Trychon felt a loss of control of the trance he had been trying to hold, but he couldn't help himself. "Haley?"
All he was rewarded with was a whimper of pain. He hoped that it wasn't due to his lapse in concentration, but he attempted to regain some control anyway. "Do you know where you are?"
The cyborg groaned again weakly. "The ground."
The Sith couldn't help but smile slightly at that. It was uncharacteristic for a reply from her. "Very good. Do you remember anything about how you got here?"
He could feel her gaining a bit of strength by the second. Her response showed it as well. "My body is adjusting to cybernetic shock." She rolled to one side as she propped herself up on an elbow and reached with her free arm to rub her own back. "It's a difficult situation, but it's not likely to cause further problems, and it will abate quickly... though not completely until I can get back to base and make some repairs."
Just when Trychon thought she was nearly out of the woods as she suggested, she curled up in pain as though for the first time and fell to the ground again with a shriek. He resisted the urge to reach out to her with his hand and instead increased his attempts to help through the Force. "Cybernetic Shock? Are you forgetting about the blaster wound? You may want to be careful with that arm."
She groaned. It took her a minute to gain the ability to respond again. "No. My systems adjusted to that burn within seconds of receiving it. It's very discomforting, but that is all." She began to regain composure and prop herself off the ground again.
The young Sith hoped he was helping her. "So this shock... you've dealt with it before? You're experienced with it?"
"No. It's always been a risk I knew about, but I've never..." She trailed off as her face tightened in pain.
It became obvious to Trychon that his use of the Force was indeed helping her. His wavering attention span was obviously directly affecting her. He was simultaneously proud and ashamed as he realized that it would have been better for her if she was recovering on her own. He redoubled his efforts and promised himself to try harder not to lose control again.
Within a minute, Haley was doing much better again. It was likely a combination of both her own recovery and his efforts, but he kept the meditation up. "Tell me more. I need to concentrate to help your recovery."
"Well, I was two..." Haley went on to describe the years of changes she went through. They weren't forced on her, but allowing such decisions on a child seemed more than odd to Trychon. He was strangely calmed by listening to her talk, and her demeanor got stroner as time went on. She was recovering, and to the point where he felt comfortable backing off on his efforts to help her. As he did, her discomfort became obvious, but she seemed as though she was through the worst. She was doing well, and she seemed as though she was letting loose on some issues for the first time. She gained confidence in her speach as she went, but she seemed so much more vulnerable than ever before.
The Sith finally let go of his last bit of meditation. Haley let out a bit of a sigh and closed her eyes, but she seemed prepared to handle it.
"I can't imagine that this is where you saw yourself ending up all those years ago." Trychon finally broke his silence.
She paused. "No. I couldn't have imagined the obstacles that stood in my way. As a woman, as a cyborg, many won't accept me as I am." Her speach was becoming more hesitant again, though she was clearly in much less pain than before. She saw the look of concern in her companion's eyes. "I'll... I'll be ok." She spent several minutes attempting to regain her control.
"It's hard. I'm not used to thinking about these things. I'm in no state..." She sniffled and rubbed her nose. "I'm not used to dealing with this. Before, it was as though you weren't just helping my pain, but giving me strength."
"The pain will go away with time. You're doing very well." He assured her.
"It's not just the pain. I'm not used to... my emotions coming out like this." She sniffled again.
Trychon was surprised by the implication he thought he sensed. "The implants control your emotions?" He tried to keep his inquiry fairly level.
"No." She shook her head and wiped her eyes, in a failed attempt to regain her composure. "They help me control them. They keep me level and objective about things. This is overwhelming!" She was near full tears now. "I..."
At a loss for anything else to say, Trychon did his best to calm her. "Shhh.... it's ok. You'll be ok."
"I need to rest." Haley turned and laid her head on his lap. "Tell me about yourself now."
He didn't like opening up to strangers much, but he felt no restraint in opening up to her. It felt good, if he was honest with himself about it. He started off by telling her about his home planet, though he left off how confusing a start he got, appearing seemingly out of nowhere.
She was asleep within minutes, but he continued to talk to her for much longer. Knowing she couldn't really listen any more, he started to tell her things he hadn't discussed in ages. He told her about his first love. He didn't know why he did, but he hadn't even really talked to his brother much about it beyond vague mentions. It was surprizing how relaxed he was with her sleeping on his legs.
Then the Force began to warn him that their time in safety in the cave was running out.
December 30, 2009
December 24, 2009
552. Black Phoenix - Raezyr
The faint scraping of metal against leather, and faint movement across the room were the only warnings Raezyr had. He ducked and rolled as the blue ring of light from a stun blaster flashed across the room, passing through the spot he had just been standing.
The Sith couldn't see anyone in the room, but his Force senses told him there were three others in the room. He made a quick mental note to berate himself later for not noticing them before they attacked him.
Raezyr snapped on his lightsabers and dove toward the nearest mind he could sense. The lights in the room were off, but there should have been enough ambient light to see his target, and all of his Sith senses told him someone was in front of him, yet he could see nothing.
Closing his eyes and using the Dark Side as his tool, he let it guide his motions. His lightsabers suddenly sliced through an object and the smell of burning flesh filled the room. He heard the thump of a body hitting the floor just as it flickered and materialized.
Realization settled on the Sith warrior as he saw the stealth generator belt crackling where the blade of his laser sword had nicked it. Luckily for Raezyr, those belts only dampened sound and obscured all but sudden movements and when he had entered the room, the assassin had apparently drawn his weapon too quickly.
The other two attackers had apparently abandoned their attempt to stun him, and had switched to "kill." The blaster bolts flashed toward him. Blocking them deftly, he leaped toward the nearest attacker.
Fighting unseen opponents was new to Raezyr. He had heard of stealth generators and even seen a few, but had never actually encountered them in battle. He could see know why they were feared and if it weren't for his Force abilities, he'd probably have been shot down by now.
As it was, he felt he had already gained the upper hand. One assassin was down, and now he had moved around the second attacker in such a way that the third assailant could not get a clean show without hitting his own man.
Raezyr swept his long blade toward the area he assumed his attacker's head to be, and was rewarded with the sizzling sound of flesh burning and the sight of disembodied head flying across the room. The rest of the body crumpled to the floor... or so it sounded to the Sith.
He didn't stop to admire his handiwork however, there was still one more assailant with which to deal. He could sense the third attacker moving toward the door, and as it opened, he leaped forward to stop them, even though something was warning him against it. Still, he couldn't let them get away... not without knowing their identity.
Suddenly he saw the thing that his senses had tried to warn him about. A small grenade materialized out of thin air as the third assassin dropped in on the floor. Raezyr skidded, coming to an abrupt halt as he attempted to reverse course while looking for some sort of cover at the same time. In the back of his mind he heard the door to his quarters close and felt the attacker leaving the area.
Not knowing what else to do, the Sith reached out through the Force, grabbed the entire bed and flipped it over on top of the grenade. He didn't know how much good that would do, but it had to be better than nothing. Diving, he sailed through the air towards the open entrance to the refresher.
In the enclosed room, the concussion from the explosion was just that much worse. Raezyr channeled all of his Force energy into shielding himself from the blast. Even with that cushion, he was slammed into the wall harder than he could imagine.
His ears rang, and his head swam and the darkness of unconsciousness threatened to creep in, yet somehow the Sith warrior managed to activate his wrist communicator, and issue orders to lock down the base.
The Sith couldn't see anyone in the room, but his Force senses told him there were three others in the room. He made a quick mental note to berate himself later for not noticing them before they attacked him.
Raezyr snapped on his lightsabers and dove toward the nearest mind he could sense. The lights in the room were off, but there should have been enough ambient light to see his target, and all of his Sith senses told him someone was in front of him, yet he could see nothing.
Closing his eyes and using the Dark Side as his tool, he let it guide his motions. His lightsabers suddenly sliced through an object and the smell of burning flesh filled the room. He heard the thump of a body hitting the floor just as it flickered and materialized.
Realization settled on the Sith warrior as he saw the stealth generator belt crackling where the blade of his laser sword had nicked it. Luckily for Raezyr, those belts only dampened sound and obscured all but sudden movements and when he had entered the room, the assassin had apparently drawn his weapon too quickly.
The other two attackers had apparently abandoned their attempt to stun him, and had switched to "kill." The blaster bolts flashed toward him. Blocking them deftly, he leaped toward the nearest attacker.
Fighting unseen opponents was new to Raezyr. He had heard of stealth generators and even seen a few, but had never actually encountered them in battle. He could see know why they were feared and if it weren't for his Force abilities, he'd probably have been shot down by now.
As it was, he felt he had already gained the upper hand. One assassin was down, and now he had moved around the second attacker in such a way that the third assailant could not get a clean show without hitting his own man.
Raezyr swept his long blade toward the area he assumed his attacker's head to be, and was rewarded with the sizzling sound of flesh burning and the sight of disembodied head flying across the room. The rest of the body crumpled to the floor... or so it sounded to the Sith.
He didn't stop to admire his handiwork however, there was still one more assailant with which to deal. He could sense the third attacker moving toward the door, and as it opened, he leaped forward to stop them, even though something was warning him against it. Still, he couldn't let them get away... not without knowing their identity.
Suddenly he saw the thing that his senses had tried to warn him about. A small grenade materialized out of thin air as the third assassin dropped in on the floor. Raezyr skidded, coming to an abrupt halt as he attempted to reverse course while looking for some sort of cover at the same time. In the back of his mind he heard the door to his quarters close and felt the attacker leaving the area.
Not knowing what else to do, the Sith reached out through the Force, grabbed the entire bed and flipped it over on top of the grenade. He didn't know how much good that would do, but it had to be better than nothing. Diving, he sailed through the air towards the open entrance to the refresher.
In the enclosed room, the concussion from the explosion was just that much worse. Raezyr channeled all of his Force energy into shielding himself from the blast. Even with that cushion, he was slammed into the wall harder than he could imagine.
His ears rang, and his head swam and the darkness of unconsciousness threatened to creep in, yet somehow the Sith warrior managed to activate his wrist communicator, and issue orders to lock down the base.
December 17, 2009
551. Black Phoenix - Raezyr
Having just finished communicating with his brother, Raezyr stood up from his meditative trance. He looked to his armor laying on the bunk, but decided not to take the time to put it back on. Instead, he threw on a pair of black fatigues and grabbed only his gauntlet and helm, throwing his robe around him. He was just going down to the control room. It wasn't as if he were going into battle, still he hitched his black belt over his garments and around his waist, ensuring his two lightsabers were still attached. Battle or not, he needed to keep up appearances.
He exited his quarters and strode down the hall toward the control room, cloak billowing behind him as much as the belt would allow. The few people he encountered stepped aside to let him pass in the not-very-wide corridor, but he paid them no attention. His thoughts were on one thing, and that was the fact that his brother was out there somewhere in the Jundland Wastes in a cave, in a sandstorm.
He burst into the control room. The human female controller on duty had been leaned back in her chair, feet on the console and nearly asleep when he arrived. She let her feet hit the floor with a thud and stood up. "Wh-what can I do for you, sir?" she stammered, recognizing him instantly although he was sure he'd never seen her before.
"Where is Captain Falka?" the Sith said, his hands clasped behind his back. He was studying the maps on the wall intently, looking for something.
"I'm sure I don't know, m'Lord," the woman said.
Raezyr spun around to face her and she involuntarily took a step back. "Well why don't you find out," he said. He was a bit miffed at her now. You shouldn't have to suggest something like that to a subordinate. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered just how long she'd last in this outfit before he continued. "And when you find Falka, tell him to meet me in the War Room. Immediately." He didn't know if he needed to add that last part, but he figured it was better safe than sorry.
He strode from the control room and into the adjacent War Room. Before the door closed he could hear the controller scurrying about, and hoped that maybe he put the fear of the Sith into her.
Raezyr took the seat at the head of the long conference table in the center of the room and turned to the computer console. He began punching up terrain charts, maps and weather reports. It wasn't long before Falka arrived.
"What can I do for you, Lord Raezyr?" Falka asked, walking over and standing next to the Sith so he could see what was on the screen.
"Lord Trychon and your cyborg slicer... Hayley...?"
"Stargazer?"
"Whatever... are holed up in a cave in Mos Castoff Canyon. They are in the midst of a sandstorm and are unable to get back to their swoop. I need you to send a shuttle out and pick them up immediately," Raezyr informed the Black Phoenix leader.
"If you don't mind me asking, how do you know this? We've been monitoring any and all communications and air traffic in that direction and haven't seen any sign of them," Falka asked.
"The Sith have ways of finding things out. Secret ways, Captain," he said, looking up at the olive skinned alien. He had thought about explaining it to him, but decided that it was probably better if his Force abilities remained a secret, at least for the time being.
"Now, according to these charts, there are several caves in that canyon, here, here and here," Raezyr said pointing to the charts. "Once the shuttle gets close, it should just be a matter of picking up on their comm frequency and homing in. Now get that shuttle in the air quickly, before the sand storm hits us here too and we can't send anyone up."
Raezyr shut down the computer console and stood up. "I'm going back to my quarters. Notify me when the shuttle has returned."
"As you wish, my Lord," Falka said and nodded slightly. He pulled his comm from his belt as he walked toward the door. "Tocar, get your two best pilots and that MD-3 medical droid and meet me in the hang-" The closing of the door as Falka exited prevented Raezyr from hearing any more of the transmission.
He waited a minute and headed for the door himself. He kept thinking he should be going himself, but at the same time, it was a routine pickup, and wasn't a commander supposed to delegate the mundane tasks to his underlings? Logic told him that was true, but he still couldn't help feel like it was his job.
Raezyr's thoughts were focused squarely on his older brother, and the predicament that Trychon was in, and he was still debating on his responsibility in the situation when he arrived back at his quarters. His thoughts were elsewhere, and it nearly got him killed.
He exited his quarters and strode down the hall toward the control room, cloak billowing behind him as much as the belt would allow. The few people he encountered stepped aside to let him pass in the not-very-wide corridor, but he paid them no attention. His thoughts were on one thing, and that was the fact that his brother was out there somewhere in the Jundland Wastes in a cave, in a sandstorm.
He burst into the control room. The human female controller on duty had been leaned back in her chair, feet on the console and nearly asleep when he arrived. She let her feet hit the floor with a thud and stood up. "Wh-what can I do for you, sir?" she stammered, recognizing him instantly although he was sure he'd never seen her before.
"Where is Captain Falka?" the Sith said, his hands clasped behind his back. He was studying the maps on the wall intently, looking for something.
"I'm sure I don't know, m'Lord," the woman said.
Raezyr spun around to face her and she involuntarily took a step back. "Well why don't you find out," he said. He was a bit miffed at her now. You shouldn't have to suggest something like that to a subordinate. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered just how long she'd last in this outfit before he continued. "And when you find Falka, tell him to meet me in the War Room. Immediately." He didn't know if he needed to add that last part, but he figured it was better safe than sorry.
He strode from the control room and into the adjacent War Room. Before the door closed he could hear the controller scurrying about, and hoped that maybe he put the fear of the Sith into her.
Raezyr took the seat at the head of the long conference table in the center of the room and turned to the computer console. He began punching up terrain charts, maps and weather reports. It wasn't long before Falka arrived.
"What can I do for you, Lord Raezyr?" Falka asked, walking over and standing next to the Sith so he could see what was on the screen.
"Lord Trychon and your cyborg slicer... Hayley...?"
"Stargazer?"
"Whatever... are holed up in a cave in Mos Castoff Canyon. They are in the midst of a sandstorm and are unable to get back to their swoop. I need you to send a shuttle out and pick them up immediately," Raezyr informed the Black Phoenix leader.
"If you don't mind me asking, how do you know this? We've been monitoring any and all communications and air traffic in that direction and haven't seen any sign of them," Falka asked.
"The Sith have ways of finding things out. Secret ways, Captain," he said, looking up at the olive skinned alien. He had thought about explaining it to him, but decided that it was probably better if his Force abilities remained a secret, at least for the time being.
"Now, according to these charts, there are several caves in that canyon, here, here and here," Raezyr said pointing to the charts. "Once the shuttle gets close, it should just be a matter of picking up on their comm frequency and homing in. Now get that shuttle in the air quickly, before the sand storm hits us here too and we can't send anyone up."
Raezyr shut down the computer console and stood up. "I'm going back to my quarters. Notify me when the shuttle has returned."
"As you wish, my Lord," Falka said and nodded slightly. He pulled his comm from his belt as he walked toward the door. "Tocar, get your two best pilots and that MD-3 medical droid and meet me in the hang-" The closing of the door as Falka exited prevented Raezyr from hearing any more of the transmission.
He waited a minute and headed for the door himself. He kept thinking he should be going himself, but at the same time, it was a routine pickup, and wasn't a commander supposed to delegate the mundane tasks to his underlings? Logic told him that was true, but he still couldn't help feel like it was his job.
Raezyr's thoughts were focused squarely on his older brother, and the predicament that Trychon was in, and he was still debating on his responsibility in the situation when he arrived back at his quarters. His thoughts were elsewhere, and it nearly got him killed.
550. Sith Hunt - Raezyr
Captain Wash Moklam, commander of the Republic Hammerhead Unity, sat at the head of the table in his War Room and looked around at each of his officers, making sure that he had eye contact with every single one of them to ensure they knew his words were for each of them. His gaze swept past that of the two Jedi sitting at the other end of the table for more than one reason. First, the Jedi with the eyewraps always made him uneasy, and two, he knew they wanted those damn Sith as bad as he did, and as of yet, he had seen nothing in their actions to indicate they weren't trying their best. The rest of his staff however...
