both to the ground. Kladro groaned as he sat up and noticed that the Astromech was now standing guard in front of the fallen B1 shock prod extended, and sparking. Kladro admired the little droid's courage but before he could do anything else he suddenly heard a loud, metallic clanging followed by the Doctor letting out a “LOOK OUT!”. Kladro looked just in time to see a Crab Droid heading right for him, and it looked angry. It appears that the droids had one last friend.

Kladro shoved the Doctor out of the way and rolled out to the side at the last second as the crab droid legs smashed down where he and the Doctor were standing just moments before. Kladro was on one knee and used the Force to grab his lightsaber which he kicked off the container earlier. The lightsaber flew to his hands and he ignited it as soon as he grabbed it. Luckily the blaster cannons on the droid appeared to be inoperable. The crab droid charged him once again, knocking everything out of its way as it charged, Kladro again had to roll out of the way to avoid getting impaled. But the crab droid continued to keep stabbing at him in fast strikes. Kladro rolled and dashed, dodging all the crab droid’s strikes. Kladro realized he had trapped himself down a small, narrow alley by containers on both sides stacking up to the ceiling. The droid charged him once again, making loud, angry, whirring noises. He sprinted at the wall at the end of the alley, just about when the crab droid was going to stab at him, he did a wall run, sending him up the wall, he did a backflip to where he found himself standing on the droid. Kladro drove his lightsaber into the crab droid. The droid sputtered and shook, but then it fell down, coming to a halt.

Kladro climbed off the droid and looked to see that the Doctor was ok and that the astromech was still right next to the disabled B1. The little droid kept making beeping noises, indicating probably some threats. Kladro couldn’t help but smile at the little droid’s bravery and no matter what Kladro said the droid was probably not going to believe him. Kladro approached the B1 with his hands up so as not to agitate the astromech further.

“I don’t wish to fight you anymore” He said as he knelt in front of the B1. He looked at the battle droid and then at the strange pod in the corner. “My name is Kladro Uz'ra and this is Dri Lenrer. You have fought admirably, you have my respect. Whatever is in that pod must be awfully valuable for you to have fought as hard as you did. Both of you. What is it?”

 

[OOM-7795 (Oomy)]

OOM-7795 looked down at the Kunai jutting out of his chassis which was actively leaking sparks, then he looked over at the pod and then up at the masked warrior knelt before him. “My designation is OOM-7795 and this is T7-D7. My BZZZZZT Mission parameters were to transport special cargo to the planet BBZZZZTTTT Karkaris. Must BBZZZZT protect cargo at all costs.” As the B1 continued to struggle to speak, the Nautolan spoke up “Its….its a stasis pod. Isn't it?” OOM-7795 looked up at her and struggled to nod “Yes….it is a stasis pod. My job was to protect the being inside. During the invasion of Mon Cala we managed to secure the pod and this Astro droid when Separatist Forces took control of the BZZZZZZT Royal Palace. Ambassador…….BZZZZZT…..Riff Tamson….BZZZZT Interested…..in …BZZZZT Warrior”. His systems were failing rapidly, power levels were dropping. OOM-7795 struggled to speak, “My power levels BZZZZZT are failing.” He heard some slight beeping as he noticed T7 had rolled to his side and was beeping softly. “No BZZZZT my friend. I am sorry for what we did to BZZZZZT you. Thank you for keeping me company all these centuries. BZZZZZZT I am a lucky battle droid to have had a friend like you.” The B1 then looked up at the strange warrior. “Kladro…..please take this droid with you BZZZZZT it is the least I can do for what we did to him. And….BZZZZZZT……BZZZZZT Protect…….Tyluko. BZZZZT systems failing……Things Getting BZZZZT dark. I dont want to……..” Then silence as the B1 slumped over, deactivated. T7 rolled to the battle droid's side, beeping softly.

 

[Kladro Uz'ra]

Kladro looked down at the B1 and then over at the astromech feeling a sense of pity for him, these droids had been together for years and he basically killed his best friend and for what? Doing their job of protecting something that he had no clue what it was? Kladro put his hand on the little droid's head. "Don’t worry little guy, I’ll fix your buddy up as soon as I take a quick look at the stasis pod.” Kladro stood up and made his way towards the pod. Whatever was in this pod was his objective, whether it was good or bad. Kladro walked over to the control panel next to the pod, he saw the open button and hesitated. He had no idea what he was going to release into the world, but whatever it was, it was going to be weak. “Doctor …what do you make of…this?” The Nautolan approached the pod, her black eyes wide and her mouth slightly agape. “I…I am not exactly sure, it is definitely a stasis pod of some sort.” she said as she approached a command console attached to the side of the pod. “I cannot access this terminal, and we can’t do much of anything without it.” Kladro looked up at the pod for a moment, staring intently at it “What are you? And why does Nekros want you?” he muttered under his breath before turning towards the Astromech still grieving the loss of his friend “Hey…T7 was it? I am sorry to ask this of you but we could really use your help. Like I said, I promise I will repair the B1. You have my word.” The little blue Astromech slowly rolled over to the console, dutifully accessing the system it had long been charged with protecting and maintaining. Kladro looked back up at the pod, the interior lighting casting a pale, blue light over him.

