726. Hoth: King's Lair - Raezyr

Val had replied to the Sith on the same frequency, ordering him to land and surrender immediately, although both Jedi knew that nothing of the sort was going to happen. Still, both Jedi fell in behind the Sith fighter, following at a safe distance to where ever he decided to land.

After a moment, Nal clicked on the private channel. "Val, don't land. Stay airborne and watch our back. I'll take da Sith."

Silence was the only thing that followed for a few minutes. She could feel that Val was apprehensive. At last he replied. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Not only do I want to, I need to do dis. I recognized his voice. It's Raezyr... da one who took my leg," she told him. "I have to face him, Val." Nal Talla closed her eyes and drew in a deep calming breath and realized in that instance, she was never more sure of anything in her entire life.

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Raezyr started the landing cycle. The ground he had chosen was on the top of a windswept cliff. It was wide and flat, allowing for easy landing, and the wind howled constantly, keeping the rocky shelf mostly clear of snow. Before the ship had settled to the ground, he popped the canopy and blew it open with a wave of Force energy that sent the transparisteel dome sailing into the air and over the edge of the cliff despite the fact he had chosen the landing site farthest from the edge.

He launched himself out of the cockpit and landed in a crouch on giant rock ledge. Immediately he realized exactly why the canopy had sailed so far. The howling wind of the blizzard had caught it and thrown it farther than it ever would have gone on it's own. The driving snow made him glad for his helmet, keeping it out of his eyes, but the rest of him was instantly cold.

He wrapped himself in a layer of the Force, hoping it would keep some of his body heat in. He drew his lightsaber hilts and watched the Aurek Tactical Strikefighter with the Jedi markings land. He noticed the other ship failed to land.

He swore under his breath. Not optimal. He had wanted both ships to land. Clearly they weren't as stupid as he had hoped. No matter, he decided. He'd make them pay for thinking it would only take one Jedi to take him down, and when that one died, he'd either steal the Jedi fighter and have access to all the information and data stored in it's computer, or the other Jedi would land. Either way, both Jedi would die on this frozen ball of ice called Hoth.

The canopy of the figher popped open, and Raezyr flicked on his blades and rushed. No way was he going to give the Jedi time to get ready.

725. Hoth: King's Lair - Raezyr

"Warning: Oxygen levels critical," the computerized female voice told him for approximately the tenth time. The turbulence and heat of reentry into the Hoth's atmosphere had not helped his oxygen levels, and even though he was technically surrounded by air, it was still too thin to sustain human life.

Still, there wasn't much he could do. If he broke off and dove for a lower altitude, both of the Jedi might not follow him. If that happened, they might be able to prevent Trychon from destroying the remote data storage site.

Raezyr gritted his teeth, drawing on his anger, and watched his radar.

Thankfully he didn't have to wait too long.

As the Jedi fighters began to close the distance to effective firing range, but Trychon and Raezyr slowly dove in altitude. Finally Raezyr clicked his comm twice, sending two short bursts of static across the speakers in the Jet Razor's cockpit.

Trychon jammed the throttle as fast as it would go. The Jet Razor was extremely aerodynamic, making it excellent not only in space combat, but in atmospheric conditions as well. He easily out distanced his half-brother and the Jedi.

Quickly he dropped down into a snowy canyon in one of Hoth's mountain ranges and reduced his speed to something less reckless. He only need to lose their radar. Raezyr would hopefully keep them from physically following him.

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

As Raezyr watched his own ship accelerate and leave them behind, he watched his radar. Sure enough, one of the two Jedi ships began speeding up in an attempt to pursue his brother. "I don't think so," the Sith warrior said, speaking to the blip on his radar screen and banked starboard into their path.

Suddenly alarms screamed inside his cockpit, warning him that his enemy had target lock on him.. Banking hard to port, he also pulled back as hard as he could on the stick. The old fighter didn't respond as well as he would have liked, but it got the job done, looping around out of danger and dropping in behind the fighter attempting to give chase to Trychon.

