529. Black Phoenix - Raezyr

Falka sat with his First Mate, Tocar in what used to be the War Room in the old Guild Stronghold, before they moved their headquarters to Nar Shaddaa, and then to some large star cruiser type ship.

One of Falka's men had had a contact within the guild, and they had been lucky enough to acquire this location at the price they did. It had still taken a huge chunk of their start up capital, but have a secure location from which to work was essential, and the Khommite knew that.

They were discussing an upcoming job when one of Tocar's men knocked, then entered the room. "Sirs, sensors are detecting two swoops approaching from the south at a high rate of speed."

"Have they attempted any communication?" Tocar asked.

"No sir."

"Then what makes you think they are bound for this location, and not just out sight seeing, or scouting for mineral deposits or moisture farm locations?" Tocar said with a hint of irritation in his voice. Prospectors and farmers were not uncommon, and even occasional tourist wasn't unheard of.

Falka kept looking down at the computer screen which showed the specs for the mission, acting as if he wasn't paying attention. This was Tocar's domain, and if the men were to have confidence in him, Falka must show he did as well.

"Sir, they've been on a straightline course for the last several minutes. They aren't wandering as a sight seer might, and they are moving much too quickly to be taking and sensor readings," the sentry reported.

Tocar sat silently for a moment, reflecting on this new information. "Thank you. You're dismissed."

The man hesitated for a moment as if waiting for some instructions, then he apparently decided to do as he was told and spun on his heel, leaving the War Room.

"Falka?" Tocar said, seeking the Captain's input.

"Go check it out and get rid of the intruders. Two men shouldn't be a problem. People disappear out here in the Jundland Wastes all the time," Falka instructed.

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

Tocar watched the screens from the sentry room. From here, all the bases ground approaches could be monitored and the defenses activated and controlled. On the screens he watched two individuals in black cloaks racing up a canyon at an impossible speed. Even the locals that had joined them since their arrival several months ago, who had grown up here and knew the canyons like the back of their hands didn't dare to travel that fast in the twisted maze of the Jundland Wastes.

Finally, the swoop bikes stopped a hundred meters from the entrance and dismounted. He squinted at the screen as the figured adjusted their hoods, hoping to get look at their faces, but between the bright sun, and the deep shadows, he couldn't make anything out.

"Send the Gamoreans out to meet them. Have them find out what they want... then kill them," Tocar instructed.

528. Black Phoenix - Raezyr

After looking over the communications, Haley gave Trychon and Raezyr the coordinates to Black Phoenix headquarters before parting ways. After she had gone, Trychon checked the location on his data pad. "Oh man," he said in dismay.

"What is it?" Raezyr asked. It was hot underneath all the armor, standing in the street.

"The base... it's about 15 kilometers north east of here," Trychon said. "Too far to walk, yet it would be too much of a pain to take the ship."

"That's just great," Raezyr commented. He didn't relish the idea of leaving his ship somewhere the Black Phoenix crew would have complete access to it. He was worried their "hostile takeover" might still be too close in many of their memories, despite what Haley had told them.

"I think it'll be alright," Trychon said casually.

"What under these two suns makes you think it'll be alright? We're about to go visit a group of people whom just several weeks ago, were trying to kill us while we slaughtered their coworkers, and now we are going to leave my ship in their base where their mechanics can have access to it. How is that going to be 'alright?'" Raezyr asked.

Trychon shrugged. "I don't know, I just think it will be."

Raezyr just rolled his eyes. They continued walking down the street in silence. A Jawa ran up to Raezyr and began chattering at him. Annoyed he placed his hand on the short alien's head and shoved the creature into the dirt and kept on walking.

"Did you even listen to that thing?" Trychon asked Raezyr, looking over his shoulder at the Jawa sitting in the dirt, shaking it's fist at them.

"Why would I listen to that thing?" Raezyr said, annoyed. "It's lucky I didn't kill it. I think I really hate this planet."

"Why's that?"

"Well, if there's a bright side of the galaxy, this planet has to be farthest from it."

"With these two suns, I'm pretty sure that isn't true. It's about as bright as it gets here," Trychon said grinning, shading his eyes and looking at the binary stars.

"Anyway, that Jawa was trying to sell you that piece of junk landspeeder over there," Trychon said.

"So?"

"So, lets buy some swoops."

Raezyr stopped in his tracks and looked at Trychon. "That's got to be the... best idea you've had today!"

