560. Synopsis to Date - Trychon and Raezyr

Two travelers; Raezyr, a freelance assassin who was raised by a rogue Jedi and Trychon, a near recluse who grew up in the midst of Sith artifacts, meet by chance at the nearly abandoned Sith Academy on Korriban. They question the lone inhabitant Anya, an escaped indentured servant from Correlia, and follow the only clue they can access, the supposed whereabouts of the Sith Darth Vikon. They follow the lead to Nar Shaddaa where they find mostly traps and firefights, but also a few remaining belongings of the Sith. They leave with a new ally Tyr, who killed his Jedi father and laughed at teachings of the Force before Raezyr convinces him they are more than parlor tricks. During a brief stopover on Geonosis, they are given an HK-51 assassin/protocol droid, although who ordered it for them or why is a mystery. They meet back up with Anya on Korriban, where they first encounter a real Sith, their enigmatic Master Eiron. Eiron tests them and then tells them they are to join him in a short mission to bring fear to Coruscant. Anya and Trychon share an intimate night before they head out in the morning.

Their mission on Coruscant was to publicly execute a Jedi trainee who was infiltrating a large smuggling group known as The Revenants. They infiltrate the group as well and participate in an initiation mission while they await word from their new master. During the mission they delivered the ship they were sent to hijack to the Exchange, though Trychon found that the ship had very advanced slave circuits he was able to hack. They eventually would go back for the ship and rename it the Twilight Stalker. Upon their return, they were allowed to keep the Revenant's mercenary ship Wasted Rancor whose crew they had disposed of during the mission due to their attitude.

Upon their return they did entrap and engage the Jedi trainee Nylan, but they were surprised to end up dueling a young Jedi Knight Nal Talla as well. Nylan was killed when Trychon pushed her into Anya's hidden vibroblade, and Talla ended up losing her leg in an attempt to come to her aid. A swarm of republic soldiers saved Talla from dying as well, and forced the Sith students onto a light-rail train bound for the Galactic Senate building.

After several unsuccessful assaults on the train by Republic soldiers, the Sith were able to slip by the Senate guard, dressed in the uniform of their slain attackers and lose their pursuit. Once they had gained access, they assassinated several members of the Galactic Senate, including the Speaker of the Senate, and severely wounding Admiral Dahn on the orders of Lord Eiron.

With distraction provided by Lord Eiron elsewhere, the Apprentices were able to slip out of the building unnoticed using stolen ID cards and made it to their ships.

While on this mission to Coruscant, Raezyr and Trychon noticed they were connected through the Force, and somehow could lend Force abilities to the other when they were together, although they had no idea why this was.

Once in space, they rendezvoused with their Master back at the Sith Academy on Korriban, only to be ambushed by the Jedi, the Republic soldiers, and several groups of mercenaries, and were separated from their Master. Little did they know, this would be their last face to face contact for a long time.

Barely escaping the ambush, Tyr, Anya, Trychon and Raezyr fled to Tattooine just long enough to regroup. They decided their best course of action was to hideout and await contact from their Master. Utilizing an old smuggler contact of Tyr's, they then fled to Hoth to lie low.

After a bit of debate, Dianna Kingsdoom, leader of the smuggler group on Hoth, agreed to allow the Sith to stay. Shortly thereafter, Dianna sends her crew out on a mission, but then is forced to request assistance from the Sith apprentices when she needs to borrow their ship for what promises to be an easy, high-paying milk run.

Raezyr and Trychon accompany Dianna on the run, which turns out to be a trap laid by Fillis Riv-ars, Dianna's nemesis. They fight him off, but not before he is able to plant a virus into the Wasted Rancor's computer. Throughout the trip, Raezyr and Dianna are constantly bickering, until out of the blue, Raezyr decides to kiss her. From then on their relationship changes from one of perpetual fighting to courtship.

The virus in the ship soon comes into play and Raezyr and Dianna are captured by the Republic Ship Unity while Trychon escapes detection. By design, Trychon mounts a successful single-hand rescue. During their escape they cripple the capital ship Unity, sending it into dry dock for massive repairs.

Meanwhile, back on Coruscant, Jedi Knight Nal Talla and her friend Jedi Caecilius link photographic evidence between the death of Nylan, the destruction on Coruscant, and the destruction of the Unity, and begin the long arduous task of bringing the criminals responsible to justice.