Finally, Moklam stood up and placed his closed fists on the table, leaning forward and putting his weight on them. "Are we a bunch of clowns?" he asked. His staff looked around confusedly at each other, not sure whether they were supposed to answer or not.
"I said, 'Are we a bunch of clowns?' Dammit!!" he yelled, slamming his right fist down. The metal table sounded with a boom.
"No, sir, we're not," offered one of his senior staff.
"Then why in the name of the Galaxy do we look like clowns?" Moklam yelled as he started walking around the table and behind each person at the table, so they had to twist in their chairs or crane their necks to follow him. "You people are letting one damn light freighter elude us. One small vessel that clearly wants us to find them or they wouldn't be broadcasting themselves to every planetary authority from Tatooine to the Inner Core!" He yelled.
"These fugitives... these hell-spawned mass murderers know we're coming every single time. I want to know how!" Moklam demanded.
"Sir, maybe they're just getting lucky," offered one of the lower ranking officers in the room.
"Lucky? Every damn time we come out of hyperspace, they are running full throttle in the opposite direction from us. Every damn time!" The last sentence stressed on each word. "Once? Luck. Twice? Pretty damn lucky. Ten times? No Ensign, it's not luck." He assured the younger man.
"No, according to the reports... the reports you people are giving me, we come out of hyperspace and start scanning. By the time we locate and identify their ship, they're heading the opposite direction. That in and of itself isn't a dead giveaway," Mokalm informed them.
"Here's the thing: When we come out of hyperspace, the sensors immediately pick up any blips out there, but it takes time for the computer to identify those blips. The same thing happens to their sensors when we jump in. They know we're coming out of hyperspace, but it should take them some time to identify us, except the Rancor takes no time whatsoever. It instantly knows who we are and according to the sensor logs, they are running before they could have possibly identified us.
"Like I said, once or twice? Okay they're lucky, but this isn't luck. This is something they know for a fact. Some bit of intelligence they are counting on. Something they are using so we can see them just long enough to make a positive identification on them.
"So, armed with that knowledge, what does that tell you?" Moklam asked, and sat down in his chair again.
For a moment, no one spoke. Finally, Jedi Nal Talla spoke up. "Cahptain, if I may ahnswer your question."
Moklam nodded for her to go ahead.
"Dis infahmation tells us dat dey either 'ave some bit of technology which allows dem to identify us more quickly dan we cahn identify dem, or more likely, dey 'ave someone on board working for dem," she stated. "It also begs da question: Why do dey want us to know where dey are?"
"Personally, Jedi Talla, I don't care why, as long as we can catch them and stop them," Moklam said. "I also don't like the insinuation that one of my crew is a spy."
Before Talla could reply, the chief Communications officer spoke up, "Sir, what if it's not a spy, but something else?"
"What do you mean, Lieutenant?"
"Well sir, ever since we left dry dock after making repairs, we've been experiencing a strange phenomena every time we come out of hyperspace," the woman explained.
"What kind of 'phenomena' are you talking about?" Moklam said suspiciously.
"Sir, to be frank, it's some sort of short transmission burst. We aren't sending anything out, and when we try to access the communication, it seems like nothing but static. We've put in repair orders several times with the Maintenance section, but but every time they tell us nothing is wrong," the woman said.
"And that's where you left it?" Moklam asked.
"Well as it stands, it was put on the list to check when we hit our next scheduled dry dock as it appeared not to have any adverse effects."
"I want every available tech working on that. Jayk, get your people on it too," Moklam said to the head of the Information Technologies section. "And get that civillian contractor to work on it.
"Sir, do you mean Geoff Spickolly?" Lieutentant Jayk asked.
"Do we have any other civillian slicers aboard this ship I don't know about?" Moklam asked.
Jayk shook his head no.
"He's got to be the most annoying person I've ever met, but he's the best at what he does. That's why he's here," Moklam commented.
The Captain stood up and rested his hands on the table. "We won't be moving a single parsec until we know exactly what is being transmitted. That takes top priority. Dismissed," Moklam said, and noise of shuffling flimsiplast and data pads mixed with scuffling feet filled the room as the officers left the room.
The two Jedi waited until everyon had left the room.
"I'm positive that transmission is how they are doing it," the Miralukan Jedi Caecilius said after the room was empty.
"I am positive as well. Da only question is, how do we use dis knowledge to our advantage?" Talla asked. Both fell silent, looking for the answer.
Finally, Moklam stood up and placed his closed fists on the table, leaning forward and putting his weight on them. "Are we a bunch of clowns?" he asked. His staff looked around confusedly at each other, not sure whether they were supposed to answer or not.
"I said, 'Are we a bunch of clowns?' Dammit!!" he yelled, slamming his right fist down. The metal table sounded with a boom.
"No, sir, we're not," offered one of his senior staff.
"Then why in the name of the Galaxy do we look like clowns?" Moklam yelled as he started walking around the table and behind each person at the table, so they had to twist in their chairs or crane their necks to follow him. "You people are letting one damn light freighter elude us. One small vessel that clearly wants us to find them or they wouldn't be broadcasting themselves to every planetary authority from Tatooine to the Inner Core!" He yelled.
"These fugitives... these hell-spawned mass murderers know we're coming every single time. I want to know how!" Moklam demanded.
"Sir, maybe they're just getting lucky," offered one of the lower ranking officers in the room.
"Lucky? Every damn time we come out of hyperspace, they are running full throttle in the opposite direction from us. Every damn time!" The last sentence stressed on each word. "Once? Luck. Twice? Pretty damn lucky. Ten times? No Ensign, it's not luck." He assured the younger man.
"No, according to the reports... the reports you people are giving me, we come out of hyperspace and start scanning. By the time we locate and identify their ship, they're heading the opposite direction. That in and of itself isn't a dead giveaway," Mokalm informed them.
"Here's the thing: When we come out of hyperspace, the sensors immediately pick up any blips out there, but it takes time for the computer to identify those blips. The same thing happens to their sensors when we jump in. They know we're coming out of hyperspace, but it should take them some time to identify us, except the Rancor takes no time whatsoever. It instantly knows who we are and according to the sensor logs, they are running before they could have possibly identified us.
"Like I said, once or twice? Okay they're lucky, but this isn't luck. This is something they know for a fact. Some bit of intelligence they are counting on. Something they are using so we can see them just long enough to make a positive identification on them.
"So, armed with that knowledge, what does that tell you?" Moklam asked, and sat down in his chair again.
For a moment, no one spoke. Finally, Jedi Nal Talla spoke up. "Cahptain, if I may ahnswer your question."
Moklam nodded for her to go ahead.
"Dis infahmation tells us dat dey either 'ave some bit of technology which allows dem to identify us more quickly dan we cahn identify dem, or more likely, dey 'ave someone on board working for dem," she stated. "It also begs da question: Why do dey want us to know where dey are?"
"Personally, Jedi Talla, I don't care why, as long as we can catch them and stop them," Moklam said. "I also don't like the insinuation that one of my crew is a spy."
Before Talla could reply, the chief Communications officer spoke up, "Sir, what if it's not a spy, but something else?"
"What do you mean, Lieutenant?"
"Well sir, ever since we left dry dock after making repairs, we've been experiencing a strange phenomena every time we come out of hyperspace," the woman explained.
"What kind of 'phenomena' are you talking about?" Moklam said suspiciously.
"Sir, to be frank, it's some sort of short transmission burst. We aren't sending anything out, and when we try to access the communication, it seems like nothing but static. We've put in repair orders several times with the Maintenance section, but but every time they tell us nothing is wrong," the woman said.
"And that's where you left it?" Moklam asked.
"Well as it stands, it was put on the list to check when we hit our next scheduled dry dock as it appeared not to have any adverse effects."
"I want every available tech working on that. Jayk, get your people on it too," Moklam said to the head of the Information Technologies section. "And get that civillian contractor to work on it.
"Sir, do you mean Geoff Spickolly?" Lieutentant Jayk asked.
"Do we have any other civillian slicers aboard this ship I don't know about?" Moklam asked.
Jayk shook his head no.
"He's got to be the most annoying person I've ever met, but he's the best at what he does. That's why he's here," Moklam commented.
The Captain stood up and rested his hands on the table. "We won't be moving a single parsec until we know exactly what is being transmitted. That takes top priority. Dismissed," Moklam said, and noise of shuffling flimsiplast and data pads mixed with scuffling feet filled the room as the officers left the room.
The two Jedi waited until everyon had left the room.
"I'm positive that transmission is how they are doing it," the Miralukan Jedi Caecilius said after the room was empty.
"I am positive as well. Da only question is, how do we use dis knowledge to our advantage?" Talla asked. Both fell silent, looking for the answer.
549. Sith Hunt - Raezyr
For weeks, the Unity jumped from system to system around the Galaxy, chasing every hint and lead regarding the Wasted Rancor and her Sith crew, but each and every time they arrived only to learn their quarry had long since departed. On occasion, they arrived when the Sith were still there, but only close enough to positively identify the light freighter and then watch it jump to light speed.
And the times that happened, they got the distinct feeling that the Sith somehow knew they were coming, because each time they were heading directly away from the coordinates where the Unity emerged from hyperspace.
Only once in that time had they ever come close to catching the Sith. Word had arrived from the planet Arkania in the Perave System that the Rancor had just arrived in the system, and were requesting permission to land. Their files had told notified them that the ship was wanted and to contact the Republic Hammerhead-class Star Cruiser Unity directly.
Captain Wash Moklam had given instructions to the Arkanian Security Forces grant the ship permission to land, and to try to detain the crew as long as possible, without any direct interference. Captain Moklam informed them the wanted persons aboard the ship were dangerous criminals and considered enemies of the Galactic Republic and that his forces would deal with them as soon as he arrived.
Apparently someone in command on Arkania though he could handle it, and would curry some favor with the Republic, and just go ahead and capture the Sith themselves. Moklam would have told them what they were up against if he had remotely thought it necessary.
Needless to say, the body count and collateral damage the Sith had caused was extremely great, although they did succeed in delaying the Rancor slightly.
As the Unity approached the exit vector of it's hyperspace corridor, Jedi Knights Nal Talla and Caecilius settled into their respective fighters, and prepared themselves for immediate launch.
"Da Arkanians really messed dis one up," Nal remarked to her Miraluka companion.
"They sure did," Caecilius replied. He removed his eye coverings and put on his flight helmet, lowering the blast shield. Humans and other beings were often uneasy seeing an eyeless Miraluka, and the race of near-humans had long ago learned to cover the place where visual organs are normally found when around humans as a courtesy. "I just hope we can still intercept the Sith before they can get clear and make the jump to hyperspace."
"You and me both," Nal returned. "May da Force be wit you." And with that, she secured the canopy of her fighter, Firaxa 1, which locked with a hiss.
She started her engines and ran her pre-flight checks and watched the timer on her control panel count down. When it hit zero, the big star cruiser would exit hyperspace, and she and her companion would be cleared for launch. With a bit of luck, they'd have a shot at bringing her friends murderers to justice this time.
She adjusted the enviro controls in the cockpit, making it more humid. She was beginning to get nervous, and when she did, her Nautolan skin tended to dry out.
Suddenly the triple beep on her control panel went off, and as she looked through the cockpit windows, and out of the giant hangar bay opening and watched the mottled blue of hyperspace switch to elongated star-lines, which coalesced into pin points of light.
Launch Control had just started to speak, about to give the two Jedi permission to launch, but they didn't wait for the controller to finish, or even acknowledge her, but jammed the throttles all the way forward, punching their way through hangar bay force field and into the vacuum of space.
They were banking as one unit toward the white ball of ice that was Arkania, and looking at their scopes, trying to find their target, hoping they hadn't been able to escape the planets surface when Captain Moklam's voice crackled through their comm speakers. "Jedi, this is Unity 1. It appears the Arkanian's blew it. Somehow the ground targets made it through the defenses and to their ship undetected, and then annihilated a large cargo freighter, which had been converted into a passenger ship on it's way out." Moklam paused for a moment. "That converted cargo ship was fully laden with passengers. Those scum bags just killed hundreds of people to make their escape.
"They are exiting the Arkanian atmo right now, the ship should be showing up on your scopes in just a second," Moklam went silent, and the tension in his voice was so thick you could cut it. Nal didn't need Force powers to tell he was distraught at the thought of all those civilians needlessly murdered.
Nal and Cae acknowledged the transmission, and coaxed every bit of speed they could out of their fighters. They had spotted the Rancor almost as soon as they had launched.
"They're too far away, Nal," Caecilius said across the comm. "We'll never reach them before they hit hyperspace, and we're too far for any kind of torpedo lock."
Nal didn't answer, she was thinking. There had to be something she could do. She had felt a slight disturbance as the occupants of their quarry had reached out with the dark side of the Force to sense her presence, and she knew that they knew the Jedi were following. In desperation, she let the Force guide her fingers and she flipped through comm frequencies, stopping on one at a nudging from the Force.
She keyed up her comm. "Wasted Rancor, dis is Firaxa 1 of da Republic Bahttle Cruiser Unity. You are here by ordered to surrender in da name of da Galactic Republic," Nal blurted, not knowing what else to say.
"Firaxa 1, are you still mad that I shoved a dagger in your little friends chest?" came the reply, almost instantly.
The reply brought instant images of the night her Twi'lekki friend Nylan had confronted and been murdered by this female Sith and her Dark Side companions. Sorrow and anger threatened to pour over her, but she pushed it back. "I am sad for da loss of life you have caused, as any normal being should be, and dat is why I came to bring you in, before you can do more harm," Nal managed to say, hoping she was showing no emotion.
"Ooooh. Yeah," the female Sith said mockingly. "Then you're a teency bit late for all those folks on Arkania. Look honey, you really should go back to whatever water world you came from before you get a knife through your ribs too." The criminal giggled evilly.
Nal couldn't help it. All those poor people, murdered, and this girl thought it was fun and games apparently. "As I recall, it was you who fled da fight last time," she said, still trying to keep her anger in check. She knew it wasn't very Jedi of her, and pushed it back again using Jedi calming techniques. She felt peace wash over her.
The comm crackled to life again, and this time there was no mistaking the menace in her voice. "Alright, but just think about this: Last time, we left your little wannabe Jedi friend dead, you without a leg, and we've only gotten more powerful since then, so yeah, bring it on, fish bitch."
Nal didn't know what to say, and it didn't matter anyway. As soon as the transmission cut off, the ship flickered in pseudo-motion and disappeared into hyperspace.
And the times that happened, they got the distinct feeling that the Sith somehow knew they were coming, because each time they were heading directly away from the coordinates where the Unity emerged from hyperspace.
Only once in that time had they ever come close to catching the Sith. Word had arrived from the planet Arkania in the Perave System that the Rancor had just arrived in the system, and were requesting permission to land. Their files had told notified them that the ship was wanted and to contact the Republic Hammerhead-class Star Cruiser Unity directly.
Captain Wash Moklam had given instructions to the Arkanian Security Forces grant the ship permission to land, and to try to detain the crew as long as possible, without any direct interference. Captain Moklam informed them the wanted persons aboard the ship were dangerous criminals and considered enemies of the Galactic Republic and that his forces would deal with them as soon as he arrived.
Apparently someone in command on Arkania though he could handle it, and would curry some favor with the Republic, and just go ahead and capture the Sith themselves. Moklam would have told them what they were up against if he had remotely thought it necessary.
Needless to say, the body count and collateral damage the Sith had caused was extremely great, although they did succeed in delaying the Rancor slightly.
As the Unity approached the exit vector of it's hyperspace corridor, Jedi Knights Nal Talla and Caecilius settled into their respective fighters, and prepared themselves for immediate launch.
"Da Arkanians really messed dis one up," Nal remarked to her Miraluka companion.
"They sure did," Caecilius replied. He removed his eye coverings and put on his flight helmet, lowering the blast shield. Humans and other beings were often uneasy seeing an eyeless Miraluka, and the race of near-humans had long ago learned to cover the place where visual organs are normally found when around humans as a courtesy. "I just hope we can still intercept the Sith before they can get clear and make the jump to hyperspace."
"You and me both," Nal returned. "May da Force be wit you." And with that, she secured the canopy of her fighter, Firaxa 1, which locked with a hiss.
She started her engines and ran her pre-flight checks and watched the timer on her control panel count down. When it hit zero, the big star cruiser would exit hyperspace, and she and her companion would be cleared for launch. With a bit of luck, they'd have a shot at bringing her friends murderers to justice this time.
She adjusted the enviro controls in the cockpit, making it more humid. She was beginning to get nervous, and when she did, her Nautolan skin tended to dry out.
Suddenly the triple beep on her control panel went off, and as she looked through the cockpit windows, and out of the giant hangar bay opening and watched the mottled blue of hyperspace switch to elongated star-lines, which coalesced into pin points of light.
Launch Control had just started to speak, about to give the two Jedi permission to launch, but they didn't wait for the controller to finish, or even acknowledge her, but jammed the throttles all the way forward, punching their way through hangar bay force field and into the vacuum of space.
They were banking as one unit toward the white ball of ice that was Arkania, and looking at their scopes, trying to find their target, hoping they hadn't been able to escape the planets surface when Captain Moklam's voice crackled through their comm speakers. "Jedi, this is Unity 1. It appears the Arkanian's blew it. Somehow the ground targets made it through the defenses and to their ship undetected, and then annihilated a large cargo freighter, which had been converted into a passenger ship on it's way out." Moklam paused for a moment. "That converted cargo ship was fully laden with passengers. Those scum bags just killed hundreds of people to make their escape.