He picked up target lock almost immediately on the Jedi fighter and he squeezed the trigger switch, watching the green darts shoot forward. They weren't really all that close to hitting, but scoring a hit would merely be icing on the ryshcate.

Raezyr's goal was to force the Jedi to give up following his brother and focus on him. It wasn't easy, trying to evade incoming fire while pursuing a different ship, but he did it. After several attempts to follow Trychon, both Jedi finally turned and engaged him.

He scrambled around, but despite his superior piloting skills, his older, damaged fighter was not going to be able to evade the Jedi forever, let alone defeat them.

Raezyr flipped his comm switch to an open frequency. One he hoped the Jedi would be able to pick up and keyed up the comm.

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"Attention Jedi scum," came a male voice across Nal's speakers. "My fighter is unable to continue. I will be landing now. You can either vape me, or come and get me. That is all." Static followed the transmission.

"Do you tink it's a trap?" Nal asked on the secure frequency to her wingman and friend.

"My sensors show his ship is damaged," Val replied calmly. "I think he was only trying to draw us away from that assault shuttle."

"But..." Nal began, about pose her question again.

Val interrupted her. "Yes. It's a trap."

"What do you propose?"

"Spring the trap."

724. Hoth: King's Lair - Raezyr

"Firaxa One, this is Two."

"Go Two."

"That fighter and assault shuttle are breaking off and turning back toward the surface."

"Copy Two. Dey won't get away," Nal said into her comm. She and her Chiss wingman banked to give pursuit in perfect unison. They didn't need to give voice to their speculations on who the pilots of those two ships were. Both could sense the sicking waves of the Dark Side oozing from that direction.

They had done their best to engage the two ships, but it seemed that something or someone had always been in their way. Finally they had a clear shot and they both jammed the throttle as high as it would go, doing their best to catch their quarry.

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Raezyr followed closely behind his brother. They had a momentary respite from the battle and the big Sith finally looked around and took stock of the warning lights and beacons that were flashing and screaming at him from all about the fighter cockpit.

The fighter was an older model, and not nearly as agile or fast as he was used to. Several blasts had landed during the fierce sortie, but he hadn't really paid attention, instead allowing the Force to guide his actions. As he realized just how much damage he had sustained, he swore softly. His rage had swelled since it first began back in the base until it was almost a tangible thing at this point.

He reached over and switched his comm to the encrypted private channel. "Tryst... Blade. You copy?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"Go ahead."

"My hyperdrive is gone and I'm slowly venting oxygen," he stated.

Trychon swore, unknowingly echoing his half-brother's words from moments ago. They both knew what this meant. Instead of taking out the facility and making their escape, they were going to have to actually land. He looked at his radar, although he needn't have bothered. He could feel the two Jedi who had peeled off to give chase.

"They're at our six and closing fast," Trychon stated. He knew he didn't need to say who was following them.

"New plan," came Raezyr's voice across the comm. "Once we hit atmo, I'll turn back and engage. Keep the Jedi scum off your back while you take out the target. Signal me when it's finished and I'll land... you come pick me up on the fly."

"They're gonna vape you when you cycle for a landing," Trychon stated. He didn't like the plan at all, but then again, he couldn't really think of an alternative at the moment.

"I don't think so," Raezyr replied. "They've been using ion cannons for the most part. They want us alive. A thousand creds says they land and try to capture me."

"Universally stupid, Blade," Trychon said. "I know they're Jedi, but they've been after us for a long time now."

"No, this might be a good thing," Raezyr answered. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that this was a great idea. He'd draw them off from his brother, then land. When they followed suit, trying to capture him, he'd slay them. The Sith warrior began to salivate at the thought of a little revenge.

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Captain Wash Moklam studied the holographic battle screen laid out before him. The Jedi had broken off their attack to follow two ships. He had to assume those were the Sith they were after, and he was content to let them go. He had bigger problems right now.

That recent arrival of that damn capital ship had played havoc with his well laid battle plans, and long range scanners indicated it was an unmanned drone. Still, he recognized it. This damn ship had haunted his dreams ever since it's involvement in the aurodium hi-jacking.