A couple hours and 4,000 credits later, the two Sith drove out of a used vehicle dealer's shop on a pair of Mobquet Flare-S swoop bikes. They weren't in pristine condition, but they were solid, and reliable.

After fueling up, they headed out for the Jundland Wastes, an area which consisted of numerous canyons surrounding large mesas. In no time at all, they were racing up and down the canyons at full throttle, reaching speeds in excess of 600 km/h, using the Force to guide their actions and keep them alive.

527. Black Phoenix - Trychon

The Jet Razor settled down into one of Anchorhead's many docking bays. Haley Stargazer had followed her instructions well, matching up documents for their arrival. They had clearance to land nearly immediately after exiting hyperspace in the Tatooine system.

Trychon had sent her a brief message before leaving the Korriban system, giving her simple instructions on preparing for their arrival. He had opted not to actually speak with her, simply sending a brief holo informing her that they would be there, and she would meet up with them prior to their dropping in to meet with Falka and perhaps some of the crew. He figured that was the best way to send the instructions, because that's exactly what they were... instructions. He didn't need to have a conversation with her, though both he and Raezyr were curious about the progress that the crew was having.

They had spent just a few days on Korriban, going through a few tomes and a few exercises, particularly a few on mind influence. They had plenty of training resources handy between holocrons, tomes, and even some training programs... but training and researching on Korriban was something different for them. It was almost as though the Academy or the planet itself was willing them to grow in their powers.

With so much else they felt they needed to accomplish though they stayed only a short while, nearly two days. They'd gotten what they came for and more... they expected a chance to hone a few Force skills, but they left with a pest's holocron and three lightsabers as well. They were reluctant to remove much of the resources actually native to the Academy, so it worked out well. Their brief stay was longer than they'd planned, but they always lost track of time in the Academy and they didn't rest until they were in hyperspace en route to Tatooine.

Raezyr and Trychon shut the Jet Razor down and headed out into Anchorhead. Having checked their chronos, they had a bit of time before Haley was expecting them at one of the cantinas so they wandered around for a bit. A relatively small oasis on what amounted to a desert planet, Anchorhead still was a rather large place when wandered on foot. It didn't take long before they realized that there wasn't much it offered that they couldn't get in better shape or prices on Den Var or any other number of planets. Still having plenty of time to spare, they opted to head to the cantina early, just to get out of the heat of the Twin Suns.

As they turned the corner towards their destination, they were slightly surprised not only to see Haley Stargazer already waiting for them, but more surprised to see that she simply waited out front of the establishment for them, hands clasped behind her back.

Raezyr gave Trychon a slightly annoyed look, and then they headed into the bar, walking directly past Haley. They found a dark booth and ordered a few drinks from the display. Haley wasted no time in following them in and taking a seat at the booth.

Raezyr didn't look up from the menu, pretending to still be interested in the measly selection. "Very discreet, Ms. Stargazer."

Haley looked at Trychon. "Your instructions mentioned a discreet meeting, but you also told us to follow our own judgements. We have found that 'discreet' catches more interest here than being a bit more open. The people here are very good at noticing the hidden, so sometimes it is best not to try too hard."

Still unhappy with the surprise, the two Sith conceded the point and moved on to question her about some of the general actions of the Black Phoenix group they'd helped to create, but they concentrated a lot of their questions on the morale of the members. Haley did her best to answer them, but she answered with a lot of half answers and guesswork.

Trychon ordered his third drink, having finished the one they'd ordered for Haley, who declined. "You don't seem like you were very well prepared for this briefing, Ms. Stargazer. Why not?"

She blinked, but held her gaze. "I was expecting you to ask me more about our current activities, and less about the crew."

Trychon shook his head. "We can get that information when we meet with Falka. We need the story behind the story. In short, you're not sure, but you're fairly positive that everyone's pretty comfortable with the direction of your organization so far."

She broke eye contact for the first time that Trychon could remember. "Yes. If you really are looking for a barometer of the mood of the Phoenix, perhaps you should select someone else. I grew up plugged into terminals from a young age. Emotions are not my strong suit. I won't be upset if you choose someone else. I will not tell Falka or Tocar."

Trychon smiled. "That's why we picked you, Haley. The list of things we can trust is pretty short, but your ability to be objective is about as good as it will get in your circle. Working directly with Falka will cause most of the Phoenix to feel more loyal to him, forgetting who they truly work for in the end. You will not." Haley looked to Raezyr, who nodded consent as Trychon continued.