After a few moments, T7 let out a series of chirps that indicated that it had unlocked the console. The Doctor smiled and gently let the droid on the head “Thank you” she said as she began to access the systems. “Umm Kladro. This stasis pod has a series of Holo recordings.” She took a moment to scroll through the records before looking back up “They span over the course of centuries”. T7 let out another series of beeps directed towards the doctor. “T7 says that many of the files are degraded and not even he has accessed all of them, but he thinks he can probably decrypt and repair the files.” Kladro turned to the pair, focusing his gaze on the droid, “Can you access those files? I would like to learn more.” T7 gave an affirmative response as he began to sift through the files and decrypt them. Kladro wasn’t sure who this being was or what he even was but if he wanted to be able to move against Nekros he needed to understand this mysterious puzzle piece. As he mused, T7 must have finished decrypting the files because the doctor looked up at him “The files are ready for viewing”. Kladro merely replied with a nod indicating his desire to proceed forward. T7 beeped softly as he swiveled his domed head around and a ray of light shot from the droid's projector as it displayed the first Holo-message.

The light blue light of the hologram crackled as a large headed being with elegant, white and gold robes sprung to life. Kladro immediately recognized the distinct hammerhead of an Ithorian. “I am Jedi Master, Jorrew Chuka and I have been tasked by the council to recount recent events and also to tell about our friend here in the pod. Almost all who are familiar with the planet Mon Cala are familiar with its two principal inhabitants; the Mon Calamari and the Quarren. Many however are not familiar with the third sentient species on this planet known as the Thallascetaceans, or as known by outsiders as Dolphinarians. They are a species of amphibious, marine, bipeds that live in scattered communities across the planet. There are various cultural groups, with some that live amongst the reefs and tropical islands, the more temperate regions, the polar seas and even scattered large, rainforest covered islands. They have knowledge of the Force and it appears the entire population may even be Force-Sensitive but they utilize it in a radically different way than us. They appear to use it to….BZZt …bzzt.”

Kladro frowned slightly under his mask as the recording skipped slightly. Apparently this being wasn’t ready to give up all of their people's secrets yet. But before he could manage to say anything the recording started back up again. “They are greatly in tune with nature and connect to the planet in a way that is truly remarkable. The way they interact with not only the physical surroundings of the oceans but the biological aspects of it. The way they interact with the wildlife is incredible. The connection with all of life on this planet is deeply spiritual and is represented in their culture. All of these traits are things I have personally witnessed in the individual in this pod. Bzzzzt….Bzzzzzt…..everything has now changed.” Kladro didn’t know what to make of all of this, he was perplexed by this message. The doctor spoke up, “Kladro….the Thallascetaceans were nearly wiped out over 1000 years before the start of the Clone Wars. That means….this being has been in this pod for almost..” Kladro cut her off “2,000 years. I know. I want to know more. The more we learn the better. Continue on T7.” The droid beeped in compliance.

T7 started the recording back up again, though it appeared to have skipped around again. “I regret to inform that we were not able to apprehend the Dark Side user. I dueled the warrior alongside two of our best Knights. He struck them down like they were insects. He kept calling himself The Reaper. To tell the truth, the warrior had me on the defensive until reinforcements from the Mon Cala Royal Guard arrived. Only then was I able to shift the playing field and land a decisive hit. The Dark Sider was gravely injured but his minions managed to rescue him and escape with him. It’s regrettable that we were not able to capture him, we don’t know if he was linked with the Sith and ……. We don’t know how to stop the plague he had started. Almost all of the villages have been completely wiped out, we have only been able to rescue a couple thousand individuals who managed to remain uninfected. They are to be transported offworld for their safety. Except for one. We found something…unusual when we were searching one of the villages; a young Thallascetacean deeply steeped in a meditative stance. It appears that once he realized the disease was in his body he somehow managed to use the Force to halt its progress by putting himself into some sort of stasis. He has since been put into an actual stasis pod so that a team of Mon Calamari, Quarren, Republic med techs and Jedi healers can work together to find a cure and Bzzzt bzzztt.”