Right now it was providing effective cover for the escaping freighters, making it hard for his fighters to get in and disable the escaping criminals. Once again the big ship was making it's way straight at his own Hammerhead class capital ships. The difference was that this time he was ready for it.

"Intensify forward shields!" he shouted to his command crew and over the comm to the other hammerhead. "Concentrate all firepower on that cruiser!"

723. Hoth: King's Lair - Trychon

"How are dey doin dis?!"  Nal exclaimed as she narrowly dodged yet another turbolaser blast.  "I've never heard of a ship dat size taking out so many of our fighters like dat."

"Reach out towards that ship."  Val responded with his voice as calm as ever, though strained through exertion.  "You'll feel that it's empty.  We're fighting a computer."

Recognition dawned on her.  Normally, capital ships such as the one they were facing were loaded with primarily quad cannons or turbolasers depending on whether it was geared towards taking on large numbers of fighters or another capital ship, respectively.  The weapons on this were clearly for the latter but the accuracy, speed, and anticipation that the guns were tracking and destroying Republic fighters could only be described as... inhuman.

"Dat's an impressive computer dey must have on dat ship.  It won't save dem when Captain Moklam gets here to support us."

"It may not have to."  Was all that Val had to say in response to her.  She looked down and saw that he was right.  The capital ship had been able to maneuver and keep itself in between them and the fleeing freighters.  The pinpoint weapons fire had been able to keep the fighters from taking the large ship out of commission as well.

Then the freighters did disappear.  The capital ship however, began to turn around and return toward the planet.

"Unity to fighter groups Alpha and Theta... put all power to thrusters and get back to us... that damned ship must be trying to get between us and another wave."  Moklam was clearly losing patience.  He was already furious about their previous encounters with this group.  "NOW!"

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

"Are you sure about this?"  Trychon asked as he keyed in the next instructions to be sent to the Sith Stalker.

"As sure as I am that you could have been noticed too early by taking off without the rest of us... even if you were just doing a sweep, Tryst."  Raezyr commed back, using the codenames he insisted on picking himself this time.  "But yes... the only vector we have a shot of getting the rest of the ships out now is if we head straight at the Unity and it's pal.  Any other path and the fighters or the big boys will get to us before the Stalker is of any use."

"That's not enough by my calculations, Blade."

"It will be if we can distract those fighters.... we'll break off in tee minus two."

Trychon sighed.  The numbers weren't adding up very well, even if they survived a quick skirmish.  He watched the timer count down on his panel, and he broke off on Raezyr's tail when the counter hit zero.

Within minutes, they were barreling through the center of the enemy formation.  Trychon managed to score a quick kill on one of the lead fighters, but his celebration was quickly interrupted.

"Don't go for the kill.  Get shots off at as many of them as you can.  If they die, so be it... but we're aiming to disrupt as much as possible.  Don't let any of them break away towards the freighters."

Raezyr let instinct take over and fell into a rhythm of fire and switch. The upside was that it was a target rich environment and each time he flicked the switch on his targeting computer to cycle to the next target, it almost instantly locked on. The downside was that there were so many enemy fighters, that he was never sure if his shots were striking or not as he was constantly in evasive maneuvers.

The arrival of the Twilight Stalker had really seemed to throw the Republic forces for a loop with it's precise maneuvering and targeting. Trychon's customized automation program really was a thing of beauty. The unfortunate part was that the enemy had apparently figured out no one was aboard and were starting to regroup.

The small Sith capital ship had provided cover for the first group of escaping freighters, but if the second group didn't hurry up and form up, the Republic would be ready for the next run.

No matter what happened, Trychon and his brother could no longer stay and fend off the attacking fighters. They had to get to that back up data storage site and physically destroy it. Too much precious information was sitting there and they couldn't let it fall into Republic or Jedi hands.

722. Hoth: King's Lair - Raezyr

Raezyr picked up the large duffel and slung it on his back. There had been more stuff than he'd remembered, but it still wasn't that much. He exited the room and trotted down the hallways of the base, memories filling his mind as he went. This place had practically been home since they had barely escaped Korriban many, many months ago. Once again, the big man found himself on the run from the Jedi, being forced out of a home. It had been the story of his life since he could remember.

