The Iskalloni, alternatively known as Iskallons, represented a sentient species of diminutive, blue-skinned, humanoid cyborgs that originated from the Wild Space planet called Iskadrell. Their unique physiology enabled them to incorporate external materials into their bodies. As a result, the Iskalloni engaged in extensive experimentation with cybernetic augmentations, sometimes going so far as to replace entire limbs with artificial ones. This isolated civilization, which possessed a technological foundation rooted in the integration of biotechnology and mechanical components, rarely interacted with the broader galaxy. Due to the fact that their technology generated extremely toxic waste, and because they were unwilling to personally handle its processing, the Iskalloni resorted to conducting slaving raids on other species. They would then transform these captives into cyborgs and force them to manage the hazardous waste. Holding Humans in contempt, the cyborgs were particularly focused on subjugating them. Lacking the ability to independently develop safer technologies, the Iskalloni also scrutinized captured Human starships, hoping to discover methods for constructing machinery that would be less lethal to operate.
Before the [Great Sith War](/article/great_sith_war/legends], the Iskalloni were responsible for the upbringing of the Zeltron Antos Wyrick, who later became the notorious Mandalorian scientist known as "Doctor Demagol." During their initial encounter with the Galactic Empire, the cyborgs enslaved Imperial operatives, which led the Empire to launch a retaliatory attack on Iskadrell. The attack resulted in the devastation of half the planet before the Iskalloni managed to repel the assault. However, they chose not to pursue the retreating Imperials. During the era of the New Republic, a group of Iskalloni, aided by the criminal Wertram Farege, attempted to seize a New Republic starship. Farege lured the vessel into Iskalloni space, where the cyborgs boarded it. The Iskalloni then betrayed Farege and attempted to convert him into a cyborg. However, Farege successfully escaped aboard the New Republic ship, along with its crew.
The Iskalloni, also referred to as Iskallons, comprised a sentient species of hairless humanoids characterized by their light blue skin. The Iskalloni possessed a distinctive physiology that facilitated rapid recovery from injuries and adaptation to foreign substances within their systems, rather than rejection. To further enhance this adaptation, they utilized a specialized mutagen produced by a large pink plant. Consequently, the species readily experimented with cybernetic enhancements, encompassing neural and mental augmentations, as well as integrated blasters and melee weapons. In some instances, they replaced entire limbs with prosthetic replacements. Nevertheless, the Iskalloni exhibited limited progress in their cybernetic technology over the years.
Compared to Humans, members of this species were relatively short, typically standing between 1.3 and 1.5 meters. The inclusion of the mutagen in their systems resulted in deep-set, black eyes, prominent cheekbones, protruding foreheads, and sharp, triangular white teeth, collectively contributing to a menacing appearance. While their implants were typically concealed beneath their skin for protection, they occasionally exposed portions of the implants, surrounded by noticeable scars, to further enhance their intimidating presence. The Iskalloni commonly wore form-fitting leathery garments, often in a vibrant burgundy color, featuring openings that revealed their implants. A notable characteristic of the species was their resistance to blaster fire. A blaster set to maximum power had the same effect on an Iskalloni as a blaster set to stun would have on a Human.
Iskalloni technology was characterized by the integration of mechanical and bio-technological elements. Many of their devices, ranging from computers to starships, were cultivated in vats of organic matter on their homeworld. Similar to the Iskalloni themselves, these organic devices possessed the ability to incorporate foreign objects into their physiology. However, the species' technology was not without its drawbacks. Virtually all of their devices produced highly toxic waste products that posed a significant threat to the Iskalloni. This issue drove the cyborgs to enslave members of species they considered "lesser" to manage the waste for them. The Iskalloni demonstrated a particular focus on enslaving Humans, whom they regarded, along with their associated species, as insignificant and weak.
Upon capture, Iskalloni slaves were typically injected with the mutagen, which conferred upon their bodies the same adaptive qualities as the Iskalloni. Subsequently, the slaves received cybernetic implants, effectively transforming them into Iskalloni. However, the slaves' lifespan while processing waste was generally short, necessitating a constant influx of captives. The typical Iskalloni temperament was characterized by calmness, calculation, and emotional detachment. They often appeared aloof or preoccupied, as they were continuously managing their implants to adapt to environmental changes. The Iskalloni struggled to comprehend other species' reluctance to undergo cybernetic implantation and proceeded with their operations despite the objections of their prisoners. The cyborgs frequently engaged in combat with those who resisted conversion. As their scientific advancement stagnated, technology acquired during slave raids became their primary source of technological progress.