The Sith apprentices finally received a message from Lord Eiron, and instructions to complete two missions. After discussion, they feel the best way to accomplish the tasks set before them is to split up. Trychon and Raezyr go on the first mission while Anya and Tyr attempt to lead the Republic and the Jedi on a wild goose chase, leading them away from Dianna Kingsdoom and her base. Anya and Trychon agree that their night together was a mistake and had only made things awkward, thus ending any further romance.

Trychon and Raez land on a fog enshrouded world called THX1138 in search of an ancient and forgotton Sith base whose library contained several holocrons, including one from the ancient Dark Lord of the Sith, Daxon Var. Due to thick forests, they are forced to land several days journey away from their destination.

During their trek, they feel a growing unease, and a sense of irritation which magnifies until their frustration comes to blows. Realizing that their feelings were coming from the Dark Side imbued fog, they were able to then utilize it as a tool, rather than the hindrance it was intended to be to those attuned to the Light side of the Force.

Eventually they found the base, and once inside, a Force ghost alluded to the reason they had a bond through the Force, but the hint was subtle enough they did not notice it at the time.

On THX1138, they also found a small settlement, which was kept in a zombie like state by a completely automated system. Apparently they were kept as workers by the ancient Sith, and never released when the last Sith had left. Trychon and Raezyr reprogrammed the computers so they could land directly in the base in the future and, other than taking the holocrons, they left things as they had found them.

While Raezyr and Trychon were on THX1138, Anya and Tyr were busy at the Kuat Drive Yards where the Unity was in dry dock, being repaired. Utilizing Anya's charm and looks, she captivated a young officer into believing she loved him, and talked him into giving Tyr and her a tour of the ship, even though it was against orders. During the tour, Tyr "got separated" and uploaded the same virus which Riv-ars had downloaded on the Wasted Rancor, resulting in the capture of Raezyr, Trychon and Dianna.

Once the Unity left dry dock, Anya and Tyr were free to wreak random havoc and destruction all around the Galaxy, and thanks to the virus, stay one step ahead of the Republic and the two Jedi, who soon joined the Unity on the hunt.

After tutelage under Lord Daxon Var from his holocron, Raezyr and Trychon decide to exact revenge on Dianna Kingsdoom's nemesis for the ambushes he had previously laid for Dianna and her crew while they were away on their mission to THX1138.

Once inside the base, Trychon engages in a grueling computer hacking duel with Haley Stargazer, a cyborg whose slicing abilities rival that of Trychon himself. During they attack, they are able to shoot down Fillis Riv-ars' escape shuttle and capture a large part of his crew.

Secretly, Trychon and Raezyr allow the rest of the crew to live and send them to Tatooine to begin operations under the Sith's direction, calling the newly formed organization The Black Phoenix.

Once that is completed, Raezyr and Trychon decide to embark on Lord Eiron's second mission, and travel to a remote planet inhabited by the Force Sensitive race of Taxl Monks. There they meet up with the mysterious Darth Vikon who helps them infiltrate the community.

Prior to their arrival, Darth Vikon, an adept at interpreting visions of the future, informs Trychon and Raezyr that they are half-brothers, thus explaining their Force bond.

Once on the planet's surface, the two apprentices fulfill several false prophecies. Trychon and Raezyr are then able to manipulate the peaceful monks into destroying themselves and the two Sith apprentices are able to collect the Taxl Monks Force enhancing amulets.

Suddenly, Vikon then turns on Trychon and Raezyr, attacking them and stealing the amulets for himself. He then attempts to maroon the brothers on the remote planet. They manage to escape with the help of the lone survivor of the Taxl and the aid of their assasin/protocol droid HK-51. The lone survivor, Mannix, proves susceptible to being swayed by the Dark Side, and they hope he will become Raez and Trych's own apprentice someday.

After recuperating on Den Var, a planet outside of Republic jurisdiction, Trych and Raez continue to Hoth only to learn that Dianna's earlier involvement in the escape from the Unity has made her a much more wanted person, thus making it more difficult for her to operate and take part in above-board, legitimate business dealings. Raezyr promises to do everything he can to help.

Trychon, having had plenty of time to analyze data he had managed to steal from the Unity during their escape, finds a way to exploit it. Raezyr is unsure of the plan as it appears to complete it, they will have to betray someone they who trusts them. Trychon assures Raezyr that in the end, it will be the best for all involved.

Leaving Mannix in Dianna's care, the Sith return to Korriban in hopes of collecting more training material. All they find is a young aspiring Force-sensitive who, despite their repeated attempts to help the boy, forces Raez and Trych into a duel resulting in the boy's death.