His sadness quickly turned to anger and he allowed it to consume him, fuel his power. He could feel the familiar burn of the Dark Side as it raged hotter within, and he held it. Soon he'd need every ounce of it.

He stopped outside the control room and hefted the small orb in his palm for just a moment before flicking the timer on and tossing it inside. He slapped the controls to close the door and turned toward the hangar. In about 18 seconds, the computer memory banks would be atomized, as would anyone who was unfortunate enough to be within the five meter blast radius.

In the hangar, people ducked, ran and hit the deck when the tiny thermonuclear detonation took place, shattering the window between the control room and the hangar. Raezyr didn't bother to turn around, instead he continued his steady pace through the hangar as he knew he was safely outside the blast radius.

Shuttles and freighters were just now beginning to take off. The Sith warrior looked around for the Jet Razor, but it was no longer there. Trychon had already taken off. Raezyr let it add to the raging fire already burning inside. He knew he was a minute late, but he had hoped his brother would wait for him as that had been the plan.

He looked around and spotted a fighter off to one side of the hangar that no one was climbing into and trotted over. The ladder was missing, but that didn't matter as he used the Force to make the leap up to the cockpit. Raezyr slung the pack into the storage compartment behind the seat and closed it, then slid into the seat and began punching in the emergency start up procedures.

The Sith forced the ship to take off before the engine warm-ups were complete. Warning indicators screamed at him, but he ignored them. He didn't care about the risk of engine failure at this point. It was paramount that he catch Trychon.

As he neared the hangar doors, he punched the throttle as high as he dared, caring little about the collateral damage it would cause. His final glimpse of King's Lair was crewman, still frantically trying to load various shuttles with emergency supplies, ducking for cover and being bowled over as the Sith gunned the fighter out of the doors.

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There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no death, there is the Force.

Nal Talla repeated the Jedi Code to herself as she piloted Firaxa 1, keeping tight on the wing of her Jedi companion Val.  It had only been weeks since they had finally hunted down the Sith fugitives Tyr and Anya on an uninhabited planet.  She had come painfully close to succumbing to the Dark Side during that encounter.  Now they were closing in on the other two Sith, one of whom had taken her leg, and she had to keep her wits and emotions about her to keep from making that fall.

"Firaxa 2 to Firaxa 1."  Val's voice came in over the comm.  "Are you ready for this?"

She knew he wasn't talking about clipping the wings of a few smuggler's fighters.  He was speaking to the very thing she was thinking of.  Her only question was whether he knew what she was thinking, or if it was a coincidence.  "I believe I am, two."  She smiled.  The older Knight had been invaluable in helping her regain her calm and prepare for such an encounter.  "I am ready for 'dis.  Tanks to you."

They were closing in on the glaring white of the frozen planet quickly.  One freighter had made a quick exit minutes after the capital ships had arrived.  Her connection to the Force reassured her that they had not missed out on their targets yet though.

She looked down at her sensors in response to her instruments beeping at her.  Multiple contacts were now making their way off of the planet.  They weren't in range yet, but they would be well before the pirates could escape the gravity well of the planet.  Based on what her readings were telling her, none of the ships would be able to weather any severe harassment to make it to hyperspace.  They'd have to maneuver heavily to stay alive, and eventually they would fall prey to weapons fire or the tractor beams of the larger Republic ships when they were in range.

Val and she would have to try to do their best to disable the fighters, especially if they located the Sith.  She wasn't sure that the other pilots for the Republic would do the same.  She felt it might be the opposite for them.

They had nearly reached long distance torpedo range when the starry space in front of them suddenly shifted.  Alarms in her head as well as from her fighter filled the cabin.  The large ship that the Sith had used to steal from the Republic had jumped directly in between them and the fleeing freighters.

"Break off!  Break off!"  She heard the squadron commander in her helm.  "Regroup!  Where did that thing come from?  No one can jump this close into a planetary system.  No one!"