"They are exiting the Arkanian atmo right now, the ship should be showing up on your scopes in just a second," Moklam went silent, and the tension in his voice was so thick you could cut it. Nal didn't need Force powers to tell he was distraught at the thought of all those civilians needlessly murdered.
Nal and Cae acknowledged the transmission, and coaxed every bit of speed they could out of their fighters. They had spotted the Rancor almost as soon as they had launched.
"They're too far away, Nal," Caecilius said across the comm. "We'll never reach them before they hit hyperspace, and we're too far for any kind of torpedo lock."
Nal didn't answer, she was thinking. There had to be something she could do. She had felt a slight disturbance as the occupants of their quarry had reached out with the dark side of the Force to sense her presence, and she knew that they knew the Jedi were following. In desperation, she let the Force guide her fingers and she flipped through comm frequencies, stopping on one at a nudging from the Force.
She keyed up her comm. "Wasted Rancor, dis is Firaxa 1 of da Republic Bahttle Cruiser Unity. You are here by ordered to surrender in da name of da Galactic Republic," Nal blurted, not knowing what else to say.
"Firaxa 1, are you still mad that I shoved a dagger in your little friends chest?" came the reply, almost instantly.
The reply brought instant images of the night her Twi'lekki friend Nylan had confronted and been murdered by this female Sith and her Dark Side companions. Sorrow and anger threatened to pour over her, but she pushed it back. "I am sad for da loss of life you have caused, as any normal being should be, and dat is why I came to bring you in, before you can do more harm," Nal managed to say, hoping she was showing no emotion.
"Ooooh. Yeah," the female Sith said mockingly. "Then you're a teency bit late for all those folks on Arkania. Look honey, you really should go back to whatever water world you came from before you get a knife through your ribs too." The criminal giggled evilly.
Nal couldn't help it. All those poor people, murdered, and this girl thought it was fun and games apparently. "As I recall, it was you who fled da fight last time," she said, still trying to keep her anger in check. She knew it wasn't very Jedi of her, and pushed it back again using Jedi calming techniques. She felt peace wash over her.
The comm crackled to life again, and this time there was no mistaking the menace in her voice. "Alright, but just think about this: Last time, we left your little wannabe Jedi friend dead, you without a leg, and we've only gotten more powerful since then, so yeah, bring it on, fish bitch."
Nal didn't know what to say, and it didn't matter anyway. As soon as the transmission cut off, the ship flickered in pseudo-motion and disappeared into hyperspace.
December 16, 2009
548. Black Phoenix - Trychon
Trychon was quite unsure what to do. Haley was laying on the floor in front of him unconscious, with her body twitching. He knew she was probably in no danger immediately... but falling into shock could be a very bad thing, and he wasn't sure what sort of medical resources the Phoenixes had. It was for situations like this that he wished of all the things the Jedi were and the Sith weren't... he wished he had some sort of healing capability.
He looked around, as though he thought maybe they had brought along some medical supplies and he'd merely not noticed until then. He looked back at Haley, realizing how ridiculous that thought was, like looking for one more ale in an empty cabinet after you'd checked it three times already.
Her face was clenching and unclenching in continual pain, and the intensity seemed to be increasing. Not sure if that was a good sign or not, as she was perhaps coming closer to consciousness again, he decided to act as though anything he couldn't tell was positive was likely negative.
Still completely lost for what to do, he closed his eyes and concentrated on taking his own pain away. He tried to stretch out the reach of his technique to surround the quickly maddening aura around Haley. He fought to silence the thoughts in his head about not knowing if this technique did more than cope with pain, or if he was able to affect others either way.
This went on for several minutes, and Trychon could feel the beads of perspiration slowly rolling down his cheeks. He was not uncomfortable in the heat, but he was very unsure of how quickly time passed when he meditated. He knew that the time couldn't be allowed to get away from him.
Then he began to feel Haley's senses wander from mere pain to confusion, and a bit of disorientation. He opened his eyes, while trying to maintain what he could of his meditative state. He saw that Haleys eyes were open, if only to small slits. At the corners of her eyes, there were small pools of moisture forming.
He looked around, as though he thought maybe they had brought along some medical supplies and he'd merely not noticed until then. He looked back at Haley, realizing how ridiculous that thought was, like looking for one more ale in an empty cabinet after you'd checked it three times already.
Her face was clenching and unclenching in continual pain, and the intensity seemed to be increasing. Not sure if that was a good sign or not, as she was perhaps coming closer to consciousness again, he decided to act as though anything he couldn't tell was positive was likely negative.
Still completely lost for what to do, he closed his eyes and concentrated on taking his own pain away. He tried to stretch out the reach of his technique to surround the quickly maddening aura around Haley. He fought to silence the thoughts in his head about not knowing if this technique did more than cope with pain, or if he was able to affect others either way.
This went on for several minutes, and Trychon could feel the beads of perspiration slowly rolling down his cheeks. He was not uncomfortable in the heat, but he was very unsure of how quickly time passed when he meditated. He knew that the time couldn't be allowed to get away from him.
Then he began to feel Haley's senses wander from mere pain to confusion, and a bit of disorientation. He opened his eyes, while trying to maintain what he could of his meditative state. He saw that Haleys eyes were open, if only to small slits. At the corners of her eyes, there were small pools of moisture forming.
December 09, 2009
547. Black Phoenix - Trychon
Trychon and Haley sat near their burning fire for a while in near silence. As the somewhat distant howling of the growing wind got louder, Trychon grabbed some of the wood from the spare pile on the other side of the room and pulled it into the fire without moving from his seat. That garnered a look from Haley that Trychon was already becoming accustomed to. She was hard to read, a steady calm aura in the force that seldom if ever wavered. His best guess for the emotions behind the look was a mixture of curiosity and indifference, if that was possible. He figured for Haley, it probably was.
Haley returned to a distant stare at the fire, watching Trychon's recent additions catch and spread the blaze. Tychon was satisfied with the strength of the fire and the amount of heat, but he quickly bored with observing it. He stood up and walked over to a corner where the light was flickering shadows, earning himself another look from Haley.
As Haley began to ignore him again, he sat with his legs crossed, trying to be grateful for an opportunity to simply meditate on the future, an activity that he thought he didn't use enough. It was too easy to spend meditation time on specific lessons or other more current issues.
He closed his eyes and allowed his consciousness to spread out from within. It was necessary to let go of his present thoughts and concerns before he could allow the echoes of future in the Force into his mind, as they were ever changing and even more elusive.
His thoughts were quick to jump to Haley, the strongest pull in the area. He tried not to be irritated, as he was trying to get his mind off of the present, Haley included. He allowed his thoughts to flow outward into the cave more once again. The cave itself had an interesting feel to it in the Force. A strong shadow, neither light or dark, was throughout the cave, probably a result of the previous inhabitant. There was also a lingering dark feeling, or many of them. After some lingering on these smaller sensations, Trychon felt rather sure that it was left behind by failed attempts to hunt the creature.
Trychon's consciousness smiled at that briefly before he tried to send it out circling around himself. It seemed to go in that direction for him before he found himself looking at Haley again. Seeing her face directly, Trychon tried once again to avoid becoming frustrated, attempting to move his thoughts outward, but he continued to focus in on his companion's expression.
Then, he saw overlapping visions of her calm exterior and her head waivering back and forth in pain.
Trychon rose from his seated position and half-jogged over to where Haley was seated. He turned himself around her body to see her sitting perfectly still, with her eyelids firmly shut. His irritation was about to boil over the internal barrier he'd built for it when suddenly her Force presence shifted. Her ever taut mind began to feel distracted by something foreign.
Haley's brow began to furrow as she started to struggle with an unseen internal issue. Trychon was nearly in awe as he watched her nearly completely lose her composure as she felt true pain for the first time in years. Her internal batteries had failed and her flexdispersal stim unit stopped functioning.
Trychon picked her body up and carried it away to a flat section of the rock floor, setting her down and watching as she began to convulse as her body set into shock.
Haley returned to a distant stare at the fire, watching Trychon's recent additions catch and spread the blaze. Tychon was satisfied with the strength of the fire and the amount of heat, but he quickly bored with observing it. He stood up and walked over to a corner where the light was flickering shadows, earning himself another look from Haley.
As Haley began to ignore him again, he sat with his legs crossed, trying to be grateful for an opportunity to simply meditate on the future, an activity that he thought he didn't use enough. It was too easy to spend meditation time on specific lessons or other more current issues.
He closed his eyes and allowed his consciousness to spread out from within. It was necessary to let go of his present thoughts and concerns before he could allow the echoes of future in the Force into his mind, as they were ever changing and even more elusive.
His thoughts were quick to jump to Haley, the strongest pull in the area. He tried not to be irritated, as he was trying to get his mind off of the present, Haley included. He allowed his thoughts to flow outward into the cave more once again. The cave itself had an interesting feel to it in the Force. A strong shadow, neither light or dark, was throughout the cave, probably a result of the previous inhabitant. There was also a lingering dark feeling, or many of them. After some lingering on these smaller sensations, Trychon felt rather sure that it was left behind by failed attempts to hunt the creature.
Trychon's consciousness smiled at that briefly before he tried to send it out circling around himself. It seemed to go in that direction for him before he found himself looking at Haley again. Seeing her face directly, Trychon tried once again to avoid becoming frustrated, attempting to move his thoughts outward, but he continued to focus in on his companion's expression.
Then, he saw overlapping visions of her calm exterior and her head waivering back and forth in pain.
Trychon rose from his seated position and half-jogged over to where Haley was seated. He turned himself around her body to see her sitting perfectly still, with her eyelids firmly shut. His irritation was about to boil over the internal barrier he'd built for it when suddenly her Force presence shifted. Her ever taut mind began to feel distracted by something foreign.
Haley's brow began to furrow as she started to struggle with an unseen internal issue. Trychon was nearly in awe as he watched her nearly completely lose her composure as she felt true pain for the first time in years. Her internal batteries had failed and her flexdispersal stim unit stopped functioning.
Trychon picked her body up and carried it away to a flat section of the rock floor, setting her down and watching as she began to convulse as her body set into shock.
November 26, 2009
546. Black Phoenix - Trychon
Minutes later, having successfully dodged the quick aim of the Tusken Raiders and having made their way into the fairly narrow canyon, Trychon pulled Haley around one of two large boulders, and motioned for her to be quiet. They were now several hundred meters into the ravine, having walked slowly after finding the cover of the walls of rock.
Nearing the corner was two of the savages. Trychon closed his eyes, and Haley nearly asked him what he was doing, though she thought better of it. Raising his hand slightly, Trychon lifted the smaller boulder across from them up in the air. At nearly three meters across as well as tall, the boulder lifted from the ground nearly silently, and glided gracefully through the air.
It continued on until it held its position about four meters above the ground, just inside the entrance. Haley peered over the edge of their cover at it, with a look as close to awe as she ever showed. The two Tusken Raiders turned the corner, but then backed up several large steps, barking and gesturing at the hovering obstruction. Their motions continued on for a moment, before the rock jolted forward and down. It pushed them back quite a ways before rolling over them.
Trychon opened his eyes and began walking down the cavern, hiding a small grin from his companion. They walked nearly another klick in silence before finding what seemed to be an appropriate cavern.
Trychon pointed to it, and Haley held up a hand, warning caution. She closed her eyes half way for about half a second, which felt near an eternity for Trychon, who was in a hurry to find shelter and no hurry to discover his first Tatooine dust storm. She opened her eyes again and looked at Trychon. "It seems to be an abandoned Krayt Dragon dwelling... It should suffice for shelter for now."
Trychon closed his eyes and did not sense any living creature worth noting in the cave either. "What makes you so sure it's abandoned?" He asked Haley.
"It's empty." She responded. "No native being would be caught out in a dust storm."
That was enough sense for Trychon, who walked into the cave without grabbing his weapon, which he thumbed out of habit instead.
Trychon was wondering how far deep one would have to walk into a cave in a canyon to be safe from flying dust when Haley finally spoke again as they turned a small corner. "We should be safe here."
Trychon took a look around. It was much darker than it was just moments before, so he drew his lightsaber and ignited it. They were in what seemed to be a large room of sorts. It seemed to be a natural occurrence, though there were markings on some of the walls as though a very large set of claws had expanded certain parts. The caves extended beyond the 'room' though, and Trychon couldn't help but be curious why Haley was confident this was a safe distance. "Dare I ask how you know that for sure?" He asked her.
"The Krayt Dragon knew it was." She responded, walking around the room and taking note of the surroundings.
Trychon mumbled something to himself about knowing that comment was coming, but also walked around the room, looking for any potential issues. Finding none, he sat down in a corner, and fell into a quick meditation. You ok? He reached out to Raezyr through the Force. Normally, he wouldn't bother with even a quick meditation for communicating with his brother, but they didn't often communicate at a distance.
Nearly back to the base now. Where the hell are you? You feel like you're still way out there.
Ran into some complications. We're fine, but we can't make it back on the swoop. There's a sand storm coming, and we've taken temporary refuge in a cafe in the canyon.
I'm going to have to teach you how to drive one of these days, big bro. I'll send someone to pick you up as soon as the weather is settled. May the Force be with you.
Back at ya.
----------
"What are you doing?" Haley stood over Tychon, with a nearly quizzical look on her face.
"I was sending a message to Lord Raezyr, to let him know where we are and that we'll need pick up after the storm." Trychon dusted himself as he rose from the ground.
Haley dusted off a spot that he'd missed on his shoulder. "I admit, I had my doubts about your so called abilities before I saw what you did with that large stone."
Trychon smiled at her, but she didn't return the gesture. He shrugged internally and gathered up various sticks from around the cave. Haley followed suit and before long they had a decent size pile in the center of the area. Trychon ignited the center of it with his lightsaber, and was rewarded with a fire that lit the cave better than several glowsticks could, let alone his weapon.
They both watched the fire for a bit before anyone said anything. "How's your arm? I noticed you were favoring it slightly as you gathered the wood, yet you act as though it doesn't bother you." Trychon asked to break the ice.
Haley sat down on a rock she'd deemed suitable and moved to near the fire. "I'm fine. I took a blaster bolt early on in our escape, but the stims quickly abated the ill effects."
Trychon reached out and grabbed a similar rock and pulled it to him through the Force. He took a seat, about a meter away from Haley. "I didn't know you'd taken stims."
Haley turned to look at him. "They're like a biological upgrade. They are built into my systems to help the constant adjustment for having non biological components. In the instance such as a more severe injury, they adjust automatically."
Trychon got up and gave a brief examination to her wound. "So you'll be ok until we can get that tended to? It looks clean..."
"I'll live." She pulled her arm away from him. "However, without my backup power, I will soon lose control and access to my cybernetic components. I will have enough power to control the most necessary additions... but I will no longer have my stims, or my sensors."
"It will be ok." Was all Trychon could think to say, as he took his seat again on his rock, once again watching the fire burn slowly.
Nearing the corner was two of the savages. Trychon closed his eyes, and Haley nearly asked him what he was doing, though she thought better of it. Raising his hand slightly, Trychon lifted the smaller boulder across from them up in the air. At nearly three meters across as well as tall, the boulder lifted from the ground nearly silently, and glided gracefully through the air.
It continued on until it held its position about four meters above the ground, just inside the entrance. Haley peered over the edge of their cover at it, with a look as close to awe as she ever showed. The two Tusken Raiders turned the corner, but then backed up several large steps, barking and gesturing at the hovering obstruction. Their motions continued on for a moment, before the rock jolted forward and down. It pushed them back quite a ways before rolling over them.
Trychon opened his eyes and began walking down the cavern, hiding a small grin from his companion. They walked nearly another klick in silence before finding what seemed to be an appropriate cavern.
Trychon pointed to it, and Haley held up a hand, warning caution. She closed her eyes half way for about half a second, which felt near an eternity for Trychon, who was in a hurry to find shelter and no hurry to discover his first Tatooine dust storm. She opened her eyes again and looked at Trychon. "It seems to be an abandoned Krayt Dragon dwelling... It should suffice for shelter for now."
Trychon closed his eyes and did not sense any living creature worth noting in the cave either. "What makes you so sure it's abandoned?" He asked Haley.
"It's empty." She responded. "No native being would be caught out in a dust storm."
That was enough sense for Trychon, who walked into the cave without grabbing his weapon, which he thumbed out of habit instead.
Trychon was wondering how far deep one would have to walk into a cave in a canyon to be safe from flying dust when Haley finally spoke again as they turned a small corner. "We should be safe here."
Trychon took a look around. It was much darker than it was just moments before, so he drew his lightsaber and ignited it. They were in what seemed to be a large room of sorts. It seemed to be a natural occurrence, though there were markings on some of the walls as though a very large set of claws had expanded certain parts. The caves extended beyond the 'room' though, and Trychon couldn't help but be curious why Haley was confident this was a safe distance. "Dare I ask how you know that for sure?" He asked her.
"The Krayt Dragon knew it was." She responded, walking around the room and taking note of the surroundings.
Trychon mumbled something to himself about knowing that comment was coming, but also walked around the room, looking for any potential issues. Finding none, he sat down in a corner, and fell into a quick meditation. You ok? He reached out to Raezyr through the Force. Normally, he wouldn't bother with even a quick meditation for communicating with his brother, but they didn't often communicate at a distance.
Nearly back to the base now. Where the hell are you? You feel like you're still way out there.
Ran into some complications. We're fine, but we can't make it back on the swoop. There's a sand storm coming, and we've taken temporary refuge in a cafe in the canyon.