Meanwhile, Tyr and Anya are busy making dozens of stops at random points around the galaxy, leaving a path of wanton destruction and death in their wake. The Jedi and the Unity pursue them relentlessly, but always a step behind. The time Anya and Tyr spend alone and their grisly deeds lead them into a torrid physical relationship, fueled by the destruction they cause.

Trych and Raez go to Tattooine to check on the Black Phoenix. Falka, the captain Trychon and Raezyr appointed to lead the Black Phoenix, has done well until their operations are noticed by the local Huttese crime lord Jama'Rukus Rus'El.

Trychon and Raezyr accompany Falka and Haley to see Jama the Hutt, only to be ambushed. They narrowly escape the Hutt's palace, only to end up in a chase across the sand dunes on swoop bikes.

Hoping for better odds, the four split up, taking two different routes back to the Black Phoenix fortress. Raezyr and Falka make it back to the base successfully, while Trychon and Haley's swoop is disabled, and they end up stranded in a cave.

Due to a sandstorm, and an unexpected jamming signal, the search party sent to rescue Haley and Trychon return empty handed, while back at the base, three assassins make an unseccessful attempt on Raezyr's life. Once the assassins are dealt with, Raezyr makes an example of Tocar, the second in command, cutting off half of the man's face as he was the one who had hired the bounty hunters, who worked for Jama the Hutt.

Raezyr then leads the rescue of Trychon and Haley himself, and is able to pull them to safety just as bounty hunters are closing for the kill.

559. Black Phoenix - Raezyr

Wind whipped past them, tearing at their clothes as the shuttle picked up speed. The cyborg had made all the way in the ship, Raezyr could sense that much, but he also couldn't rely on here. He sensed there was something wrong with her, sensed a jumble of emotions. Strong emotions, overwhelming, confusing. Before it had been hard to tell if there was any emotions at all, and those that he had sensed barely fluctuated at all.

Whatever the cause, she was useless right now. He focused all his energy and strength on hauling his brother up onto the loading ramp. It was difficult as the shuttle juked and turned, attempting to avoid the incoming blaster fire from the attacking snub fighter. If only he could get a moment of level flying, he'd be able to pull Trychon to safety, but as it was, all he could do was hold on and watch his older half-brother dangle thousands of meters above the empty desert planet surface.

Suddenly, flight path leveled out and using the Force to aid his already formidable strength, he drug the other Sith on board and closed the landing ramp.

The shuttle hadn't been made for hauling passengers, but for hauling cargo. Raezyr left Trychon to attend Haley and made his way to the cramped cockpit. "Status? What happened to that fighter?"

"It just disappeared from our scope, my lord," the pilot stated. "As you can see, we've picked up an escort though. We assume they took care of it. We'll find out for sure once we get out of this short range communications jamming area."

Raezyr glanced out either side of the cockpit windows, noticing a fighter on either side bearing the Black Phoenix emblem. "You sure they're ours?"

"Yes sir," the co-pilot informed the Sith. "That looks like Tack's fighter, and there's no mistaking Rahnaah's ship," he continued, indicating the respective fighters on either side. "Rahnaah's the best fighter pilot we have. We're lucky to have her."

The Sith just nodded his acknowledgment. "What is our ETA out of the jamming area?"

"Approximately 2 minutes, my lord."

"Excellent. When we reach that range, verify our escort is who you think it is and then let's get back to base ASAP."

"As ordered, sir."

Raezyr turned and left the pilots to do their thing. Trust wasn't something he was extending freely right now, but these men could have taken the opportunity to rid the Phoenix of the Sith just moments ago, and hadn't done it. He figured he could trust them a bit longer.

The younger warrior entered the cargo area. Trychon had found some emergency blankets and supplies and was tucking one around the sleeping figure of the cyborg.

"What happened to her?" Raezyr asked. He could sense Trychon was more concerned for her than himself and assumed his brother would be alright.

"Her battery backups failed and all of her non-essential implants shut down. Apparently she was injured while we were trying to get away. She would have been fine if we had gotten back to base in time, but between my damaged swoop, and the stand storm, well, you can see what happened," Trychon explained.

"So that explains why she was cowering like a little girl up here instead of helping out," Raezyr said irritably. He slid down the bulkhead and sat on the floor next to his brother, resting his arms on his knees.

"Lay off her, Raez. You don't know what she's had to go through in life," Trychon chided him.