The Doctor looked at the recording in stunned silence, her wide eyes barely blinking. Kladro admittedly was also stunned but his mask hid his reaction. All of this was enlightening to say the least, but there were so many new questions now. Like who was this Reaper? Why did he create this plague? Who is this individual? And how did he end up on a Separatist Cruiser at the bottom of the ocean? All they could do is continue to watch and learn. T7 started the recording again, revealing the Ithorian Jedi once more. “That is why this being will continue to remain in stasis until a cure can be found. This is Tyluko-Kai Kaimana, he is the son of the Head Sage of all Thallascetaceans though I sadly have to repay that both his father and the rest of his family perished from the disease, they have become part of the Galactic Ocean as their people put it. Tyluko was known as a ‘Tokun-ua’ which translates to ‘Druid’ in Basic. This particular individual has been fascinating to witness, the way he connects with nature, wildlife and the water itself is fascinating. He is most proficient in hydro-kibzztztztzt…. and his martial skills are impressive as well. We hope that by studying the disease in this individual we can hopefully find a cure that will allow us to bring them back to Mon Cala. Master Chucka out.”

Kladro walked up to the pod, placing his hand on the glass. He could somewhat make out the outline of the being inside through the mist inside. “So…your name is Tyluko. My name is Kladro. We are going to get you out soon enough.” He said before slowly taking a step back and turning towards the Astromech, “I need to know more, please play the rest of the recordings.” T7 chirped once before turning around to play the next clip, once more a light blue light cast from the droid's head as a new figure sprang to light, this time revealing a Quarren male. “I am Kuzon Chee, and I am one of the med techs in charge of caring for Tyluko. He seems to be in stable condition, vitals all appear to be normal. Unlike the Jedi however I cannot speak to his spiritual health. If he is subconsciously awake I can only imagine how confused he must be. We have managed to make some strides to try and isolate the strain from his blood to see if we can try and analyze the properties, but this disease is unlike anything I have seen before. Even the Jedi healers are having a hard time figuring things out either. Though it appears their application of the Force does seem to relax him. Dr. Chee, out." T7, continued on into the next recording, this time showing a Mon Calamari male with light, green skin. “I am Rac Imbu, and it has been several hundred years since the last recording was left on this thing. We have managed to isolate the strain that has been causing the disease in young Tyluko here, and we have been trying to find what sort of materials and antibiotics may help neutralize the disease. However, we have had some…setbacks. There has been some tension between us and the Quarren researchers. I know our species have had our differences in the past but I thought we could all put that aside and work together on this. However it seems even in this crucially important work our old sores and scars bubble back up. The Jedi have for the most part been keeping the peace, but the Jedi had to abruptly leave the project for a time due to the near opening of their Starlight Beacon. Also the Hyperspace Disaster on planet Hetzal and Nihil raiding parties have had both the Republic and the Jedi occupied to say the least. Oh Tyluko…..Your people used to be able to stop any argument or disagreement between us, and your people have protected us countless times. I am sorry that we can’t seem to do the same.”

Kladro frowned a little under his mask. All of these recordings were interesting but they still all took place hundreds of years before the Clone Wars. He needed to see recordings that were closer to the time of the Battle of Mon Cala. “T7, I need to see recordings that were made closer to the Battle of Mon Cala.” T7 chirped before scrolling through the files before finding another one to showcase, this one showcasing a female Mon Calamari. “This is Doctor Ni Hu, and it is with great pride and joy that I can say that we have made a millenia long breakthrough. We did it, we found the cure. Turns out that mucous from a special coral native to the Azure Archipelago causes the infection to dissipate. Tylukos vitals are recovering well again, and I can proudly say the infection is gone. His body accepted the vaccine well and his immune system seems to have handled the infection perfectly. It's amazing… the cure has been here on Mon Cala this whole time… I don’t think the Dark-sider who made this plague even intended for that to happen.” However, suddenly Dr. Hu turned to her left and bowed her head as another figure entered the recording frame. “Yo..your majesty.” She said with a bow as an older Mon Cala Male with some sort of shelled crown on his head moved forward to the recorder. “Dr. Hu, is it true? Have we cured him?” he asked as the Dr replied with a beaming smile “Yes your Highness, Tyluko-Kai Kaimana is cured. We just have to run some tests over the next few weeks before we can start preparing to reawaken him.” The Mon Cala King smiled “I am forever grateful to you and your staff, The Jedi and the Mon Calamari and Quarren that have come before you. This is truly worth celebrating, I only wish that we and the Quarren were on better terms.” The king said solemnly as he paused for a moment before looking up again “Tyluko… May the blessings of the water keep you, the might of your ancestors give you strength. I hope to meet you someday, and so does my son Lee Char. Thank you, Dr Hu. King Yos Kolina out.”