I'm going to have to teach you how to drive one of these days, big bro. I'll send someone to pick you up as soon as the weather is settled. May the Force be with you.
Back at ya.
----------
"What are you doing?" Haley stood over Tychon, with a nearly quizzical look on her face.
"I was sending a message to Lord Raezyr, to let him know where we are and that we'll need pick up after the storm." Trychon dusted himself as he rose from the ground.
Haley dusted off a spot that he'd missed on his shoulder. "I admit, I had my doubts about your so called abilities before I saw what you did with that large stone."
Trychon smiled at her, but she didn't return the gesture. He shrugged internally and gathered up various sticks from around the cave. Haley followed suit and before long they had a decent size pile in the center of the area. Trychon ignited the center of it with his lightsaber, and was rewarded with a fire that lit the cave better than several glowsticks could, let alone his weapon.
They both watched the fire for a bit before anyone said anything. "How's your arm? I noticed you were favoring it slightly as you gathered the wood, yet you act as though it doesn't bother you." Trychon asked to break the ice.
Haley sat down on a rock she'd deemed suitable and moved to near the fire. "I'm fine. I took a blaster bolt early on in our escape, but the stims quickly abated the ill effects."
Trychon reached out and grabbed a similar rock and pulled it to him through the Force. He took a seat, about a meter away from Haley. "I didn't know you'd taken stims."
Haley turned to look at him. "They're like a biological upgrade. They are built into my systems to help the constant adjustment for having non biological components. In the instance such as a more severe injury, they adjust automatically."
Trychon got up and gave a brief examination to her wound. "So you'll be ok until we can get that tended to? It looks clean..."
"I'll live." She pulled her arm away from him. "However, without my backup power, I will soon lose control and access to my cybernetic components. I will have enough power to control the most necessary additions... but I will no longer have my stims, or my sensors."
"It will be ok." Was all Trychon could think to say, as he took his seat again on his rock, once again watching the fire burn slowly.
November 21, 2009
545. Flight of the Decoy - Raezyr
From several blocks away, Anya and Tyr watched as security vehicles swarmed into the area of the electronics shop where Anya had left Tyr's old smuggler friend as a message for the Arkanians, the Republic, and any who might try to cross the Sith.
Tyr wondered if Kal Van-Dohr might survive what Anya had done to him, then decided it would probably be more merciful if he didn't. He had watched the whole time consuming process, and somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized he should feel sorry for Kal, or remorse for not putting the smuggler out of his misery, but Anya had a point. People needed to realize that this wasn't a game. You don't mess with the Sith and expect to get away with it.
"Let's keep moving," he said to Anya, and the two ran down the alley, crouching low. The News broadcast had the added effect of creating breaches in the security perimeter as units saw the broadcast and responded, vainly hoping to catch the Sith still there.
-------------
"Fools," Anya said as they slipped unnoticed up the ramp of the Wasted Rancor. "So confident in their perimeter that they only bothered with minimal security on our ship."
In reality, they had placed four well armed security officers at the entrance of the hangar, more than sufficient for two normal people. Apparently they were still underestimating who they were dealing with, and Tyr, for one, was glad for that.
They had closed on the guards quickly, and from two sides, and had cut them down with relative ease. That had been the easy part.
Tyr was sure the instant they lifted off, that Space Port Control would shut down the exit, trapping them inside. Sure, they could do a lot of damage with the armament this ship carried, but it'd be little more than a tantrum unless they could find a way to get through the blast shield.
And they couldn't just sit and wait forever either. Sooner or later, they'd realize the guards outside were missing and force their way onto the ship.
Fortunately, they didn't need to wait long. A rather large cargo ship was beginning to lift off, getting ready for departure. "That's it," he commented to Anya.
"What's it?"
"That cargo ship. That's our ticket out of this city and off this frozen rock," Tyr said, punching up all the pre-flight checks he could without doing a full power up. As soon as that happened, Space Control would monitor it, and the Defense Force would be all over them.
"What do you mean?" Anya said, clearly puzzled.
"You didn't think they'd just open the blast doors for us and let us go after all this, did you?" Tyr asked, half joking.
"Oh... I hadn't really thought of that," Anya answered, her face a blank as if this was the first time it really had occurred to her.
"We're going to have to work on thinking ahead, it seems," Tyr said, grinning.
Anya stuck her tongue out at him.
"Is that an invitation?" he asked, still grinning.
"Wouldn't you like to know," Anya retorted playfully.
The cargo ship had been rising higher and higher and Tyr reluctantly shifted his attention back to their escape. "We're going to have to time this just right. That cargo ship is going to have to explode just as it's passing through the blast doors, so get ready on those proton torpedoes. When I give you the signal, fire both tubes. We're only going to get one chance at this."
Anya nodded her consent. She put her hands on the firing triggers for the torpedoes and watched the cargo ship as it lazily drifted toward the blast doors, which lumbered open. As it got closer to the exit, she kept glancing nervously at Tyr, who just sat and watched the slow progress of the big ship.
Just as she was beginning to think it might be too late, Tyr began punching in codes and throwing switches, powering the ship up. Her weapons console lit up as power surged through the circuits. "As soon as you hear the lock tone, punch it," Tyr instructed.
Anya looked down at the controls just as the lock tone rang loud and steady. She instantly mashed the firing triggers down and watched as two blue streaks shot forward toward the big ship just now exiting the city.
At the same time, their own light freighter leapt into the air as the repulsor lifts kicked in. Tyr jammed the yoke forward, following right behind the torpedoes at full speed.
"I sure hope this works," Tyr said nervously, raising the shields and switching all power to the front deflector screens.
"You and me both," Anya agreed quietly.
Suddenly both torpedoes struck home against the unsuspecting ship. Huge explosions ripped through the massive cargo carrying spacecraft sending superheated debris and molten shrapnel in all directions.
Tyr jammed the accelerators forward, aiming the Rancor at the explosion. He had just enough time to pray that no large chunks of wreckage stood in the way and then they were through, into the Arkanian skies, streaking for the blackness of space.
"YEEEEWHOOOOO!!!" Tyr shouted in relief as they escaped the snowy planet's atmosphere.
Anya slipped from her seat and into Tyr's lap. Wrapping her arms around his neck she kissed him long and deeply. Suddenly a warning beep sounded, breaking their concentration. "Ah, what is that?" Anya pouted.
"That, my dear Sith Lady, is our notification that the Unity just exited hyperspace in our immediate vicinity," Tyr said as Anya slipped back to her own seat.
"How far out?"
"Close enough for them to recognize us, but too far for them to do anything about us," Tyr told her.
Anya began watching the scopes for herself. "Dammit, Tyr, they're launching two fighters... how come only two, I wonder."
"Feel for yourself," Tyr said, his eyes closing slightly as he stretched out to the fighter pilots with the Force.
"Ah!" exclaimed Anya with understanding as she followed Tyr's example. "They have Jedi aboard."
"No matter... we'll be in hyperspace in... thirty seconds," Tyr said checking the timer count down on the navicomputer.
Suddenly the comm speaker crackled to life. "Wasted Rancor, dis is Firaxa 1 of da Republic Bahttle Cruiser Unity. You are here by ordered to surrender in da name of da Galactic Republic," said the voice.
Anya instantly recognized it and keyed up the comm before Tyr could stop her, and evil grin on her face. "Firaxa 1, are you still mad that I shoved a dagger in your little friends chest?" Anya asked with mock sincerity.
"I am sad for da loss of life you have caused, as any normal being should be, and dat is why I came to bring you in, before you can do more harm," came the other pilot's voice.
"Ooooh. Yeah," Anya said mockingly. "Then you're a teency bit late for all those folks on Arkania. Look honey, you really should go back to whatever water world you came from before you get a knife through your ribs too." Anya giggled evilly.
"As I recall, it was you who fled da fight last time," the other pilot said.
"Alright, but just think about this: Last time, we left your little wannabe Jedi friend dead, you without a leg, and we've only gotten more powerful since then, so yeah, bring it on, fish bitch," Anya said curtly.
They never heard whether the Jedi responded to Anya's last taunt as the stars elongated around them when Tyr pulled back on the levers, releasing them from real space.
As the mottled blue of hyperspace swirled outside the cockpit windows, Anya slipped back into Tyr's lap and put her lips so close to his ear he could feel them brush against his lobe as she spoke, "Now that all that unpleasantness is finished, we can get back to celebrating."
Several minutes later, she lead a willing Tyr back to her quarters and closed the door behind them.
November 18, 2009
544. Black Phoenix - Trychon
Trychon motioned for Haley to follow him back to the swoop bike, and she turned in that direction right as he did so. Trychon did a quick visual check of their vehicle as they approached, but couldn't see any damage from the surface.
"The starboard brake vent was jammed slightly on your last maneuver. I'd recommend against full speed stops until we can have that repaired." Haley commented as though she was merely ordering her standard meal at the local Tapcaf.
"Consider it duly noted." Trychon couldn't help but roll his eyes at her manerisms, even though he knew it was very good that she had warned him.
Haley either didn't sense his sarcasm, or didn't care as she sat down behind him without another word. Trychon guessed it was the former, but was glad either way, and shrugged it off as he started the engine and headed off.
Wanting to avoid any further mechanical issues, and with no lingering pressing need to hurry, Trychon kept the swoop at below maximum speed. After several minutes of leisurely navigating the dunes, he began to feel a growing sense of danger in the Force.
Moments later, as though she knew he was troubled, a slightly computerized version of Haley's voice came in Trychon's comm. "There's a small sandstorm coming in from the west. We have about twenty five standard minutes before the edge reaches us."
Trychon looked back at her as he listened, and saw that her she was indeed not actually talking. Another neat trick. He thought. "We should be able to make it alright." He spoke into his comm as he turned his eyes forward again, adding a bit more to their velocity to be safe.
The sense of warning persisted though, and grew slowly over the next minute or so. Then as they maneuvered trhough a long fairly tight gap, the light sense turned into immediate alarm.
In his head, he could see two immediate outcomes depending on how he reacted. Neither was good, but he had little choice.
He gripped fully down on the brakes and leaned slightly to his left. He braced himself and held Haley in the Force as they skidded off course and into a small sand dune. A sniper bolt zipped through their original course and gouged a hole in a stone several hundred meters in the distance as Trychon used the Force to throw himself and Haley from the bike. At nearly the same time, an explosion sounded from inside the engine of their bike.
Gathering himself, Trychon stared off in the direction the attack came from, but couldn't even catch a glint off the rifle the shot came from.
"At that angle, the origin was likely beyond that second large boulder there." Haley said, pointing at an outcropping nearly three quarters of a kilometer away. She stayed flat on her back, she dusted some of the sand off her body.
"More of those dumbass Raiders?" Trychon asked, looking where she indicated, and now seeing what he thought may have been a scope moving, though he couldn't be sure.
"Unlikely. This is Tusken territory. The smugglers could handle them, but they are more trouble than they are worth."
Trychon rolled over to the far side of the dune and Haley followed suit. As they crested the hill of sand, another blast just missed Trychon and sent sand flying over the both of them.
"Either way, we're not making it back to base on that piece now. Will we be able to find shelter in the Canyon?" Trychon asked Haley as she began to brush herself off again.
"Perhaps. The Canyon itself is barely safer than the dunes during a sandstorm. However, there is a chance we will find a cavern to wait it out. Preferably an uninhabited one."
"Preferably, yes." Trychon looked at the Canyon entrance he had been heading for. "I think I can get us to the Canyon ok, and it's too far for the Tusken to catch us on foot, which I hope they are."
Haley scooted further down the hill so she could stand. She looked down at the state of her outfit and sighed, brushing more sand off. "How do you plan to get us there? Blocking more of their shots with your sword?"
Trychon slid down next to her. "Possible. I think we'd be better of if I carried you and ran for it though."
She looked at him for a moment with some disbelief. "Whatever is quickest, I suppose."
"The starboard brake vent was jammed slightly on your last maneuver. I'd recommend against full speed stops until we can have that repaired." Haley commented as though she was merely ordering her standard meal at the local Tapcaf.
"Consider it duly noted." Trychon couldn't help but roll his eyes at her manerisms, even though he knew it was very good that she had warned him.
Haley either didn't sense his sarcasm, or didn't care as she sat down behind him without another word. Trychon guessed it was the former, but was glad either way, and shrugged it off as he started the engine and headed off.
Wanting to avoid any further mechanical issues, and with no lingering pressing need to hurry, Trychon kept the swoop at below maximum speed. After several minutes of leisurely navigating the dunes, he began to feel a growing sense of danger in the Force.
Moments later, as though she knew he was troubled, a slightly computerized version of Haley's voice came in Trychon's comm. "There's a small sandstorm coming in from the west. We have about twenty five standard minutes before the edge reaches us."
Trychon looked back at her as he listened, and saw that her she was indeed not actually talking. Another neat trick. He thought. "We should be able to make it alright." He spoke into his comm as he turned his eyes forward again, adding a bit more to their velocity to be safe.
The sense of warning persisted though, and grew slowly over the next minute or so. Then as they maneuvered trhough a long fairly tight gap, the light sense turned into immediate alarm.
In his head, he could see two immediate outcomes depending on how he reacted. Neither was good, but he had little choice.
He gripped fully down on the brakes and leaned slightly to his left. He braced himself and held Haley in the Force as they skidded off course and into a small sand dune. A sniper bolt zipped through their original course and gouged a hole in a stone several hundred meters in the distance as Trychon used the Force to throw himself and Haley from the bike. At nearly the same time, an explosion sounded from inside the engine of their bike.
Gathering himself, Trychon stared off in the direction the attack came from, but couldn't even catch a glint off the rifle the shot came from.
"At that angle, the origin was likely beyond that second large boulder there." Haley said, pointing at an outcropping nearly three quarters of a kilometer away. She stayed flat on her back, she dusted some of the sand off her body.
"More of those dumbass Raiders?" Trychon asked, looking where she indicated, and now seeing what he thought may have been a scope moving, though he couldn't be sure.
"Unlikely. This is Tusken territory. The smugglers could handle them, but they are more trouble than they are worth."
Trychon rolled over to the far side of the dune and Haley followed suit. As they crested the hill of sand, another blast just missed Trychon and sent sand flying over the both of them.
"Either way, we're not making it back to base on that piece now. Will we be able to find shelter in the Canyon?" Trychon asked Haley as she began to brush herself off again.
"Perhaps. The Canyon itself is barely safer than the dunes during a sandstorm. However, there is a chance we will find a cavern to wait it out. Preferably an uninhabited one."
"Preferably, yes." Trychon looked at the Canyon entrance he had been heading for. "I think I can get us to the Canyon ok, and it's too far for the Tusken to catch us on foot, which I hope they are."
Haley scooted further down the hill so she could stand. She looked down at the state of her outfit and sighed, brushing more sand off. "How do you plan to get us there? Blocking more of their shots with your sword?"
Trychon slid down next to her. "Possible. I think we'd be better of if I carried you and ran for it though."
She looked at him for a moment with some disbelief. "Whatever is quickest, I suppose."
543. Black Phoenix - Trychon
Trychon hopped off of the swoop, with a force boost to give him extra clearance to flip forward and land on his feet. He twisted in mid air, his back facing the fast approaching attack.
He yelled to ensure that Haley could hear him over the roar of the wind combined with the engine he'd left running in case she needed to get clear. "Get any shots off if you think you can, but stay behind my blade!"
He spun around, knowing he didn't have time for a response from her, but he could feel the apprehension she felt through the force. He thought that was odd, that he'd noticed she always had a very level emotional keel. The laser fire from the bounty hunters came in right on cue. He began to block the incoming blasts deftly, but they were coming too rapidly for him to redirect any back to their origin with purpose. He felt a few shots come from behind him as Haley attempted to take down one of the riders. He wondered if her ability to feel apprehension where most would feel fear came directly from having computers integrated with her somehow, or if it was instead an indirect result.
Trychon cursed as the two swoops swung wide around them. He was really hoping for one or both of them to swing in range of his thrumming lightsaber. They were probably trying to look for some kind of trap on the other side, he figured. As he watched them make their wide turns to make another approach, he estimated he had enough time to actually walk around to the other side rather than jump over, so he walked up to Haley.
"You ok?" He asked her, noticing for the first time that she had a small burnt hole in her outfit over her right arm, though it was not smoking as a recent blaster wound normally would.
"I am not going to be able to hit one of them with you constantly changing your position." Haley replied, sweeping a strand of her hair back behind her ear, mildly frustrated by the wind.
"Well, we'd be bantha meat if I stood still long enough for you to get a clean shot." He commented as he set himself up for the next run by the swoops.
"I figured you'd say that." She said, checking her levels on her blaster.
Trychon was about to tell her to keep trying, and maybe they'd get lucky... but he knew she was going to anyway. He watched as the swoops began to bear down on them and their lasers opened back up.
Fools. If they'd thought to split up and flank me, I'd have had some trouble. Here's hoping I don't give them time to learn that mistake.
He grinned as they got closer and closer. He felt as though they intended to make a close sweep this time, to get a point blank shot or even knock them over. He reached out as he blocked their bolts and tried to confirm their feelings that they should fly by as close as they could.
He let a few bolts fly by that were not any danger to him or to Haley and their swoop. He blocked several more shots, and the grin grew as they got closer and his knees bent in anticipation.
The swoops came closer and closer, and their shots became more meticulous as the distance closed, no longer taking wild shots and just hoping to score a hit. Their velocity also slowed as they got close, though they were still coming at an incredible speed.