"Whatever, Trych. She's just a cyborg," he commented, confused a bit by his brother's remark.

Trychon got up to his feet and looked down at his younger brother in disgust. "You really can be an asshole, you know that?"

The older Sith walked across the cargo hold to the door and Raezyr got up and followed. "What? What did I say?"

558. Black Phoenix - Raezyr

Trychon backed up and began hurling a barrage of large rocks back down the corridor. Splinters flew as they were pulverized by the force of the blow against the cave wall, forcing the attackers to keep under cover and out of sight.

Knowing he would run out of ammunition sooner or later, the Sith looked around in the dim light and spotted several cracks in the ceiling. Diverting his attention he sent the Force out, and felt it seep into the cracks, felt the cracks fill and yet he still forced the Dark Side into the tiny gaps.

The salvo of boulders ended, the bounty hunters emerged from their cover, firing as they did. The loud grinding sound above them sent them back down the tunnel just as a large load of debris fell from the ceiling.

It wasn't nearly as much as the cyborg's guardian had wished for, but it was enough to slow them down and give Haley and him time to get out of the cave where, with a little luck, he'd find a boulder large enough to close off the cave and end pursuit. Turning, he trotted toward the light.

As he got closer to the entrance, Haley stepped out from behind a small boulder she had been hiding behind. The tears on her face were something he expected. The horrified look was something that wasn't. He stopped in his tracks, sensing the dread she was feeling. "What's wrong Haley?"

"Please don't let them take me alive, Trych," Haley said through sobs. "Many people view cyborgs as nothing but property, and there's no telling what they may do to me if they capture me."

"They aren't going to capture us," the Sith said, taking a moment to wrap his arms around the sobbing woman, trying to reassure her. "We're out now. It's going to be okay."

She started crying even worse at this. "We're not out. Look," she sobbed and sank out of his grasp into a sitting position on the sandy floor of the tunnel.

For the first time, Trychon really looked at the scenery outside the cave. He could tell that they were pretty high up in elevation, and his heart began to sink as he approached the edge of the cave.

His shoulders slumped as he peered down at the 150 meter drop below the lip of the cave. He surveyed the sheer canyon wall all around the opening and his shoulders slumped further. Unless they sprouted wings, this was the end of the line.

A slow burning fire began to build in Trychon. He hadn't gone through all the training and hardships just to die at the hands of a few lousy bounty hunters. No, he was going to at least give them a chance. Maybe they'd over whelm him, but he'd take as many of them as he could before they did. They'd pay a heavy price.

Something else was building in the Sith, and just as he was beginning to notice it a voice sounded in his head. We're above you. Hang tight for a bit. Have to get rid of these Hutt fighters.

Trychon replied immediately, Hurry. Bounty hunters have us cornered at the entrance.

Be there ASAP.

Haley must have noticed something on Trychon's face. "What is it?"

For the first time in what seemed like forever, Trychon grinned. "Raez is here."

A confused look crossed Haley's face. "Where?" she asked, but there was no time for an answer. Blaster bolts began splashing all around them.

The Sith warrior shoved the cyborg to the ground behind the boulder and snapped on his lightsaber in the same movement. A renewed strength flowed through him and somehow his reaction time seemed even quicker and his deflections more accurate. He assumed the difference was simply the presence of his half-brother, but he had no time to dwell on it.

Trychon let a few bolts go by when he could, knowing the bright red and green lasers would be seen from the air and making their position even more obvious to his brother, but for the most part he sent everything he could back down the tunnel.

Two of the Hutt's mercenaries went down, but there were still a couple dozen more, as far as Trychon could tell, and they were still advancing. Despite the reinforcement from his younger brother, he knew it wouldn't be long before the Bounty Hunters were on him. He just hoped Raezyr shook them soon.

Get down.

The familiar voice echoed in his head and he didn't question it, throwing himself to behind the boulder with Haley as the loud screams of the rescue shuttle's repulsor lifts filled the cave.

As soon as the blaster cannons were level with the opening, they loosed several shots into the depths of the cave. No blaster fire returned from the depths, but the older Sith could sense only a few had died. They had a minute or two tops. Trychon looked over and saw his Raezyr standing on the lowered loading ramp of the shuttle, hovering just out side of the cave opening.

"JUMP!" The blue armored figure yelled over the screaming repulsor lifs, extending his arms as if to catch.