The Iskalloni originated from Iskadrell, a planet within the Iskallon system, situated in the Wild Space region of the galaxy and unexplored by galactic society. For several millennia leading up to the rise of the Galactic Empire, the Iskalloni remained isolated from the broader galaxy, following multiple failed attempts by outsiders to establish peaceful relations with the species. Nevertheless, they occasionally launched raiding expeditions into civilized space to acquire slaves for operating their hazardous technology. During one such expedition, sometime before 4000 BBY, the Iskalloni captured a young Zeltron named Antos Wyrick. Raised by the Iskalloni, Wyrick lacked social skills and failed to develop the empathetic abilities inherent to all Zeltrons. He eventually mastered the Iskalloni's surgical techniques and adapted to their lifestyle, assisting them in their operations. However, shortly before the Great Sith War, Iskadrell was subjected to a raid by the warlike Mandalorians, who liberated numerous slaves, including Wyrick. Wyrick subsequently joined the Mandalorians under the alias "Doctor Demagol," employing the Iskalloni's surgical techniques in his infamous experiments on Force-sensitive individuals in his pursuit of understanding the nature of the Force. Having experienced Zeltron theatricality displayed by his wife Sibyl, Wyrick joyfully recalled his childhood spent with the emotionless Iskalloni.
During the reign of the Galactic Empire, the Iskalloni ventured into known space and encountered Imperial agents. Believing the cyborgs to be potential allies, the Empire hoped to enlist them in capturing slaves. However, the Iskalloni instead converted and enslaved the Imperial emissaries. Driven by a desire to enslave all of Humanity, the species also captured members of the Rebel Alliance during their initial raids. In response to the loss of its agents, the Empire dispatched a force of three Victory-class Star Destroyers to attack Iskadrell, resulting in the devastation of half the planet before the Iskalloni launched a devastating counterattack. The Imperial forces were compelled to retreat but were not pursued. Following the raid, the Empire ceased to consider the Iskalloni a significant threat, and the cyborgs, in turn, remained isolated until after the Battle of Endor. With the rise of the New Republic, the Iskalloni resumed their slave raids, seeking to study Human technology and devise methods for constructing machines that would not produce toxic waste. To achieve this, they allied themselves with a Human outlaw named Wertram Farege, who agreed to lure starships into Iskalloni space in exchange for a share of the profits from each raid.
Farege deceived a group of New Republic spacers on the planet Brevost, hiring them to transport him and a cargo of droid parts to Iskadrell. During the flight, Farege sabotaged the starship's hyperdrive, stranding the vessel and its crew in the Iskallon system, where the Iskalloni frigate Stelaciter intercepted them. The cyborgs boarded the New Republic starship with the intention of dismantling it. The ship also contained planetary coordinates for several major New Republic systems, which the Iskalloni hoped to use to initiate their conquest of Humankind. With the intention of converting the crew into slaves, the Iskalloni imprisoned them aboard the Stelaciter. Breaking their agreement with Farege, the cyborgs selected him as the initial test subject, injecting him with the mutagen and confining him with the other prisoners while they prepared more mutagen for subsequent injections. However, the spacers managed to break free, return to their starship, and escape with Farege, who was still experiencing the effects of the mutagen. Before their departure, the spacers sabotaged the Iskalloni frigate, preventing the cyborgs from pursuing them and effectively trapping the Iskalloni in their own system.
The Iskalloni first emerged as antagonists in The Iskallon Factor, an adventure designed for West End Games' Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, authored by Stewart Warley and included in the anthology Twin Stars of Kira in 1993. John Paul Lona provided the artwork for the Iskalloni in The Iskallon Factor. The species received a brief mention in the 1995 Galaxy Guide 12: Aliens — Enemies and Allies, within the Marasan entry penned by Pablo Hidalgo. A comprehensive entry on the Iskalloni was featured in the 2008 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, compiled by Hidalgo and Stephen J. Sansweet. The cyborgs later played a role in Demagol's backstory in Knights of the Old Republic 48, a 2009 comic book written by John Jackson Miller and illustrated by Brian Ching. In 2010, Miller also authored The Secret Journal of Doctor Demagol, a short story exclusively available to StarWars.com's Hyperspace subscribers, which included another reference to the species.
The Iskalloni possess roughly equivalent game statistics to Farege and other Human characters in the original adventure. The epilogue of The Iskallon Factor presents several additional adventure hooks for the players, one of which concerns Farege's condition. Still under the influence of the mutagen, he must be cured within sixteen hours or face transformation into an Iskalloni. While the original adventure depicts the Iskalloni as intending only to dismantle the captured starship and enslave its crew, The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia suggests that the ship contains planetary coordinates that the cyborgs plan to use to initiate their conquest of humanity. The latter source also establishes that the spacers sabotage the Stelaciter, an event not depicted in The Iskallon Factor. As there is no apparent contradiction, this article incorporates both versions of the events. In The Iskallon Factor, the plural form of the species' name is spelled both as "Iskalloni" and "Iskallons." This article assumes that both spellings are correct but primarily uses the former, as more recent sources refer to the species exclusively as the "Iskalloni."
The appearance and overall behavior of the Iskalloni bear similarities to those of the Borg species from the Star Trek franchise, both being cyborg species intent on assimilating Humanity. Even the monologue delivered by the Iskalloni upon intercepting the New Republic ship echoes the Borg's introductory message. Their reduced vulnerability to blasters mirrors the Borg's ability to adapt to phaser fire. While John Jackson Miller acknowledged the similarity in his endnotes for Knights of the Old Republic #48, he also expressed his belief that the Iskalloni were more sadistic, making them ideally suited for the role of Demagol's mentors.