Finally, the time was right and Trychon pounced. Rather, he jumped straight up and waited for the first goon to fly under him. As he did, Trychon swung his leg into his side, careful not to catch him from the front and be overwhelmed by the swoop's momentum.
Trychon was rewarded by immediately feeling the swoop begin to fly out of control. The impact was still enough to spin him around, but it with the Force, he was able to maintain control. It was only a fraction of a second before the second man was on him, but Trychon was already in position.
He landed softly and fell to his knees to absorb the shock, having cut the bounty hunter from shoulder to hip. He could hear the swoopbike crash into the ground. He turned to make sure neither had run into Haley and their vehicle. He saw instead just their two person swoop.
In the vast wilderness of Tatooine's desert, it didn't take long to find Haley's unique force signature. He ran toward one of the two pillars of smoke and dust that was just beyond where he'd set down moments before. As the dust settled and he got closer, he could see Haley walking towards what must be the wreckage of the first swoop rider. He had already passed the twitching and mangled legs from the second rider.
Haley stopped as Trychon got near. She raised her blaster, hesitated, and switched it to her left hand before putting two shots into the bounty hunter who was moaning at her feet.
He yelled to ensure that Haley could hear him over the roar of the wind combined with the engine he'd left running in case she needed to get clear. "Get any shots off if you think you can, but stay behind my blade!"
He spun around, knowing he didn't have time for a response from her, but he could feel the apprehension she felt through the force. He thought that was odd, that he'd noticed she always had a very level emotional keel. The laser fire from the bounty hunters came in right on cue. He began to block the incoming blasts deftly, but they were coming too rapidly for him to redirect any back to their origin with purpose. He felt a few shots come from behind him as Haley attempted to take down one of the riders. He wondered if her ability to feel apprehension where most would feel fear came directly from having computers integrated with her somehow, or if it was instead an indirect result.
Trychon cursed as the two swoops swung wide around them. He was really hoping for one or both of them to swing in range of his thrumming lightsaber. They were probably trying to look for some kind of trap on the other side, he figured. As he watched them make their wide turns to make another approach, he estimated he had enough time to actually walk around to the other side rather than jump over, so he walked up to Haley.
"You ok?" He asked her, noticing for the first time that she had a small burnt hole in her outfit over her right arm, though it was not smoking as a recent blaster wound normally would.
"I am not going to be able to hit one of them with you constantly changing your position." Haley replied, sweeping a strand of her hair back behind her ear, mildly frustrated by the wind.
"Well, we'd be bantha meat if I stood still long enough for you to get a clean shot." He commented as he set himself up for the next run by the swoops.
"I figured you'd say that." She said, checking her levels on her blaster.
Trychon was about to tell her to keep trying, and maybe they'd get lucky... but he knew she was going to anyway. He watched as the swoops began to bear down on them and their lasers opened back up.
Fools. If they'd thought to split up and flank me, I'd have had some trouble. Here's hoping I don't give them time to learn that mistake.
He grinned as they got closer and closer. He felt as though they intended to make a close sweep this time, to get a point blank shot or even knock them over. He reached out as he blocked their bolts and tried to confirm their feelings that they should fly by as close as they could.
He let a few bolts fly by that were not any danger to him or to Haley and their swoop. He blocked several more shots, and the grin grew as they got closer and his knees bent in anticipation.
The swoops came closer and closer, and their shots became more meticulous as the distance closed, no longer taking wild shots and just hoping to score a hit. Their velocity also slowed as they got close, though they were still coming at an incredible speed.
Finally, the time was right and Trychon pounced. Rather, he jumped straight up and waited for the first goon to fly under him. As he did, Trychon swung his leg into his side, careful not to catch him from the front and be overwhelmed by the swoop's momentum.
Trychon was rewarded by immediately feeling the swoop begin to fly out of control. The impact was still enough to spin him around, but it with the Force, he was able to maintain control. It was only a fraction of a second before the second man was on him, but Trychon was already in position.
He landed softly and fell to his knees to absorb the shock, having cut the bounty hunter from shoulder to hip. He could hear the swoopbike crash into the ground. He turned to make sure neither had run into Haley and their vehicle. He saw instead just their two person swoop.
In the vast wilderness of Tatooine's desert, it didn't take long to find Haley's unique force signature. He ran toward one of the two pillars of smoke and dust that was just beyond where he'd set down moments before. As the dust settled and he got closer, he could see Haley walking towards what must be the wreckage of the first swoop rider. He had already passed the twitching and mangled legs from the second rider.
Haley stopped as Trychon got near. She raised her blaster, hesitated, and switched it to her left hand before putting two shots into the bounty hunter who was moaning at her feet.
November 03, 2009
542. Black Phoenix - Raezyr
Wait for it... wait for it... Raezyr thought to himself as he felt out through the Force, searching for the location of the other beings around him. He could sense Falka's calm steadfastness turning to panic. He could sense his pursuer's elation as they closed the distance between them.
"Hold on, and get ready to shoot as they cross in front of us," Raezyr ordered. He felt Falka nod, apparently forgetting that Raezyr couldn't see him. He could feel the Khommite refocusing.
Suddenly Raezyr activated the left hand brake, while jamming the right hand throttle up to full speed, sending the swoop bike into a flat spin. Instantly Falka began firing, using Raezyr's shoulder to steady his aim.
His second shot took the helmeted driver of the lead speeder in the face. The bounty hunter's head snapped back and then he slumped forward into the controls. The vehicle yawed to the right, clipping the back of the second speeder, sending it careening out of control past Falka and Raezyr.
Raezyr immediately brought the spin back under control and jammed the throttle up to full speed, once again making for Tracker Canyon and Deathshead Ridge.
Their second pursuer finally brought his vehicle under control and continued his pursuit, but Raezyr had gained the distance he needed to make it to the relative safety of the Canyon, and said as much to Falka.
"I don't see how the canyon is much better than here, not when we both have to slow down for the turns," Falka replied.
"I'm not slowing down," Raezyr said, and was met only with silence. He could feel the conflict of fear and trust raging on inside Falka.
Within minutes they entered the canyon, and true to his word, Raezyr ran the swoop at full throttle down between the narrow walls. The sensors on the bike soon became useless, but he could sense the mind of the bounty hunter falling farther and farther behind him.
For a time, Raezyr considered to pull to ambush the man hunting them down, but in the end decided it was best to just get back to the Black Phoenix headquarters and wait for Trychon to arrive.
---------------------
Raezyr and Falka pulled into the large hangar at headquarters several hours later. He got off the bike and strode toward the exit to the main part of the base. As he reached the door he looked over at the head mechanic. "When Lord Trychon arrives, I want to be contacted immediately, do you understand?"
"Y-y-yes, m'lord," the man stammered.
Raezyr didn't acknowledge the reply but instead walked through the now open doors, Falka at his side. "I will be in my quarters. As I said, I want to be notified the instant we even hear from Trychon," he told the Captain of the Black Phoenix as the arrived at his quarters.
"Indeed," the alien replied before departing hastily.
Raezyr watched him go for a moment, then entered his room. He desperately needed to meditate, regenerate his strength. Being separated from his half-brother was bothering him more than he would have liked to admit.
A couple hours later, his brother's voice entered his mind. You okay?.........
"Hold on, and get ready to shoot as they cross in front of us," Raezyr ordered. He felt Falka nod, apparently forgetting that Raezyr couldn't see him. He could feel the Khommite refocusing.
Suddenly Raezyr activated the left hand brake, while jamming the right hand throttle up to full speed, sending the swoop bike into a flat spin. Instantly Falka began firing, using Raezyr's shoulder to steady his aim.
His second shot took the helmeted driver of the lead speeder in the face. The bounty hunter's head snapped back and then he slumped forward into the controls. The vehicle yawed to the right, clipping the back of the second speeder, sending it careening out of control past Falka and Raezyr.
Raezyr immediately brought the spin back under control and jammed the throttle up to full speed, once again making for Tracker Canyon and Deathshead Ridge.
Their second pursuer finally brought his vehicle under control and continued his pursuit, but Raezyr had gained the distance he needed to make it to the relative safety of the Canyon, and said as much to Falka.
"I don't see how the canyon is much better than here, not when we both have to slow down for the turns," Falka replied.
"I'm not slowing down," Raezyr said, and was met only with silence. He could feel the conflict of fear and trust raging on inside Falka.
Within minutes they entered the canyon, and true to his word, Raezyr ran the swoop at full throttle down between the narrow walls. The sensors on the bike soon became useless, but he could sense the mind of the bounty hunter falling farther and farther behind him.
For a time, Raezyr considered to pull to ambush the man hunting them down, but in the end decided it was best to just get back to the Black Phoenix headquarters and wait for Trychon to arrive.
---------------------
Raezyr and Falka pulled into the large hangar at headquarters several hours later. He got off the bike and strode toward the exit to the main part of the base. As he reached the door he looked over at the head mechanic. "When Lord Trychon arrives, I want to be contacted immediately, do you understand?"
"Y-y-yes, m'lord," the man stammered.
Raezyr didn't acknowledge the reply but instead walked through the now open doors, Falka at his side. "I will be in my quarters. As I said, I want to be notified the instant we even hear from Trychon," he told the Captain of the Black Phoenix as the arrived at his quarters.
"Indeed," the alien replied before departing hastily.
Raezyr watched him go for a moment, then entered his room. He desperately needed to meditate, regenerate his strength. Being separated from his half-brother was bothering him more than he would have liked to admit.
A couple hours later, his brother's voice entered his mind. You okay?.........
October 30, 2009
541. Black Phoenix - Trychon
"Hold on!" Raezyr yelled into the comm as he took the swoop into a series of violent jerks to make targeting them more difficult. The hail of blaster bolts continued to skim near them, but his juking was keeping them safe for the moment.
Falka ignored the impulse to lean over Raezyr's shoulder and look at the instruments for a bit better bearing, instead holding on tightly and trying to lean into Raezyr's quick and unpredictable maneuvers. "How far to the ridge?" He asked as calmly as he could manage.
Raezyr grimaced as he glanced at the display. "Too far. We're going to have to try something else."
Their pursuit was gaining on them continually. He maintained his evasive maneuvers but leaned off the throttle slightly, allowing the gap to close even more. He didn't need to keep an eye on the controls to feel the attack bearing down on them.
"What are you doing?!" Falka yelled over the comm, even though Raezyr could hear him fine without the added volume. "They're going to catch us!"
Raezyr nodded his head, and veered off his course hard to the left, his hand prepared to pull the brake when the timing was perfect...
--------------
Trychon glanced back over his shoulder at his pursuit. All he could see past Haley's hair waving in the wind was a cloud of dust, though he could feel the Raiders in the Force.
"You don't do this very often, do you?" Haley asked him with a look of either disdain or concern on her face, Trychon couldn't tell which. "My sensors are picking them up perfectly, I'm sure yours are as well. Yet this is the third time you've tried to look past me to see for yourself."
Trychon felt a bit ridiculous as he thought about it. "Actually, Raezyr and I were goading a swoop gang into a death race back on Yaga Minor the other day, but I crashed into a tree and the resulting head injury caused me to forget all I'd learned. Sorry."
Haley sighed calmly. "That's not altogether encouraging, but at least you won't have to worry about the trees this time."
"Right." Trychon agreed with a straight tone of voice. "Thank the Tatooine heat for that."
"Precisely."
Trychon grinned. "Well, we'd better not leave this up to my driving anyway. Be ready." He let go of the throttle and beared down on the brake as hard as he could, nearly flinging them into a nearby rock outcropping. Using the Force, he held them in their seats and flung the swoop to face the growing cloud of sand and dust. He reached down and unhooked his lightsaber from his belt, trying to anticipate what to do next.
Falka ignored the impulse to lean over Raezyr's shoulder and look at the instruments for a bit better bearing, instead holding on tightly and trying to lean into Raezyr's quick and unpredictable maneuvers. "How far to the ridge?" He asked as calmly as he could manage.
Raezyr grimaced as he glanced at the display. "Too far. We're going to have to try something else."
Their pursuit was gaining on them continually. He maintained his evasive maneuvers but leaned off the throttle slightly, allowing the gap to close even more. He didn't need to keep an eye on the controls to feel the attack bearing down on them.
"What are you doing?!" Falka yelled over the comm, even though Raezyr could hear him fine without the added volume. "They're going to catch us!"
Raezyr nodded his head, and veered off his course hard to the left, his hand prepared to pull the brake when the timing was perfect...
--------------
Trychon glanced back over his shoulder at his pursuit. All he could see past Haley's hair waving in the wind was a cloud of dust, though he could feel the Raiders in the Force.
"You don't do this very often, do you?" Haley asked him with a look of either disdain or concern on her face, Trychon couldn't tell which. "My sensors are picking them up perfectly, I'm sure yours are as well. Yet this is the third time you've tried to look past me to see for yourself."
Trychon felt a bit ridiculous as he thought about it. "Actually, Raezyr and I were goading a swoop gang into a death race back on Yaga Minor the other day, but I crashed into a tree and the resulting head injury caused me to forget all I'd learned. Sorry."
Haley sighed calmly. "That's not altogether encouraging, but at least you won't have to worry about the trees this time."
"Right." Trychon agreed with a straight tone of voice. "Thank the Tatooine heat for that."
"Precisely."
Trychon grinned. "Well, we'd better not leave this up to my driving anyway. Be ready." He let go of the throttle and beared down on the brake as hard as he could, nearly flinging them into a nearby rock outcropping. Using the Force, he held them in their seats and flung the swoop to face the growing cloud of sand and dust. He reached down and unhooked his lightsaber from his belt, trying to anticipate what to do next.
October 28, 2009
540. Black Phoenix - Raezyr
Trychon and Raezyr twisted the throttle, boosting more speed from their swoops as the Desert Raiders closed quickly. Haley and Falka opened fire on their pursuers, leveling their blasters over and around Trychon and Raezyr who concentrated on avoiding the incoming fire.
In the blink of an eye, the game of chicken was over as the four escapees screamed through the midst of the Raiders unscathed, yet leaving two smoking wrecks in their wake.
The Sith coaxed as much speed as they could manage from their vehicles, but the Raiders, who had quickly turned about to pursue, were closing the gap, slowly but surely. Each of the Raider speeders were military surplus, clearly built for speed, and only carried one rider while their quarry were on civilian models, and each carrying two passengers. Raezyr knew they had a decent head start, but it would just be a matter of time before their attackers closed to accurate firing range. Even now they were taking pot shots with their vehicle mounted weaponry, gauging the distance.
"If we stay close together, we'll only make better targets for them," Raezyr called out over the comm. He sensed Trychon's apprehension to the unspoken suggestion, and he echoed the feeling.
"We should probably stick together, watch each others backs," Trychon suggested.
"No, Raezyr is right," Falka said, adding his two creds. "If we split up, one of us will have a better chance of making it back, and then we can come back with reinforcements," he suggested.
"Why not call for back-up, now?" Trychon suggested.
"No good," Haley stated flatly. "I tried that already. They have some sort of long range transmission jamming going on. Our communications are unaffected because we are so close, but by my estimation, it will only last up to a distance of 262 meters, give or take 3 meters."
"Nice 'estimate,'" Trychon said, grinning over his shoulder.
"Cut the chatter, Trych," Raezyr scolded, as a blaster bolt ricocheted off Trychon's swoop. A gout of black smoke erupted from the back end, then trailed off. "You alright over there?" Raezyr called.
"Yeah... yeah, we're okay... nothing serious... secondary stabilizer broke loose... nothing major," Trychon said, flipping a few control switches on the panel in front of him before continuing. "We'll split up, then?"
"You and Haley take... Mos Castoff Canyon across the Jundland Wastes," Raezyr said, looking at a small readout on his contols. "Falka and I will take Tracker Canyon and go over Deathshead Ridge," he informed them.
"See you on the other side, little brother," Trychon said, shooting the bigger man a grin, "and may the Force serve you well."
Together they dropped into a gully between two large sand dunes, and immediately Trychon swerved North, angling toward Castoff Canyon. Raezyr watched his sensors as their pursuers dropped down into the same gully. It took them a few seconds to realize their prey had split up, but as soon as they did, two of the remaining four speeders turned in pursuit after them. The maneuver hadn't worked quite as well as Raezyr hoped it would, but it would buy Trychon another few minutes.
The younger Sith knew if they could just reach their respective canyons they could lose their pursuers, as the Raiders would have to slow down to react to the twists and turns, whereas the Sith, with the Dark Side as their servant, could forge ahead at full speed.
Blaster bolts flashed past Raezyr's head, and he rolled the swoop just barely in time to avoid them. Falka spoke over the comm, "I've got a bad feeling about this."
In the blink of an eye, the game of chicken was over as the four escapees screamed through the midst of the Raiders unscathed, yet leaving two smoking wrecks in their wake.
The Sith coaxed as much speed as they could manage from their vehicles, but the Raiders, who had quickly turned about to pursue, were closing the gap, slowly but surely. Each of the Raider speeders were military surplus, clearly built for speed, and only carried one rider while their quarry were on civilian models, and each carrying two passengers. Raezyr knew they had a decent head start, but it would just be a matter of time before their attackers closed to accurate firing range. Even now they were taking pot shots with their vehicle mounted weaponry, gauging the distance.
"If we stay close together, we'll only make better targets for them," Raezyr called out over the comm. He sensed Trychon's apprehension to the unspoken suggestion, and he echoed the feeling.
"We should probably stick together, watch each others backs," Trychon suggested.
"No, Raezyr is right," Falka said, adding his two creds. "If we split up, one of us will have a better chance of making it back, and then we can come back with reinforcements," he suggested.