Trychon assessed the distance. Aided with the Force, he thought he barely had a chance of making it to the loading ramp, but with the condition Haley was in, there was no way she'd make it on her own. If they had had time, they could have used something on the ship to rig a safety line, but as it was...

Raezyr must have sensed his concern for Haley. "Throw her!" He yelled.

They had used the Force to move beings before, but before it had always been violently and with no concern as to where they might land. This time he would have to push someone he cared about out over 150 meters of thin air and hope his brother pulled her the rest of the way to him, with out knocking them both off the ramp.

But there was no other way. He looked over at Haley, who had gone pale hearing Raezyr's suggestion, and was violently shaking her head "no." "I'm sorry," was all he said, wrapping the Force around her and shoving her out over the canyon floor. He felt the pull as the other Sith grasped her and brought the cyborg quickly to him.

Trychon breathed a sigh of relief, but that relief was short lived. Blaster bolts erupted once again from the depths of the cave at the nearly the same time bolts began lancing down from the skies above. He wished he had been able to get a running start, but there was no time.

"RAEZ!" the Sith shouted as he leaped, using the Force to propel him as far out over open space as he could, stretching his hand out and hoping his brother could catch him.

Raezyr had shoved Haley up the ramp and had barely turned around when he heard his brother shout his name. He gripped the the support strut of the loading ramp and leaned out, stretching as far as he could. If he had had time to get ready, he would have had plenty of time to pull his brother safely to him, and maybe someday when he was a powerful Sith Lord, this kind of thing might be second nature, but as it was all he was able to do was lend a feeble pull on the leaping Sith.

It was enough. The pilot of the shuttle, watching from the cockpit launched a proton torpedo into the cave as soon as Trychon was clear. The shuttle spun and sped away, with a fighter bearing down it, two Sith dangling from the loading ramp, and just as a gout of flame erupted from the mouth of tunnel.

557. Black Phoenix - Raezyr

"Run, Haley," Trychon informed the vulnerable cyborg. "Run as best as you can."

Trychon could hear her quiet sobs over the sound of her irregular gait as she shuffled away.

Suddenly the tunnel was filled with flashes of green and scarlet as bolts from bounty hunter blasters began erupting all around. The Sith warrior deftly blocked those he could reach and re-directed those he could back at his attackers, but failed to score any hits.

They're good Trychon thought to himself as he slowly retreated the way Haley had gone. They're firing and moving, even in the dark. Nevertheless, the dark fighter continued to do what he knew and cover Haley's retreat to... where ever.

Time ticked slowly by. He thought one of the the pursuers may have been wounded, but he couldn't be sure. In the mean time sweat began running down the Sith's face, even in the cool environment of the cave. Not only was it beginning to get into his eyes, but his hands were growing damp, his grip on the black-bladed lightsaber becoming less sure. It had been a long time since Trychon had been put to an endurance test such as this one, but he persevered.

He wished he could spare some energy to hurl more rocks back at the attackers, but the young Sith, feeling he was near the limits of his endurance, was afraid he may falter if he diverted any of his attention from what he was doing.

Suddenly he heard one of the advancing mercenaries cry out in pain, and a brief moment of glee passed through Trychon, quickly swallowed up again by hatred for those hunting the cyborg and him down.

The Sith was so tired his mind was beginning to play tricks on him. Every once in a while he thought he could feel a breeze on his neck, and it almost seemed as if the darkness was somehow a little less dark. It dawned on him that it was no trick or mirage. They were getting closer to an entrance... and to escape.

When a slight break in the steady salvo of blaster fire came, Trychon turned and ran, ducking around a slight bend for cover. He hoped they'd be confused for a moment, but he doubted it. It was certain they were equipped with some sort of infrared or night vision equipment.

The exit to the cave was only a pinpoint in the distance, but the bright spot seemed to blind him, so used the the darkness his eyes had become.

556. Black Phoenix - Trychon

Trychon sat down on a rock outcropping that looked relatively comfortable. It was nice to get off his feet for a moment, and he felt that the Bounty Hunter hoard had lost some distance on him. They were most likely trying to make sure they took the right forks in the tunnels. Regardless the reason, it was a welcome break. He took a short time to regenerate his own energy through the force, careful to keep a good hold on Haley.

Feeling the strength in his legs rejuvenated, and the distance between himself and his foes, the Sith stood up and made on his way again. He couldn't tell if he was any nearer an exit at this point, but additional time was still valuable. It wasn't going to be much longer before he had to pick a spot to start taking down his enemies though. Any spot he picked now would likely work, most of the tunnels were fairly narrow, helping to take away the advantage of superior numbers they held over him.