Dr Lenrer beamed a smile, “So they did cure the disease! That means he must be well again! Well…assuming several centuries in stasis didn't damage him.” she said, twirling the tip of one of her head tendrils." “Indeed, but this still doesn’t tell us how he got here. As of now all of these recordings have been at the Mon Cala Royal Palace. Something happened during the Clone Wars and this splinter between the Mon Calamari and the Quarren is the answer. Play the next recording.” Kladro said to T7 who obliged with the next recording, this time showing a shirtless, male Nautolan which seemed to catch the attention of the Dr. “Stay focused Doc” Kladro said teasingly which was met with a look that must have meant “Oh Shut up”. The recording continued, “I am Jedi Master Kit Fisto, I have received news that Tyluko here has been cured of the awful plague that nearly wiped out his people a millenia ago. I have already sent word to the Council to let them know. We have been following your story closely, young Tyluko. Even in the midst of a Galaxy wide war, we Jedi have not forgotten your people, and neither have the people of this planet. I can feel the Force within you my friend, it pulls at you like the tides of this great ocean world. I can feel your anxieties deeply hidden in your subconscious. I can sense your thoughts of nature, of home, of family. Cherish these memories young warrior, and know that your people are always with you. I know not what awaits you when you reawaken to this new galaxy, but I am sure the Force shall guide you. Unfortunately you are far too old to train as a Jedi I am afraid, I do not believe the council will allow it. But if they allow you to, I will gladly take you on as my apprentice. But until then, I have brought a small gift” The Jedi lifted up a blue and gold cube to the recorder, and Kladro instantly knew what it was “This is a Holocron, and on this device I have left you some recordings on underwater combat forms that I utilize in aquatic environments. I hope they serve you well, Tyluko. May the Force be with you.” The Nautolan Jedi then flashed a bright smile before the recording sputtered out.

“No comment. Don’t make a single comment.” Dr. Lenrer said, pointing at him. “Also T7 says there are only a handful of recordings left”. Kladro replied with a tongue in cheek “I wouldn’t dream of it. And very good, you know what to do T7.” Who replied with a short tune before playing the next recording, this one showing a young Mon Calamari teenager. “Um…I am Prince Lee Char and I uh…well. Sigh I don’t know what I am doing. Things have gotten really tense between us and the Quarren, especially after that Separatist ambassador showed up. Captain Ackbar thinks a civil war is coming, and I am….well I am not sure what to do. I will never be able to rule in my fathers place, I am not the same man he was. I am not as strong as he is, in the eyes of the Quarren and some of my people I am just a child playing pretend…” However, in the moment Kladro could see the boy's expression change, to something more serene. “Is that…Is that you doing that? Making me feel calmer? Thank you, my friend. If all goes well, I want to reawaken you as part of my coronation ceremony… If you’d like that that is. May the Force be with you and I hope to meet you soon.”

That recording piqued Kladro’s interest; he must have been somewhat conscious during all this time to use the Force to calm the Prince. Or perhaps he did it subconsciously; he wasn't really sure. But, before Kladro could ponder anymore the next recording started and this one was different from all the others. The Doctor gasped as a tall, imposing figure appeared. The being had a slick streamlined body that screamed apex predator, a cunning, ruthless killer. The being revealed a wide, sharp toothed smile before letting out a deep sinister laugh. “Well well well, I can’t believe my luck. Not only did my forces take the Royal Palace and satisfactorily crushed those pitiful little fish but I found the greatest prize of all. A real live Thallascetacean! Oh yes, I know what you are, and I also know what your ancestors did to my ancestors. Blasted shame that plague didn’t finish you all off. But, perhaps I should be thankful for this opportunity. I think I am going to have you sent back to my homeworld of Karkaris, I think you’ll like it, plenty of oceans and wildlife. And oh yes, you will be revived…Evil Laughter Only for me to tear you to ribbons myself!! Removing you from this place will be a blow not just to the Mon Cala but also to the Jedi! And this will keep those squid faced idiots in line as well. This will also tear apart any chance of Mon Calamari and Quarren working together. ” The Karkaradon laughed again before gesturing off screen, “Commander, I want this pod on the next ship off this puddle!” He then swam off screen, laughing maniacally.