"Why not call for back-up, now?" Trychon suggested.
"No good," Haley stated flatly. "I tried that already. They have some sort of long range transmission jamming going on. Our communications are unaffected because we are so close, but by my estimation, it will only last up to a distance of 262 meters, give or take 3 meters."
"Nice 'estimate,'" Trychon said, grinning over his shoulder.
"Cut the chatter, Trych," Raezyr scolded, as a blaster bolt ricocheted off Trychon's swoop. A gout of black smoke erupted from the back end, then trailed off. "You alright over there?" Raezyr called.
"Yeah... yeah, we're okay... nothing serious... secondary stabilizer broke loose... nothing major," Trychon said, flipping a few control switches on the panel in front of him before continuing. "We'll split up, then?"
"You and Haley take... Mos Castoff Canyon across the Jundland Wastes," Raezyr said, looking at a small readout on his contols. "Falka and I will take Tracker Canyon and go over Deathshead Ridge," he informed them.
"See you on the other side, little brother," Trychon said, shooting the bigger man a grin, "and may the Force serve you well."
Together they dropped into a gully between two large sand dunes, and immediately Trychon swerved North, angling toward Castoff Canyon. Raezyr watched his sensors as their pursuers dropped down into the same gully. It took them a few seconds to realize their prey had split up, but as soon as they did, two of the remaining four speeders turned in pursuit after them. The maneuver hadn't worked quite as well as Raezyr hoped it would, but it would buy Trychon another few minutes.
The younger Sith knew if they could just reach their respective canyons they could lose their pursuers, as the Raiders would have to slow down to react to the twists and turns, whereas the Sith, with the Dark Side as their servant, could forge ahead at full speed.
Blaster bolts flashed past Raezyr's head, and he rolled the swoop just barely in time to avoid them. Falka spoke over the comm, "I've got a bad feeling about this."
539. Black Phoenix - Trychon
The two swoops continued on their paths for several klicks, changing their route ever so slightly every few moments to keep from being auto targeted. The misaimed shots of Rus'El's cannon exploded farther and farther from their location as they added distance, and Trychon's laughter increased with it.
"Knock it off, Trych! We can laugh at the Raiders later... right now we still need to get back to safety!" Raezyr growled over the comm. Behind him, Falka calmed his chuckle. He wasn't sure if he found the useless cannon funny as Trychon did, or if he was simply amused by Trychon's amusement. Either way, he thought to himself, it wasn't the first time he'd had a laugh at the expense of some ridiculous decision or another of the Raiders' organization.
As though to punctuate Raezyr's sentiment, a small freighter flew over their heads at dangerous speed for the low altitude it was maintaining. Probably just a scare tactic. Trychon thought to himself, noting that it would likely be rather effective against most swoop riders. The dust and wind brought up by the flyby made it not only next to impossible to see, but was even enough to rock the small vehicles' flight. Not being average swoop riders though, Trychon and Raezyr turned to their instincts and senses to allow them to recover and continue on safely.
Within moments, the freighter had turned around and was speeding back towards them from the horizon. Raezyr veered slightly to his port, increasing the distance between the swoops to avoid being jarred into each other.
"That was... interesting." Trychon commed to the group.
"Eyes open, everyone." Raezyr commed back.
"We have incoming." Haley's voice picked up where Raezyr's left off. "Half a dozen swoops, by my sensor reading. On a path to intercept us shortly."
Trychon muttered something about ridiculous ploy maneuvers then spoke up. "They must have dumped them when they turned. Your call, Raez."
Over the comm, they caught the tail end of Raezyr muttering something that sounded like a curse as well. "Lets take them head on at first and see if we can use their numbers against them before we split them up. Falka, Haley... I hope you're up for a few more engagements. Lightsabers aren't really meant for this sort of fight."
The two Phoenixes responded with affirmatives, readying the weapons and ammo they'd gathered inside the Raiders' compound during their hasty exit.
With only a few moments left before they were in the middle of a chaotic mess, Raezyr commed the group one last time. "I never got to ask, Haley... how comfortable are you firing a blaster anyway?"
The incoming bikes were growing ever closer. Haley leveled her blaster at the front of the formation and squeezed the trigger as the ball of dust separated into individual targets. She was rewarded with a small explosion at the front of the lead vehicle, which swerved and nearly took out one of its compatriots before crashing.
Haley spoke over the comm. "The concept is not really that difficult."
"Knock it off, Trych! We can laugh at the Raiders later... right now we still need to get back to safety!" Raezyr growled over the comm. Behind him, Falka calmed his chuckle. He wasn't sure if he found the useless cannon funny as Trychon did, or if he was simply amused by Trychon's amusement. Either way, he thought to himself, it wasn't the first time he'd had a laugh at the expense of some ridiculous decision or another of the Raiders' organization.
As though to punctuate Raezyr's sentiment, a small freighter flew over their heads at dangerous speed for the low altitude it was maintaining. Probably just a scare tactic. Trychon thought to himself, noting that it would likely be rather effective against most swoop riders. The dust and wind brought up by the flyby made it not only next to impossible to see, but was even enough to rock the small vehicles' flight. Not being average swoop riders though, Trychon and Raezyr turned to their instincts and senses to allow them to recover and continue on safely.
Within moments, the freighter had turned around and was speeding back towards them from the horizon. Raezyr veered slightly to his port, increasing the distance between the swoops to avoid being jarred into each other.
"That was... interesting." Trychon commed to the group.
"Eyes open, everyone." Raezyr commed back.
"We have incoming." Haley's voice picked up where Raezyr's left off. "Half a dozen swoops, by my sensor reading. On a path to intercept us shortly."
Trychon muttered something about ridiculous ploy maneuvers then spoke up. "They must have dumped them when they turned. Your call, Raez."
Over the comm, they caught the tail end of Raezyr muttering something that sounded like a curse as well. "Lets take them head on at first and see if we can use their numbers against them before we split them up. Falka, Haley... I hope you're up for a few more engagements. Lightsabers aren't really meant for this sort of fight."
The two Phoenixes responded with affirmatives, readying the weapons and ammo they'd gathered inside the Raiders' compound during their hasty exit.
With only a few moments left before they were in the middle of a chaotic mess, Raezyr commed the group one last time. "I never got to ask, Haley... how comfortable are you firing a blaster anyway?"
The incoming bikes were growing ever closer. Haley leveled her blaster at the front of the formation and squeezed the trigger as the ball of dust separated into individual targets. She was rewarded with a small explosion at the front of the lead vehicle, which swerved and nearly took out one of its compatriots before crashing.
Haley spoke over the comm. "The concept is not really that difficult."
October 22, 2009
538. Black Phoenix - Raezyr
The passages consisted mostly of long unused ore tubes and chutes, and a few times they had to emerge from their hidden passageway to enter another, but eventually they were led into a long tunnel carved entirely from the rock. The passage looked to be much older, ancient in comparison, than the structure that sat upon the desert sands above, and for a few minutes Raezyr wondered who might have built the passage, and for what purpose. He quickly decided he didn't care, though, as long as it was of use to him right now.
At the front of the line, Owen came to the end of the tunnel, climbed up on a plasteel crate, pushed a door in the roof of the tunnel upward, and pulled himself up. When Raezyr finally followed, he found himself inside one of the adobe hovels just 50 meters outside the walls of Jama's compound. The inside wasn't as bad as his mind had imagined these dwellings to be, as it was semi-clean and at least clutter free. Behind him, Owen lowered the door back into it's position above the passageway and carefully rearranged the blankets and sleeping pallet which hid the entrance.
"As long as we don't take anything too valuable, the Raiders don't get suspicious," Owen Loneozner commented. "They mostly think their own are responsible for the minor losses, and mostly leave us alone, unless they need some menial tasks performed."
"I came to Tatooine some time ago, as a miner, but the company abandoned me and...," Owen began when Raezyr interrupted him.
"Yeah, that's great," the blue armored Sith said absently. "Listen, we appreciate what you did and all, but we have to go while they're still looking inside the compound for us. The minute they turn their search outside the walls, our escape is done."
Raezyr pulled up the hood on his cloak and turned toward the exit of the small domicile.
"Wait, you said I'd have your gratitude... can't you take me with you?" the man pleaded.
Trychon and the others looked at Raezyr, waiting for him to answer, but the Sith was staring intently outside, studying their route to the shed which housed their speeder and swoops. Just when it appeared that he wasn't going to say anything, he finally spoke up. "Falka, give him the sequencer for the speeder."
"What do you mean?" Falka asked.
Raezyr turned his gaze to the Khommite. "That speeder is too slow and not very maneuverable. The minute we take off, we'll have Jama'Rukus Rus'El and the Raiders hot on our heels. That speeder will never outrun them, but if Trych and I take you two with us on our swoops, we stand a chance."
Falka tossed the initializer over to the older human, who caught it deftly. "Your just going to give me a speeder?" he asked, tears beginning to well up in his eyes. "Finally, I'll be able to get out of here. Ever since I was abandoned here, I've longed to..."
Raezyr interrupted him again. "Whatever. But you better get out of here fast. They should send everything they have after us, when they leave, that's your chance, because they minute they come back, that speeder is theirs."
Raezyr didn't wait for a response before turning to the others. "Hoods up. Let's go. No running or it will draw attention. Right now their eyes are turned inward, but it won't be much longer before they realize we got out somehow, and then they'll turn these squatter houses inside out and upside down, unless they spot us taking off first. A quick escape on the swoops is our only chance, and the only chance the dregs out here have of not being annihilated." He spoke to them over his shoulder as he walked out the door.
So far so good, he thought to himself as they approached the shed housing their bikes. "Falka, with me. Haley, you're with Trych." He stretched out with the Force as they neared the shed, and sensed a presence inside of it. He saw that Trychon sensed it as well, as his brother drew his lightsaber hilt from inside his robes, just as Raezyr was doing.
Together they stepped around the corner, flicked on their blades, and cut down the Weequay guard who apparently had been trying to ambush the four escapees.
As the slashed open body of the alien slumped to the ground, Raezyr noticed the comm link fall from its off-hand, and the transmit light was glowing green. He stomped the device into the ground, crushing it beneath his heel. "We're about to have company!"
Within moments, the four had mounted the two swoop bikes, and we're speeding across the desert sands, Tatooine's twin suns blazing down upon them in the late afternoon.
Suddenly a giant blast errupted off to the right of the fleeing swoops, sending molten sand and dust many meters into the air.
"What the hell was that?" Trychon shouted into the comm unit on his swoop.
Another giant blast erupted off to their right before anyone could answer. Neither blast had been near enough to do any damage.
"It's Jama!" Falka yelled into his comm. "He's got a giant turbo laser cannon mounted on top of his hideout!"
Another blast erupted harmlessly dozens of meters behind them.
Trychon started laughing.
"What's so damn funny, Trych?" Raezyr asked.
"Jama'Rukus Rus'El may have one helluva cannon, but he couldn't hit a ship hangar if he were locked inside it!"
At the front of the line, Owen came to the end of the tunnel, climbed up on a plasteel crate, pushed a door in the roof of the tunnel upward, and pulled himself up. When Raezyr finally followed, he found himself inside one of the adobe hovels just 50 meters outside the walls of Jama's compound. The inside wasn't as bad as his mind had imagined these dwellings to be, as it was semi-clean and at least clutter free. Behind him, Owen lowered the door back into it's position above the passageway and carefully rearranged the blankets and sleeping pallet which hid the entrance.
"As long as we don't take anything too valuable, the Raiders don't get suspicious," Owen Loneozner commented. "They mostly think their own are responsible for the minor losses, and mostly leave us alone, unless they need some menial tasks performed."
"I came to Tatooine some time ago, as a miner, but the company abandoned me and...," Owen began when Raezyr interrupted him.
"Yeah, that's great," the blue armored Sith said absently. "Listen, we appreciate what you did and all, but we have to go while they're still looking inside the compound for us. The minute they turn their search outside the walls, our escape is done."
Raezyr pulled up the hood on his cloak and turned toward the exit of the small domicile.
"Wait, you said I'd have your gratitude... can't you take me with you?" the man pleaded.
Trychon and the others looked at Raezyr, waiting for him to answer, but the Sith was staring intently outside, studying their route to the shed which housed their speeder and swoops. Just when it appeared that he wasn't going to say anything, he finally spoke up. "Falka, give him the sequencer for the speeder."
"What do you mean?" Falka asked.
Raezyr turned his gaze to the Khommite. "That speeder is too slow and not very maneuverable. The minute we take off, we'll have Jama'Rukus Rus'El and the Raiders hot on our heels. That speeder will never outrun them, but if Trych and I take you two with us on our swoops, we stand a chance."
Falka tossed the initializer over to the older human, who caught it deftly. "Your just going to give me a speeder?" he asked, tears beginning to well up in his eyes. "Finally, I'll be able to get out of here. Ever since I was abandoned here, I've longed to..."
Raezyr interrupted him again. "Whatever. But you better get out of here fast. They should send everything they have after us, when they leave, that's your chance, because they minute they come back, that speeder is theirs."
Raezyr didn't wait for a response before turning to the others. "Hoods up. Let's go. No running or it will draw attention. Right now their eyes are turned inward, but it won't be much longer before they realize we got out somehow, and then they'll turn these squatter houses inside out and upside down, unless they spot us taking off first. A quick escape on the swoops is our only chance, and the only chance the dregs out here have of not being annihilated." He spoke to them over his shoulder as he walked out the door.
So far so good, he thought to himself as they approached the shed housing their bikes. "Falka, with me. Haley, you're with Trych." He stretched out with the Force as they neared the shed, and sensed a presence inside of it. He saw that Trychon sensed it as well, as his brother drew his lightsaber hilt from inside his robes, just as Raezyr was doing.
Together they stepped around the corner, flicked on their blades, and cut down the Weequay guard who apparently had been trying to ambush the four escapees.
As the slashed open body of the alien slumped to the ground, Raezyr noticed the comm link fall from its off-hand, and the transmit light was glowing green. He stomped the device into the ground, crushing it beneath his heel. "We're about to have company!"
Within moments, the four had mounted the two swoop bikes, and we're speeding across the desert sands, Tatooine's twin suns blazing down upon them in the late afternoon.
Suddenly a giant blast errupted off to the right of the fleeing swoops, sending molten sand and dust many meters into the air.
"What the hell was that?" Trychon shouted into the comm unit on his swoop.
Another giant blast erupted off to their right before anyone could answer. Neither blast had been near enough to do any damage.
"It's Jama!" Falka yelled into his comm. "He's got a giant turbo laser cannon mounted on top of his hideout!"
Another blast erupted harmlessly dozens of meters behind them.
Trychon started laughing.
"What's so damn funny, Trych?" Raezyr asked.
"Jama'Rukus Rus'El may have one helluva cannon, but he couldn't hit a ship hangar if he were locked inside it!"
October 21, 2009
537. Black Phoenix - Raezyr
The man wearing little more than rags cringed as the weapons were brandished against him. "Please, put your weapons away, I mean you no harm," the man simpered.
Raezyr took him in at a glance. He looked much older than her probably was, late 40's but looked more like early 60's. The twin Tatooine suns and harsh desert climate hadn't been kind to the man. His skin was dark brown and leathery and his bearded face was deeply lined. "I am Owen Loneozner, and if you're enemies of the Raiders, then I'd like to help."
The four still hadn't lowered their weapons, wary of a trap. "Unless you can get us past all these mercs and bounty hunters, I don't think you'll be of any use to us."
"But I can, you see," the man said, cowering a little less. "I can, because I do it all the time."
"What do you mean?" Trychon asked.
"I live in the encampment outside Jama's compound. I sneak in and out for supplies all the time," he replied.
They all thought of the "encampment" they had seen as they drove in. Run down and abandoned adobe houses being used by the unwanted and undesirable. Raezyr was about to turn down the help, cringing at the thought of being in proximity to the likes of them, but Trychon spoke first. "Owen, if you can get us out of here in one piece, you will have not only the gratitude of the Black Phoenix, but of the Sith as well."
The man frowned at the mention of the Sith as if he were reconsidering his offer, then said, "Come with me. There are secret passages within the old mining millworks here." He picked up a dirty burlap sack and then dropped to the floor, scrambling into a panel that had been taken off the wall. "Whoever comes last, close that panel."
Raezyr let the others go first, bringing up the rear himself. He didn't really like the thought of following this man, and the frown he had given at the mention of the Sith wasn't reassuring either. It was something to keep in the back of his mind.
Once inside the wall, there was more room than Raezyr expected, and he easily reached back through and secured the panel. None too soon, as he heard the sounds of booted feet on the metal walkways approaching. He listened at the panel for a moment.
"Well they clearly came this way, but Takk says they haven't made it up to the first landing yet, they're still waiting," said one voice.
"I don't know... you and your men go down that way, check every nook and cranny. Jama wants them DEAD!" said a familiar female voice he recognized as belonging to that of Lexa Teal.
For a moment, Raezyr considered climbing back out to get a crack at the beautiful bounty hunter, but dismissed it just as quickly. Quietly, he crawled along in the direction the others had gone.
Raezyr took him in at a glance. He looked much older than her probably was, late 40's but looked more like early 60's. The twin Tatooine suns and harsh desert climate hadn't been kind to the man. His skin was dark brown and leathery and his bearded face was deeply lined. "I am Owen Loneozner, and if you're enemies of the Raiders, then I'd like to help."
The four still hadn't lowered their weapons, wary of a trap. "Unless you can get us past all these mercs and bounty hunters, I don't think you'll be of any use to us."
"But I can, you see," the man said, cowering a little less. "I can, because I do it all the time."