After making his way around yet another curving corner in the caverns, the weight in his arms began to shift. This was followed by a few short coughs, and then Haley opened her eyes. "Can we go home now?" She said as she looked up at Trychon. "I want to go home."

She had talked to him for quite a while as he meditated just hours ago. She seemed to be holding up ok, but she was obviously tired. At times it seemed as though she was reliving some of those memories for the very first time. It seemed to make her sad and relieved to talk about it at the same time. She'd certainly been through quite a bit, starting at a very young age. She wasn't really 'forced' into the government program... her parents thought it would be a great opportunity for her, and she had agreed, but looking back she wasn't so sure that her understanding of the situation was very objective. Not many two year olds really have great understanding of things. That didn't matter, and her input may not have ultimately anyway. She wasn't sure. Once she was in though, there was no way out.

The pain in her eyes now was some mixture of physical pain and emotional pain from letting herself [i]feel[/i] again. Trychon wasn't sure how much of either there was. There's no telling where she'd have ended up if the program she was in wasn't disbanded, but neither that reality or this one lived up to the dreams of the advanced wide eyed toddler who was supposedly given a great choice.

The regrets of the unknown were still washing over her, and she was dealing with it fairly well, considering. The young Sith had an interesting childhood as well, but he was sure he wouldn't trade with what she went though. At times it seemed like a part of her emotions were still stuck at a young age, unable to fully develop due to some of the implants they had given her that they claimed would make her more 'level'.

There was a lot she unloaded in that cave, but there was a lot that she left out, either because her memory was still hazy or because she just wasn't ready. It was clear though that they had damaged her, unwittingly or just because they didn't care.

Regardless, it was Trychon and his escape that was paying for it in the then and there. He stretched out for the aggressors in their wake, and decided he had a moment to talk to her. She had wrapped her arms around him and was now gripping him rather tightly.

He found another outcropping of stones that was about the right height and sat down. "Haley? How are you?"

She looked at him. "I'm ready to go. I just want to be done with this trip."

He smiled at her, hoping to give her a bit of courage and reinforcement. "Good. Do you think you can walk?"

She nodded. "But I'm not very fast. All this stuff..." She gestured to some of the protruding cybernetic enhancements. "It slows me down when it's not working. I always knew it would. That's why I never turned it off. I was afraid of what I'd be without it. I was right." She was on the edge of tears again.

"Come on now. It's not that bad... I happen to love the shiny things!" He laughed quietly, and she followed suit, forcing back the tears. "You'll do fine, I'm sure. I just need you to get a little bit ahead of me so I can slow down the friends that are following us."

Haley pulled herself up and stopped for a minute to take inventory on herself. "Ok. Let's go. I'm ready."

Trychon nodded and let her walk ahead of him. The Bounty Hunters must have heard a bit of their discussion. They were approaching rapidly with much more confidence.

"I guess it's that time, isn't it guys?" He said loudly enough so they could hear him around the bend. He ignited his blade and felt them hesitate.

He used the Force to grab a few head sized rocks, and he flung them around the corner. Their surprise was enough to make him smile.

555. Black Phoenix - Raezyr

Falka walked along side of his Sith master. Part of him was back with his injured second in command and long time friend. He knew they were probably rushing Tocar to the medical facilitiees and he assumed the Human would be alright, but the two had worked together for a long time and he couldn't help be be worried.

Still, it was painfully clear that when serving under the Sith, you don't make mistakes, and Tocar's mistake had not only nearly cost Lord Raezyr his life, but could have brought the entire Black Phoenix organization to it's knees.

The Khommite's thoughts were interrupted by his dark master's voice, "Are you listening, Captain?"

"I'm sorry my lord," Falka replied. "My thoughts were on the lesson you just taught us."

"As I was saying, I want you to send a medical droid to my new quarters, which will be your first mate's old quarters, and I want a status report on the ship sent to pick up Lord Trychon and the cyborg," Raezyr ordered.

"As you command, Lord Raezyr." Falka gave a slight nod of his head and departed to carry out his orders.

------------------------

The comm beeped a short while later. The medical droid had already looked Raezyr over and redone his bacta patches, but other than some pain-killers which the Sith had refused, there wasn't much else to be done.