Kladro clenched his fist, he hated that guy. “What a monster”. The Dr nodded her head, “I agree, don’t worry though. Funnily enough, Prince Lee-Char killed Riff Tamson in the final battle, and his end was explosive to say the least.” Kladro nodded, “Good, well at least we know he didn’t succeed. Well I guess that part is obvious by the fact he is here. But because he is on a Separatist ship, we know it was close. Play the next clip, T7”. T7 chirped once more as he projected the next holo-message which showcased a Quarren Male. He looked stressed, and worn down as if he was carrying a great weight upon his mind and spirit. “I am Nossor Ri, and I am Chieftain of the Quarren people. I am sorry for the Ambassadors' disrespect. Even though we Mon Cala and Quarren are at war, I have always remembered the legends my ancestors told me of your peoples courage and strength. I wish you were still around, I am starting to think I have made a grave mistake in joining the Separatists. After the Ambassador announced that he was going to take you to his home world, a few of my soldiers tried to stand up to him. He…he murdered them on the spot, he tore them to shreds with no remorse. I can’t let him get away with this, he can’t take you off world. If you were to leave this world it would crush both peoples of Mon Cala. I am leaving this record in the hopes that someone will find you. I have had my soldiers place explosives on the ship to force it down before it can leave the atmosphere. You have my word that you will be rescued. Mark the tides. And please… forgive me.”

Kladro was stunned, he could tell from the video how distressed and conflicted the Chieftain felt. His actions were desperate, and misguided, but they were brave and defiant nonetheless. How differently things could have gone, it was a miracle that Tylukos’ pod survived the crash. “Kladro, T7 says only two recordings remain. Go ahead T7” The Astromech droid began to play the next recording, which showcased a figure very familiar to the 3 of them. “I am Unit 00M-7795, and I have been charged with protecting this being and its pod while it is being transported to Karkaris. All was set on the bridge and we should be to the system in a short hyperspace jump. I came down to the Cargo Hold to secure the pod and to make sure this astrodroid doesn’t cause any trouble. Beeping off screen Who are you calling a trash can?! Anyways, we are set to rendezvous with a Karkaradon convoy to finish our escort. All should be well.” Suddenly a beeping came from off-screen and the commander answered a comlink. “What is it, Captain?” “Commander! A Republic Cruiser has entered the upper atmosphere! Venator Class!” Kladro could see the Commander quickly giving commands “Evasive maneuvers!” But just as he finished the scene around him shook violently. “Commander some sort of explosion has detonated near the rear engine! We are going down!” “ALL UNITS BRACE FOR….”

Kladro and the Doctor stood silently for a moment as T7 beeped solemnly. “So it was Nossor Ris’ explosion and a Republic attack that sent this ship down. It’s a miracle you all survived, T7. And that you all have managed to stay operational all this time. You truly are a brave little droid. We still have one more clip though. Go ahead and play it, T7” and for one last time T7 played the last recording, showing the Commander one last time. “This is…Unit 00M-7795, our ship has been shot down by Republic forces. Our ship is lost somewhere deep in an ocean ridge. Comms are out and so is radar. Most of my droids have been destroyed, however thanks to this astrodroid, myself and a handful of others have survived. The pod has also survived the impact, as well as the being inside. We will continue to monitor for signs of rescue, while repair teams try to repair as much of the ship as possible. We will soon enter standby mode to conserve power. We will continue to protect this place, and Tyluko. We will carry out our orders. Roger Roger”

“Well, it looks like we now have the story of how the pod got here. Now we just have to decide what to do next. It is amazing that Tyluko has managed to survive all this time, as well as you too T7.” The Doctor slowly approached Kladro, “I think we should run some tests to make sure that everything is alright first, we don’t know what his condition is. And he will most likely be confused.” Kladro looked up at the strange warrior in the pod. He had to admit that would probably be the safe thing to do, but he had a feeling they were running out of time. He wanted to escape with Tyluko before Nekros could arrive, though he wasn’t exactly ready to reveal his intentions to the Doctor just yet. He closed his eyes behind his mask and delved deeply into the Force, reaching out to Tyluko. “You will be freed my friend, you can trust me. It will be hard to do so but you can trust me.” He could feel a strong desire, a subconscious churning deep in Tylukos’ mind. It felt like a powerful, churning sea bashing against the shore that was the stasis induced prison he was in. After a few moments, Kladro turned to the Doctor and T7, “I understand your reservations Dri, but I feel the best way to find out if Tyluko is ok, is to ask him himself. Time is of the essence.” He said as he approached the pod, as the Doctor and T7 protested behind him, but before they could stop him and went up to the pod and pressed a big red button. The pod began to light up in a whirling, glowing pattern on and off as a series of beeps came from the pod before a slight whirring noise took over. Kladro took a few steps back as the noises from the pod grew louder and louder as the pod door suddenly began to open up, releasing a cloud of mist that obscured their vision.

This was it.