"What do you mean?" Trychon asked.
"I live in the encampment outside Jama's compound. I sneak in and out for supplies all the time," he replied.
They all thought of the "encampment" they had seen as they drove in. Run down and abandoned adobe houses being used by the unwanted and undesirable. Raezyr was about to turn down the help, cringing at the thought of being in proximity to the likes of them, but Trychon spoke first. "Owen, if you can get us out of here in one piece, you will have not only the gratitude of the Black Phoenix, but of the Sith as well."
The man frowned at the mention of the Sith as if he were reconsidering his offer, then said, "Come with me. There are secret passages within the old mining millworks here." He picked up a dirty burlap sack and then dropped to the floor, scrambling into a panel that had been taken off the wall. "Whoever comes last, close that panel."
Raezyr let the others go first, bringing up the rear himself. He didn't really like the thought of following this man, and the frown he had given at the mention of the Sith wasn't reassuring either. It was something to keep in the back of his mind.
Once inside the wall, there was more room than Raezyr expected, and he easily reached back through and secured the panel. None too soon, as he heard the sounds of booted feet on the metal walkways approaching. He listened at the panel for a moment.
"Well they clearly came this way, but Takk says they haven't made it up to the first landing yet, they're still waiting," said one voice.
"I don't know... you and your men go down that way, check every nook and cranny. Jama wants them DEAD!" said a familiar female voice he recognized as belonging to that of Lexa Teal.
For a moment, Raezyr considered climbing back out to get a crack at the beautiful bounty hunter, but dismissed it just as quickly. Quietly, he crawled along in the direction the others had gone.
October 16, 2009
536. Black Phoenix - Raezyr
Apparently the Desert Raiders didn't expect them to still be right on the other side of the door, as several rushed headlong around the corner at the far end of the corridor. Falka picked of the first two before they knew what was happening, and the rest began firing, as they tried to back up to the corner they had just rounded.
Their firing only gave Trychon and Raezyr the ammunition they needed to fell a few more before they were able to retreat to safety. They then began taking potshots from cover, which the two Sith easily deflected.
"Haley! You're done. Now!" Raezyr snarled.
"Just one more moment," Haley replied.
"We don't have one more moment," he said, exasperated. "They will now be content to keep us pinned until we're surrounded. We have to leave. NOW!"
"Got it!" the cyborg declared. "That way," she said pointing down the hall perpendicular to the one they were currently fighting in.
"Alright, go!" Raezyr ordered. "Trych, you and Falka take the lead, I'll catch up in a minute. I have a surprise for our friends who are sure to try and follow us."
Trychon didn't hesitate, but took off down the corridor Haley had indicated, with Falka and the cyborg close behind him. Raezyr covered them as they crossed the open area, deflecting bolts toward their attackers.
When the others were clear, Raezyr spun as if to follow, but stopped, and pressed up against the wall around the corner and just out of sight of the Raiders. Closing his eyes, he sensed the beings as they climbed out of their cover and began to pursue.
He split his concentration then, and felt with the Force along the ceiling, looking for weaknesses in the structure. Elation soared through him as he found what he was looking for among the rusted metal and stone. Now for the timing.
He felt the beings moving cautiously down the hall coming closer, and closer. As soon as they were in position, Raezyr spun back out into the hallway, eyes still closed behind his mask, and reached upwards with his hand, actualizing with motions what he willed the Dark Side to do for him.
Clenching his fist, he jerked his arm in a downward motion, and a large panel came loose from the ceiling above the Raiders, landing on top of one or two. Raezyr didn't take time to assess the damage caused, spinning back around the corner and trotting down the hall, but he knew they'd be a bit more careful now.
As he ran, trying to catch up with the fleeing figures several dozen meters ahead of him, he noticed a burning sensation in his shoulder. He looked down and noticed scorch marks on his armor and vaguely recalled the Raiders firing at him when he had appeared suddenly in the hallway. The wound beneath the armor wasn't bad, though, and he pushed the pain to the back of his mind. He'd had worse, but it was a reminder to be more careful next time.
He saw his companions duck around a corner ahead, and put on a burst of speed to catch up. As he neared the corner, he heard more blaster fire, and hastened his pace even more.
By the time he rounded the corner, Trychon and the others had already taken care of business, as there were several aliens and humans lying on the ground either dead or dying.
"Late to the party as usual, I see," Trych said, grinning at his half brother. "And wounded again, too," the older Sith added, clicking his tongue in mock dismay.
Raezyr wasn't in the mood. "Shut up, Trych. This isn't the time for jokes."
Trych cocked his head to the side. "Why so serious?" he asked with a grin.
Raezyr clenched his teeth beneath his helmet. "I swear by all that is holy, if I didn't need you to get out of here..." he let the threat trail off, realizing anything he could have said would have sounded stupid.
It was enough, though, and Trychon got the hint. "Okay. Haley says the only way out is up to the roof, and they've locked down the turbo lifts."
"That means they'll be waiting to ambush us on each level," Raezyr said, battle strategies already forming in his head. "How many levels above us?" he asked Haley.
"Fourteen. Fifteen if you count the roof itself."
They stood their silently for a moment, their hopes dropping. Finally Raezyr spoke up. "Four, five, maybe even six, we could handle, but we aren't going to be lucky enough to make it all the way. Not all of us," he said looking at the other three. Somehow they all knew it was true.
These weren't casually trained security troops. These were hardened mercenaries and bounty hunters, and going against wave after wave was going to take it's toll. Raezyr and Trychon knew they had the best chances to make it with the Force as their minion, but Falka, and certainly Haley had little to no chance.
"Maybe I can be of assistance?" a timid voice said.
The four spun around, weapons leveled to see who had spoken.
Their firing only gave Trychon and Raezyr the ammunition they needed to fell a few more before they were able to retreat to safety. They then began taking potshots from cover, which the two Sith easily deflected.
"Haley! You're done. Now!" Raezyr snarled.
"Just one more moment," Haley replied.
"We don't have one more moment," he said, exasperated. "They will now be content to keep us pinned until we're surrounded. We have to leave. NOW!"
"Got it!" the cyborg declared. "That way," she said pointing down the hall perpendicular to the one they were currently fighting in.
"Alright, go!" Raezyr ordered. "Trych, you and Falka take the lead, I'll catch up in a minute. I have a surprise for our friends who are sure to try and follow us."
Trychon didn't hesitate, but took off down the corridor Haley had indicated, with Falka and the cyborg close behind him. Raezyr covered them as they crossed the open area, deflecting bolts toward their attackers.
When the others were clear, Raezyr spun as if to follow, but stopped, and pressed up against the wall around the corner and just out of sight of the Raiders. Closing his eyes, he sensed the beings as they climbed out of their cover and began to pursue.
He split his concentration then, and felt with the Force along the ceiling, looking for weaknesses in the structure. Elation soared through him as he found what he was looking for among the rusted metal and stone. Now for the timing.
He felt the beings moving cautiously down the hall coming closer, and closer. As soon as they were in position, Raezyr spun back out into the hallway, eyes still closed behind his mask, and reached upwards with his hand, actualizing with motions what he willed the Dark Side to do for him.
Clenching his fist, he jerked his arm in a downward motion, and a large panel came loose from the ceiling above the Raiders, landing on top of one or two. Raezyr didn't take time to assess the damage caused, spinning back around the corner and trotting down the hall, but he knew they'd be a bit more careful now.
As he ran, trying to catch up with the fleeing figures several dozen meters ahead of him, he noticed a burning sensation in his shoulder. He looked down and noticed scorch marks on his armor and vaguely recalled the Raiders firing at him when he had appeared suddenly in the hallway. The wound beneath the armor wasn't bad, though, and he pushed the pain to the back of his mind. He'd had worse, but it was a reminder to be more careful next time.
He saw his companions duck around a corner ahead, and put on a burst of speed to catch up. As he neared the corner, he heard more blaster fire, and hastened his pace even more.
By the time he rounded the corner, Trychon and the others had already taken care of business, as there were several aliens and humans lying on the ground either dead or dying.
"Late to the party as usual, I see," Trych said, grinning at his half brother. "And wounded again, too," the older Sith added, clicking his tongue in mock dismay.
Raezyr wasn't in the mood. "Shut up, Trych. This isn't the time for jokes."
Trych cocked his head to the side. "Why so serious?" he asked with a grin.
Raezyr clenched his teeth beneath his helmet. "I swear by all that is holy, if I didn't need you to get out of here..." he let the threat trail off, realizing anything he could have said would have sounded stupid.
It was enough, though, and Trychon got the hint. "Okay. Haley says the only way out is up to the roof, and they've locked down the turbo lifts."
"That means they'll be waiting to ambush us on each level," Raezyr said, battle strategies already forming in his head. "How many levels above us?" he asked Haley.
"Fourteen. Fifteen if you count the roof itself."
They stood their silently for a moment, their hopes dropping. Finally Raezyr spoke up. "Four, five, maybe even six, we could handle, but we aren't going to be lucky enough to make it all the way. Not all of us," he said looking at the other three. Somehow they all knew it was true.
These weren't casually trained security troops. These were hardened mercenaries and bounty hunters, and going against wave after wave was going to take it's toll. Raezyr and Trychon knew they had the best chances to make it with the Force as their minion, but Falka, and certainly Haley had little to no chance.
"Maybe I can be of assistance?" a timid voice said.
The four spun around, weapons leveled to see who had spoken.
October 15, 2009
535. Black Phoenix - Raezyr
Raezyr smashed his gauntleted fist down on the door controls as soon as he backed through the small portal, demolishing them in a flash of sparks and smoke and bringing the door crashing down. He stretched out his hand toward the wall above the door, feeling the mechanism with the Force. Suddenly he closed his fist and twisted simulating what the Dark Side was doing to the hydraulic piston which raised and lowered the door.
"There," he said in satisfied tone. "That should keep them from manually opening the door. They'll have to find another way around."
For a moment they looked around them and took in their surroundings. They were standing at an intersection, with long dim hallways stretching out to either side and before them as well. "Which way?" Falka mused aloud, mostly to himself.
"Haley, plug yourself into that terminal by the door and find us some blue prints or schematics or an emergency evacuation plan or something which might tell us where we are or how to get the hell out of here," Raezyr said, pointing toward the computer screen.
"I'm not a droid, thank you, I can't just 'plug in' to the system," she said, rolling her eyes at Raezyr.
Raezyr felt his irritation rising. "Just do whatever it is you do, and find us a way out of here," he said through clenched teeth.
"I'll do it," Trychon volunteered.
"No, we need your fighting skills," Raezyr said, putting a hand on his brothers arm. "I just hope she's as good as you said she was."
Haley gave Raezyr a cool glare and then turned toward the terminal and got to work. "This computer system is ancient. My hardware isn't compatable. I'll have to interface manually," the blond cyborg said calmly.
The other three kept watch down the different hallways. Trychon and Raezyr could sense beings drawing closer. "Hurry Haley," Falka said encouragingly, sensing Raezyr's growing impatience.
"I'm doing my best, Captain," the cyborg replied.
"Here they come!" Trychon called and flicked on his black bladed lightsaber once again, staring down the empty hall to the left. Falka took cover at the intersection and got ready to return fire, while Raezyr stepped into a position to cover Haley as she worked at the terminal. He was impressed as her fingers practically flew across the keyboard and the screens flashed in front of her so quickly he could barely tell what was on them. Still, he wished she'd hurry up. Things weren't going nearly as well as he'd hoped.
"There," he said in satisfied tone. "That should keep them from manually opening the door. They'll have to find another way around."
For a moment they looked around them and took in their surroundings. They were standing at an intersection, with long dim hallways stretching out to either side and before them as well. "Which way?" Falka mused aloud, mostly to himself.
"Haley, plug yourself into that terminal by the door and find us some blue prints or schematics or an emergency evacuation plan or something which might tell us where we are or how to get the hell out of here," Raezyr said, pointing toward the computer screen.
"I'm not a droid, thank you, I can't just 'plug in' to the system," she said, rolling her eyes at Raezyr.
Raezyr felt his irritation rising. "Just do whatever it is you do, and find us a way out of here," he said through clenched teeth.
"I'll do it," Trychon volunteered.
"No, we need your fighting skills," Raezyr said, putting a hand on his brothers arm. "I just hope she's as good as you said she was."
Haley gave Raezyr a cool glare and then turned toward the terminal and got to work. "This computer system is ancient. My hardware isn't compatable. I'll have to interface manually," the blond cyborg said calmly.
The other three kept watch down the different hallways. Trychon and Raezyr could sense beings drawing closer. "Hurry Haley," Falka said encouragingly, sensing Raezyr's growing impatience.
"I'm doing my best, Captain," the cyborg replied.
"Here they come!" Trychon called and flicked on his black bladed lightsaber once again, staring down the empty hall to the left. Falka took cover at the intersection and got ready to return fire, while Raezyr stepped into a position to cover Haley as she worked at the terminal. He was impressed as her fingers practically flew across the keyboard and the screens flashed in front of her so quickly he could barely tell what was on them. Still, he wished she'd hurry up. Things weren't going nearly as well as he'd hoped.
October 08, 2009
534. Black Phoenix - Raezyr
They followed Lexa across the cantina to a set of big double doors. She took one last drag from her cigarra, then dropped it to the floor and crushed it out with her boot heel and exhaling the thick tabac smoke our through her nostrils. "I suggest you don't upset Jama. I doubt your Sith body guards will be able to help you if you do," Lexa said, touching Falka's arm.
Raezyr could sense Falka's stress, and Trychon calling on the Force as they resisted the Zeltron's pheromones. He could tell she was trying to give them one last dose to distract them before entering the Hutt crime lord's throne room.
Lexa hit the control switch and the doors slid apart and into the walls. Raezyr could feel the vibration of the electric motors through the floor as they hummed. The doors came to a stop with a clang, and Lexa walked down a set of wide stone steps which opened up into a much larger area.
Off to the left, a band was playing while a pair of blue Twi'lek dancers moved in unison to the music on the main floor. The fact they wore collars around their necks and were chained to a nearby wall wasn't missed by the Black Phoenix group.
Around the outside of the room various aliens and humans sat at tables while a pair of serving droids went about, serving drinks or other things requested of them. Some of the people sitting at the tables appeared to be mercenaries or bounty hunters, while others looked as if they had never held a blaster in their lives. Trychon assumed these must be advisers or other yes men which the Hutt kept around.
Across the room on a platform, lounged Jama'Rukus Rus'El, surrounded by pillows and smoking tabac from a hooka.
Raezyr and Trychon made sure they were in formation as before, on either side of Falka as they reached the bottom of the stairs. Whatever happened here on out, they needed to keep their wits about them in case the giant slug tried anything.
Lexa led them forward onto the floor, and was about to announce them to Jama's "court," when Falka spoke first. "Jama, you requested that Falka, leader of the Black Phoenix come see you. I am here, and I am a busy man. What is it that you want?"
The big Hutt laughed slowly. "Oota ka wachi no wonga mae tama," he said in a deep rumbling voice, and a protocol droid stepped forward from the shadows behind the slug.
"The mighty Jama the Hutt says you are bold, and he likes that. Therefore he will let you live," the gray droid said with a female voice.
"Again, what do you want with Black Phoenix?" Falka said, ignoring what the protocol droid had said.
"I want your puny smuggling ring off my planet, or under my control," the Hutt said, switching to Galactic Basic when he realized that using the droid wasn't going to impress the Khommite.
Falka crossed his arms. "Is that what you called me all the way here for? I would have thought you were smarter than that... maybe suggested some sort of working relationship."
"I did suggest a working relationship, pirate scum. You will take your orders from me, or I will wipe you off the planet," the Hutt said, then picked up his hooka pipe again, as if the discussion were over.
Falka knew the negotiations were over, as did Haley and the Sith. Apparently the whole room did as well. Raezyr and Trychon shifted a bit, turning their backs slightly toward Falka so they could see the rest of the crowd. They could feel the tension rising and watch the seasoned mercs and bounty hunters ease their hands toward their weapons, some even grabbing them out right.
"I will think over your proposal, and will give you an answer by the end of the week," Falka said, attempting to get them out of there without a fight.
"No, you will give me your answer now," the Hutt replied.
Falka didn't hesitate, "Then my answer is, 'no.'"
"Then you are my prisoner. If your Sith attempt any tricks, you will all be gunned down where you stand," the Hutt stated, and dozens of guns around the room were drawn and leveled. "And you, sweetie," Jama said, directing his comments to Haley, "will be added to my harem." Raezyr couldn't help but shiver with repulsion as the big slug licked his lips.
Several guards began approaching them, some with leveled weapons, and others with stun cuffs in hand. They were smart to be cautious as they approached, knowing that even unarmed, a Sith can be dangerous, but they weren't cautious enough.
As soon as they drew close enough, Trychon and Raezyr reached forward, each using the Force to yank a blaster from the hands of an approaching guard, then activating their lightsabers at the same time they tossed the blasters to Falka and Haley.
Instantly the room was filled with red and green bolts, the acrid smell of smoke, and the sounds of gunfire as well as the hum and crackle of lightsabers.
Falka, Trychon and Raezyr all had the same idea, firing, and deflecting bolts at the Hutt, but at the first sign of resistance, the crime lord had slapped the panic button on his platform, which activated shields and slid the platform back and into an alcove, where blast doors began to lower.
Trychon swore softly and began redirecting bolts toward a small side door, trying to clear an exit. "I was hoping to at least take out Jama if we couldn't get him to back down. I should have known he was craftier than that!"