He picked up his comm and answered it, Falka's voice issued from the device, "Lord Raezyr, we have some bad news. It took a while to get a hold of the rescue party, and when we did, they reported that the sand storm hasn't abated yet so they were unable to land, but also there appears to be some sort of short range jamming signal in that area, so they weren't able to land or even make contact with Lord Trychon or Haley."

Raezyr fumed for a minute without answering.

"Lord Raezyr?" the Khommite's voice asked uncertainly.

Finally he spoke, "Order the team to return to base. When they get back, they are to refuel and get ready to go back."

"But sir, the storm and the jamming signal...," Falka managed to say before he was cut off.

"I will be going with them this time. Apparently if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself," the Sith warrior said irritably. "Also have two fighters prepped and ready for departure. If they're jamming, they know Lord Trychon is down there and we may need the fire support."

Falka acknowledged and Raezyr switched off the comm link. He strapped on his armor and stretched a bit. His muscles were starting to stiffen up a bit from the beating they had taken in the blast. He closed his eyes and sent his thoughts to Trychon.

------------------

I'm coming.

The words sounded clear in Trychon's head as if Raezyr were standing directly behind him. They were only two words, but it was all he needed to hear.

Trychon carried Haley's sleeping form deeper into the recesses of the cavern, hoping to find a different exit. Long before they had arrived, Trychon had felt the bounty hunters closing in on their location. He wasn't sure how they had arrived in the midst of the raging sand storm outside, but they were there, nonetheless.

He had considered making a stand where they were, but there were ten in all, and he wasn't sure he could fight that many experienced killers at once and come out alive, let alone make sure Haley was safe as well.

The Sith warrior just hoped his little brother was bringing some reinforcements.

-----------

The small glowstick clipped to Trychon's shoulder provided just enough light so he wouldn't stumble in the pitch black. His navigation came more through sensations in the Force. Similar to the sonic navigations of a Deloevian Hawk-bat, the Sith just sensed new openings and tunnel off-shoots. Unlike the hawk-bat, the Force guided his decisions and the young warrior used that to avoid running into any dead ends.

He tried to choose the tunnels he felt were winding back to the canyon, but he quickly became so turned around that he couldn't be sure anymore.

One thing was constant though, and that was the presence of the mercenaries and bounty hunters behind him who were closing in steadily. Trychon had lost track of time in the enshrouding darkness of the old Krayt dragon lair, although he estimated at least 2 hours had passed since his brother had contacted him, and sooner, rather than later, he was going to have to make a stand whether he liked it or not.

554. Black Phoenix - Raezyr

Raezyr concentrated on the Force, allowing the rage of being ambushed fill his being and feed the Dark Side. Slowly he got to his feet and looked down at his fists. Blue-white energy crackled around them, adding the smell of burnt ozone to the smoke filled room.

Already the automatic fire suppression system had kicked in and extinguished the flickering flames. The young Sith stretched to assess any damage to his body and sucked in his breath as a sharp pain shot through his side, most likely a broken rib or two from the impact with the wall.

He stripped the torn and smoldering cloak from his shoulders and tossed it into the corner of the grenade torn room, before retrieving the rest of his armor from the closet. He thanked the Sith Lords that he had worn his helm as it was probably all that saved him from a full concussion. He rummaged around in his personal stash of medical supplies and applied a bacta patch to his side and injected himself with some stims before donning his armor.

Outside, they had been pounding on his door for a few minutes and he could hear them yelling. Apparently the grenade had jammed the door shut. He scooped up his light sabers, switched them on and cut his way out through the door.

Falka and Tocar were there, along with several worker droids and some other members of Black Phoenix he didn't know.

"Lord Raezyr, are you alright?" Falka asked the large armored figure as he stepped through the remains of the door.

Raezyr ignored the question. He only had one thing on his mind, and that was retribution. "Is the base locked down, Captain?"

"Yes, just as you requested. What happened?" the Khommite asked.

"Three fools attempted to collect on a bounty. You will find two of their bodies inside, although I doubt the remains will be identifiable, but that's immaterial. Right now, I want every member of Black Phoenix assembled in the hangar immediately," Raezyr commanded.

"Sir? Every member?" Tocar asked. "Do you want us to recall the two pilots who just left to pick up Lord Trychon?"

Raezyr turned and looked at the human for a moment. "Of course not them. They were clearly not involved. I want everyone in the hangar or accounted for. There will be two missing. Those two will be the ones in my quarters. The third one will be there, and we will find him. I will be in the War Room. Notify me when they are assembled."