October 07, 2009
533. Black Phoenix - Raezyr
As they followed Lexa down the hall, Raezyr wracked his brain. He knew he had heard something important about Zeltrons, but whatever it was was eluding him. He glanced sideways out of the eye slits of his helmet at Trychon. His half-brother was staring intently at something and he followed the other Sith's gaze... to Lexa. Looking over at Falka, he noticed the same thing. The Khommite's gaze was also firmly affixed on their guide.
Suddenly, the fact he had been trying to remember dawned on him: Zeltron's could emit pheromones. Raezyr thanked the ancient Sith Lord's that his helmet filtered the air he was breathing, leaving him immune to the Zeltron's pheromonal effects.
That sly Hutt is already trying to put us at a disadvantage, just like we were trying with Haley, Raezyr thought to himself, and made a mental note to speak to Trychon and Falka and urge them to resist the effects.
When they finally reached Jama'Rukus Rus'El's "reception chamber," it looked like nothing more than what it really was: a dingy, nasty, backwater-planet dive cantina. Drunk mercenaries, thugs, and bounty hunters lounged about the place while ladies of ill-repute made their rounds, enticing the Desert Raiders to buy them drinks, or spend their money at the gambling tables.
"Relax, and wait here, and make yourselves comfortable," Lexa said. She pulled a cigarra out of a pouch on her belt and lit it up, inhaling deeply. "I'll go and let Jama know you're here," she said, exhaling the smoke as she talked.
"Who are you?" Falka asked, clearly still enthralled.
"I'm Lexa Teal. Jama's top bounty hunter," she said, a wry smile on her face.
Raezyr was pretty sure she thought she had them all where she wanted them. He waited until she was out of earshot before speaking. "Falka, Trych, snap out of it," he said, jabbing his mailed finger into their ribs.
"What is going on with you two?" Haley asked at the same time. Clearly she had noted their state as well. Raezyr was glad she was unaffected, and although he didn't know whether it was because she was female, or a cyborg, he didn't really care.
Both Trychon and Falka tore their gazes away from the pinkish-skinned alien after the severe jabs. "What the hell was that for?" Trychon asked quietly, using his elbow to rub his ribs discreetly.
Raezyr guided to them to a table in the corner where a lone alien stood by himself. Trychon stretched his hand toward it, "You're at our table."
"I'm at your table," the alien replied and moved off toward the bar.
Falka started to comment, but Raezyr interrupted. "Lexa is a Zeltron. They can emit pheromones, and she clearly was doing so. Most likely by order of Jama, trying to throw us off our guard. My air filters in my helmet will save me from the effects, but you two will just have to fight it."
"Now that I know about it, I'm fairly certain I can fight through the effects," Falka said, and Trychon nodded in agreement.
Trychon then turned to Haley, "Speaking of 'now.'"
Slowly she slipped her hand inside of her cloak and to the open slit on the side of her dress. With a few quick taps on specific pressure points, a small door opened on her artificial leg. She slid out the two lightsaber power cells out of the slots usually reserved for her backup power cells, which ran many of her components should the primary power go down, and handed them discreetly under the table to the two Sith.
Raezyr and Trychon inserted the cells into the cylinders of their lightsabers and clipped them back on their belts, using their cloaks to hide their movements.
"Now I don't feel so naked," Trychon said with a grin.
"Easy for you to say," Haley replied. "You're not wearing an unnecessarily revealing outfit and having to go without your back up power."
Trychon opened his mouth to say something, but she continued. "I will go get you all some drinks to keep up appearances."
Raezyr leaned over next to Trychon and spoke so quietly, Trychon had to grasp the Force to hear what he was saying, "So, out of curiosity, what was with your reaction out there?"
"What reaction?" Trychon returned, just as softly.
"When that lizard was groping Haley."
"I don't know, really. She's part of our team, I guess," he replied, shrugging.
Haley returned with their drinks, just as Lexa Teal returned. The Zeltron spoke loud enough so many could hear her. "The Great Jama has summoned you, Falka of the Black Phoenix."
For a moment the crowd quieted, then the dull roar returned. Trychon and Raezyr looked wistfully at their untouched ales. "Probably tastes like bantha poodoo anyway," Trychon said as they all turned to follow the beautiful bounty hunter once more.
Suddenly, the fact he had been trying to remember dawned on him: Zeltron's could emit pheromones. Raezyr thanked the ancient Sith Lord's that his helmet filtered the air he was breathing, leaving him immune to the Zeltron's pheromonal effects.
That sly Hutt is already trying to put us at a disadvantage, just like we were trying with Haley, Raezyr thought to himself, and made a mental note to speak to Trychon and Falka and urge them to resist the effects.
When they finally reached Jama'Rukus Rus'El's "reception chamber," it looked like nothing more than what it really was: a dingy, nasty, backwater-planet dive cantina. Drunk mercenaries, thugs, and bounty hunters lounged about the place while ladies of ill-repute made their rounds, enticing the Desert Raiders to buy them drinks, or spend their money at the gambling tables.
"Relax, and wait here, and make yourselves comfortable," Lexa said. She pulled a cigarra out of a pouch on her belt and lit it up, inhaling deeply. "I'll go and let Jama know you're here," she said, exhaling the smoke as she talked.
"Who are you?" Falka asked, clearly still enthralled.
"I'm Lexa Teal. Jama's top bounty hunter," she said, a wry smile on her face.
Raezyr was pretty sure she thought she had them all where she wanted them. He waited until she was out of earshot before speaking. "Falka, Trych, snap out of it," he said, jabbing his mailed finger into their ribs.
"What is going on with you two?" Haley asked at the same time. Clearly she had noted their state as well. Raezyr was glad she was unaffected, and although he didn't know whether it was because she was female, or a cyborg, he didn't really care.
Both Trychon and Falka tore their gazes away from the pinkish-skinned alien after the severe jabs. "What the hell was that for?" Trychon asked quietly, using his elbow to rub his ribs discreetly.
Raezyr guided to them to a table in the corner where a lone alien stood by himself. Trychon stretched his hand toward it, "You're at our table."
"I'm at your table," the alien replied and moved off toward the bar.
Falka started to comment, but Raezyr interrupted. "Lexa is a Zeltron. They can emit pheromones, and she clearly was doing so. Most likely by order of Jama, trying to throw us off our guard. My air filters in my helmet will save me from the effects, but you two will just have to fight it."
"Now that I know about it, I'm fairly certain I can fight through the effects," Falka said, and Trychon nodded in agreement.
Trychon then turned to Haley, "Speaking of 'now.'"
Slowly she slipped her hand inside of her cloak and to the open slit on the side of her dress. With a few quick taps on specific pressure points, a small door opened on her artificial leg. She slid out the two lightsaber power cells out of the slots usually reserved for her backup power cells, which ran many of her components should the primary power go down, and handed them discreetly under the table to the two Sith.
Raezyr and Trychon inserted the cells into the cylinders of their lightsabers and clipped them back on their belts, using their cloaks to hide their movements.
"Now I don't feel so naked," Trychon said with a grin.
"Easy for you to say," Haley replied. "You're not wearing an unnecessarily revealing outfit and having to go without your back up power."
Trychon opened his mouth to say something, but she continued. "I will go get you all some drinks to keep up appearances."
Raezyr leaned over next to Trychon and spoke so quietly, Trychon had to grasp the Force to hear what he was saying, "So, out of curiosity, what was with your reaction out there?"
"What reaction?" Trychon returned, just as softly.
"When that lizard was groping Haley."
"I don't know, really. She's part of our team, I guess," he replied, shrugging.
Haley returned with their drinks, just as Lexa Teal returned. The Zeltron spoke loud enough so many could hear her. "The Great Jama has summoned you, Falka of the Black Phoenix."
For a moment the crowd quieted, then the dull roar returned. Trychon and Raezyr looked wistfully at their untouched ales. "Probably tastes like bantha poodoo anyway," Trychon said as they all turned to follow the beautiful bounty hunter once more.
October 06, 2009
532. Black Phoenix - Raezyr
The three vehicles sped across the desert planet, Trychon’s swoop following the land speeder closely while Raezyr ranged out far ahead, keeping watch for any up coming dangers. The Sith's black cloaks flapped in the wind behind them, and through their comms they hammered out a few more minor details.
After an hour and a half, the four closed up their formation as they arrived outside of an old abandoned mining facility many kilometers south of Anchorhead. The main facility built of stone and metal, had been refurbished into the landing hangar and headquarters of Jama the Hutt and the Desert Raiders, while many of the outlying adobe buildings were falling into a state of ruin and disrepair.
They slowed their pace as they navigated the ruins. Some still appeared to be inhabited, most likely by camp followers and others of ill repute who weren't skilled or privileged enough to be allowed inside the main compound. The couple of glimpses they were able to get as they cruised by told them their assessment was probably correct.
Eventually, they pulled up outside the rusted, sand-pitted iron gates of huge fortress and parked their vehicles next to several others in a small storage building clearly converted to a small parking hangar, backing them in the off chance they needed to leave in a hurry.
After disembarking, they walked toward the gate in their pre-determined formation: Falka in front, Raezyr to his left but a step behind, Trychon in the same position on Falka’s right, and Haley to the rear. Trychon and Raezyr pulled the hoods on their cloaks up, hiding their features deep within the cowls.
Falka had worn a vaguely militaristic uniform to give him the appearance of authority and respect, while Haley had worn a white dress made from a light material, which had slits up both sides to her hips. Over this she wore a white cloak, the hood pulled up as well, making the fact she was a cyborg less apparent.
Haley had protested the revealing outfit on the grounds that it wasn’t practical for travel across the desert, but Falka had insisted on it. Rumor had it that Jama’Rukus Rus’El was easily distracted by beautiful women.
After identifying themselves over a comm port, two mercenaries exited a small door set into the larger main gate, a blue-skinned Duros with red eyes and a reptilian-looking Trandoshan. “No weapons allowed,” the Duros said brusquely.
“As you can see, I am unarmed,” Falka said spreading his arms out so they could see he had no weapon strapped to him.
“Scan ‘em,” the Duros said, turning to his lizard-like counterpart. The Trandoshan hissed a reply and stepped toward Falka holding out a metallic wand, attached by a cord to a hand-held device. After passing the wand quickly over Falka’s body, he checked the readings on the hand-held device, then stood back. He hissed something, then motioned for Falka to step aside, and for Trychon to come forward.
Trychon stepped forward and, held out his arms, allowing the Trandoshan to scan him as well. The reptilian alien ran the scan, and checked the screen, then motioned for Raezyr to step forward. Raezyr’s scan also turned up negative results, and hissing, he motioned for Raezyr to step aside and Haley to come forward.
Haley stepped forward, and held her arms to the side. The moment the lizard’s wand got near her, the hand-held device began emitting a high pitched wail.
Instantly, the Duros swung the blaster rifle he was carrying up to cover the three who had already been cleared, while the Trandoshan grabbed Haley by the collar and threw her up against the wall, drawing his pistol and placing the barrel at the back of her head.
Trychon started to step forward, but Falka placed his hand out in front of him. “Easy, my loyal body guard,” the smuggler said, playing his part to a tee. “I will take care of this.”
Raezyr stood still, although he was surprised to feel Trychon’s anger rise in response to Haley’s treatment, and it only grew hotter as Trychon watched the Trandoshan search Haley for weapons. The Trandoshan was clearly taking his time, searching some areas more thoroughly than necessary.
“There is no need for that kind of treatment. My attaché is unarmed,” Falka said to the two alien guards.
“Our scanner detected high levels of energy, which indicates a power source for a weapon,” the blue Duros said, keeping his weapon pointed toward Falka and his body guards.
Falka began to laugh. “I’m sorry to laugh, but… she’s a cyborg. She needs artificial power sources to run her components.”
“Sskrok will determine if she has any weapons or not.”
When the Trandoshan finished his search, Haley stepped aside, jerking herself free from his grasp, and a look of extreme irritation on her face. The lizard-man hissed and grunted something in his native tongue to his Duros counterpart, and they both chuckled.
“I understand Dosh,” Falka commented dryly, which caused both mercenaries to shut up.
The Duros stepped punched something into his wrist comm, and opened the small security door, and a pinkish-skinned Zeltron woman with blue hair stepped out. She was wearing a few armor pieces over a tightly fitted, low-cut black and yellow body suit with twin blaster pistols strapped to each of her thighs.
Both the Duros and Trandoshan stood a little straighter at her arrival. “The visitors are weapon free Lexa, although the female is a cyborg, so Sskrok had to search her by hand,” the Duros reported.
“I saw the whole thing,” the Zeltron woman said, a disgusted look on her face as she glanced at the reptilian. “Come with me, I’ll show you to Master Rus’El’s reception chamber.”
The group from the Black Phoenix followed her through the door and down a dimly lit hallway. As Raezyr watch the sway of her hips in front of him, he feeling that he knew her from somewhere kept coming over him, despite the fact he was sure he had never met her before.
After an hour and a half, the four closed up their formation as they arrived outside of an old abandoned mining facility many kilometers south of Anchorhead. The main facility built of stone and metal, had been refurbished into the landing hangar and headquarters of Jama the Hutt and the Desert Raiders, while many of the outlying adobe buildings were falling into a state of ruin and disrepair.
They slowed their pace as they navigated the ruins. Some still appeared to be inhabited, most likely by camp followers and others of ill repute who weren't skilled or privileged enough to be allowed inside the main compound. The couple of glimpses they were able to get as they cruised by told them their assessment was probably correct.
Eventually, they pulled up outside the rusted, sand-pitted iron gates of huge fortress and parked their vehicles next to several others in a small storage building clearly converted to a small parking hangar, backing them in the off chance they needed to leave in a hurry.
After disembarking, they walked toward the gate in their pre-determined formation: Falka in front, Raezyr to his left but a step behind, Trychon in the same position on Falka’s right, and Haley to the rear. Trychon and Raezyr pulled the hoods on their cloaks up, hiding their features deep within the cowls.
Falka had worn a vaguely militaristic uniform to give him the appearance of authority and respect, while Haley had worn a white dress made from a light material, which had slits up both sides to her hips. Over this she wore a white cloak, the hood pulled up as well, making the fact she was a cyborg less apparent.
Haley had protested the revealing outfit on the grounds that it wasn’t practical for travel across the desert, but Falka had insisted on it. Rumor had it that Jama’Rukus Rus’El was easily distracted by beautiful women.
After identifying themselves over a comm port, two mercenaries exited a small door set into the larger main gate, a blue-skinned Duros with red eyes and a reptilian-looking Trandoshan. “No weapons allowed,” the Duros said brusquely.
“As you can see, I am unarmed,” Falka said spreading his arms out so they could see he had no weapon strapped to him.
“Scan ‘em,” the Duros said, turning to his lizard-like counterpart. The Trandoshan hissed a reply and stepped toward Falka holding out a metallic wand, attached by a cord to a hand-held device. After passing the wand quickly over Falka’s body, he checked the readings on the hand-held device, then stood back. He hissed something, then motioned for Falka to step aside, and for Trychon to come forward.
Trychon stepped forward and, held out his arms, allowing the Trandoshan to scan him as well. The reptilian alien ran the scan, and checked the screen, then motioned for Raezyr to step forward. Raezyr’s scan also turned up negative results, and hissing, he motioned for Raezyr to step aside and Haley to come forward.
Haley stepped forward, and held her arms to the side. The moment the lizard’s wand got near her, the hand-held device began emitting a high pitched wail.
Instantly, the Duros swung the blaster rifle he was carrying up to cover the three who had already been cleared, while the Trandoshan grabbed Haley by the collar and threw her up against the wall, drawing his pistol and placing the barrel at the back of her head.
Trychon started to step forward, but Falka placed his hand out in front of him. “Easy, my loyal body guard,” the smuggler said, playing his part to a tee. “I will take care of this.”
Raezyr stood still, although he was surprised to feel Trychon’s anger rise in response to Haley’s treatment, and it only grew hotter as Trychon watched the Trandoshan search Haley for weapons. The Trandoshan was clearly taking his time, searching some areas more thoroughly than necessary.
“There is no need for that kind of treatment. My attaché is unarmed,” Falka said to the two alien guards.
“Our scanner detected high levels of energy, which indicates a power source for a weapon,” the blue Duros said, keeping his weapon pointed toward Falka and his body guards.
Falka began to laugh. “I’m sorry to laugh, but… she’s a cyborg. She needs artificial power sources to run her components.”
“Sskrok will determine if she has any weapons or not.”
When the Trandoshan finished his search, Haley stepped aside, jerking herself free from his grasp, and a look of extreme irritation on her face. The lizard-man hissed and grunted something in his native tongue to his Duros counterpart, and they both chuckled.
“I understand Dosh,” Falka commented dryly, which caused both mercenaries to shut up.
The Duros stepped punched something into his wrist comm, and opened the small security door, and a pinkish-skinned Zeltron woman with blue hair stepped out. She was wearing a few armor pieces over a tightly fitted, low-cut black and yellow body suit with twin blaster pistols strapped to each of her thighs.
Both the Duros and Trandoshan stood a little straighter at her arrival. “The visitors are weapon free Lexa, although the female is a cyborg, so Sskrok had to search her by hand,” the Duros reported.
“I saw the whole thing,” the Zeltron woman said, a disgusted look on her face as she glanced at the reptilian. “Come with me, I’ll show you to Master Rus’El’s reception chamber.”
The group from the Black Phoenix followed her through the door and down a dimly lit hallway. As Raezyr watch the sway of her hips in front of him, he feeling that he knew her from somewhere kept coming over him, despite the fact he was sure he had never met her before.
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