Raezyr didn't have to wait long for the notification, and arrived back at the hangar shortly after he was notified. The young Dark Warrior looked around as he entered. The crew was standing around in several groups, talking in hushed tones. He assumed they were wondering what had happened and why they had been called together.

Falka and Tocar approached him. "My Lord," Falka began in low tones so as not to be over heard by the rest of the crew," the two that were unaccounted for were both mercenaries hired several weeks ago, after we set up operations here on Tattooine. A quick check of their communications log showed regular contact with someone outside the base." Falka looked a bit hesitant. "We think they may have been working as double agents for Jama the Hutt."

Raezyr considered this for a moment. "I want everyone you to line up every merc you have hired since your operations began here."

Falka and Tocar quickly identified eight men and women of various races and had them stand in a line. The armored figure walked slowly down the line, pausing in front of each of them, his masked face looking into their eyes.

He knew they couldn't into his helm, but they held their heads up and stared right back, not showing any outward signs of fear.

But Raezyr could sense it. He let the Dark Side probe their feelings, and to one degree or another, all of them were nervous. All but one. The one who knew they were caught, the one who was resigned to take action and knew that each breath they were taking might be their last. The one who knew their treachery was somehow about to be found out. The one who was determined to take their target out with them.

Raezyr didn't let on that he knew. Instead, he decided to play this game out a bit more. He continued on down the line until he had looked at each and every one of them. When he was done, he turned and walked back down the line, stopping in front of a young human male, who was sweating profusely. Raezyr turned and stared at him, watching the sweat bead up on the young man's face. He was clearly terrified, and he was clearly not the one.

"Who hired these mercenaries, Captain?" the Sith spoke without taking his gaze from the young fighter.

"I did, Lord Raezyr," Tocar said, speaking up.

"Then you will be the one to execute the guilty party. Please draw your weapon," The Dark Man ordered, and Falka's First Mate did as he was told.

"Where were you thirty minutes ago, scum?" Raezyr asked of the young man. He could feel his real target relaxing, thinking they may get out of this mess yet.

"N-n-no! It wasn't me! I swear it! I was in the training room with three others! They can verify it!" The kid stammered in fear. He turned to look over at small group who had been part of Black Phoenix from the beginning, and pointed. "Guys! C'mon! Tell him!"

Raezyr stepped back a bit, out of the line of fire. "Take aim, Tocar," he ordered, and Tocar did so.

The young man dropped to his knees. "Please Lord Raezyr, I swear by the gods! I am loyal to you, and what ever it was that happened, I had nothing to do with it!"

The Sith stared down at the man, who was not much younger than himself. He was surprised that he felt no pity for him, but rather a sort of loathing that anyone who called themselves a warrior could grovel and beg like this.

Raezyr reached out with the Force and gripped Tocar's hand, shifted the man's aim, and caused him to squeeze the trigger. The kid covered his head and screamed at the sound of the blaster.

Two places down from the kid, a Hraki female dropped to the floor with a blaster hole in her forehead.

Tocar stared in disbelief as did everyone else in the hangar. "My Lord, I-I..." Tocar stammered.

"I did that. If you examine her communications, you will probably find the same patters as the other two, and you should also find a stealth generator in her belongings in dire need of recharging," Raezyr said and drew his lightsaber from his belt.

In one swift motion he flicked on the crimson blade and struck Tocar vertically on the side of his head, just deep enough to remove the First Mate's ear, part of his jaw and most of the skin.

Tocar screamed and dropped to his knees, gripping the side of his face with his left hand. A true fighter, he brought the blaster he still held to bear on the one who had inflicted the pain on him.

Raezyr reached out with the Force and yanked the blaster from his grip, pulling it to him and catching it in his outstretched hand, then Force-kicking the injured man in the chest. Tocar flew back several meters and sprawled on his back, still holding his injured face.

Instantly all around the room, Raezyr could hear weapons being drawn as men and women all around the room prepared to avenge their fallen friend and leader.

The armored Sith ignored their actions, putting away his lightsaber and tossing the blaster to the side as he strode toward groaning figure on the floor. "I suggest you take a better look at who you hire from now on, Tocar."

He turned to the rest of the members of Black Phoenix. "Tocar has paid for his failure. Next time someone fails me, I won't be so lenient."

The Sith Warrior turned to Falka. "Captain, come with me." Raezyr turned and strode from the room, not looking to see if the Khommite would comply, but knowing he would.

Raezyr could feel the level of fear and terror rising at what just happened, and he breathed it in like a refreshing breeze after a summer rain.