"We may have asked too much from you today. We will help you learn what to look for and how to interpret it. You need to start by monitoring all communications from personnel, private or not. Scan their logs and holos as well."

Haley looked back to Trychon. "I have everything monitored. What do you need to see?"

Raezyr smiled now. "I guess you were right after all, Trych..."

526. Academy Ruins - Raezyr

Vain swung wide, powerful haymakers with his lightsaber. They might have been dangerous had any of the blows connected, but as it was, Raezyr easily deflected the attacks with his short blade and countered with light strikes, that barely grazed the places where Vain's armor failed to cover him.

Each wound elicited a scream of rage from the kid, and another fury of clumsy attacks. Trychon could tell Raezyr had an expression of glee on his face even though it was hidden behind a helm and despite his own frustration, he couldn't help feeling that maybe, somewhere deep down, a useful and productive Sith lurked inside this kids body.

Realizing Raezyr was beginning to grow tired of playing with Vain, and the deathblow would be forth coming, Trychon stepped in, landing a flesh wound of his own, just enough to draw Vain's attention.

Vain charged, swinging away once again as Trychon deftly defended the attacks, backing up as he did. "Please Vain. All we want is to guide you. All you have to do is listen."

"I'm listening, but you aren't helping me, and now you're attacking me. You should be better teachers if you want me to learn anything from you," Vain snarled.

"Seriously? Did you just tell us how we should be doing this?" Trychon asked incredulously.

"That's it," Raezyr said. "That was the straw that broke the bantha's back."

Raezyr reached out with his right hand and shoved the kid through Force, sending Vain tumbling head over heels passed Trychon and into the wall. The collision was hard enough to jar several bits of stone and rubble from the wall, and it fell to the ground around Vain as he struggled to get up.

A low roar sounded from the kid as Raezyr drew abreast of his older brother. Vain looked to be alright as his armor took the brunt of the damage from the collision, and his eyes welled with tears of rage as he looked at the to Sith brothers.

Trychon and Raezyr took up their fighting stances, waiting for the inevitable reaction from the kid. They didn't need to speak to know this would be Vain's final charge, and when he did, they'd slice him to ribbons.

Vain stood up, tears streaking down his anger twisted face, his roar getting louder with every breath. The kid gripped his light saber with both hands, and sprang forward with all the power he could muster.

Or would have, if he had been more aware of his surroundings. His first step was onto some pebbles he had knocked loose when he hit the wall, and they rolled underneath his step, causing Vain to fall to the ground once again.

Trychon and Raezyr watched as the kid's skull hit hard on the stone floor with a sickening thud. The hallway became silent except for the sound of their breathing and the hum of their lightsabers.

"I don't sense anything from him," Raezyr said, wondering why their inept and unskilled opponent wasn't moving.

"Neither do I," Trychon agreed, moving forward and crouching near the kid's body.

In the dim light from his energy blade, he could see blood beginning to pool beneath Vain's head, and he reached out with the Force, searching in vain for any sign of a pulse. He rolled the kid's head to the side just enough to see a small rock impaled in the would-be Sith's temple.

"He's dead, Raez," Trychon said.

"Seriously?" Raezyr asked in astonishment and disbelief.

"Seriously."

Raezyr clicked his blades off and stood there in the dark. "Well that was pretty anticlimactic."

525. Academy ruins - Trychon

Trychon stopped back peddling and stood his ground, blocking a few more pointless strikes from the odd 'Sith'. Finally, he gave up and held out his free hand, using the Force to grab the young man by the shoulders and hold his arms still.

Vain's mouth opened, but it took him a moment to actually utter anything. "Hey! What did you do?" He yelled out, clearly not sure how to react.

Trychon released his hold after picking Vain up and moving him several meters away so that he could safely turn off his weapon for a moment. "Calm. Down. I don't want to fight you. I want to show you around a bit, show you the right way to do some of this."

The 'Sith' continued to stare at him with his dumbfounded look firmly plastered on his face. "I don't understand what you want me to do."

Trychon was trying his hardest to keep his temper with the kid, but he was getting ready to reach his limits. "Listen. It's really quite simple. All I'm telling you to do is to stop for a minute and try to understand what you're doing. Just listen to what we have to tell you."

The boy seemed to consider this. "I don't understand what you want me to do."

Trychon sighed, as the 'Sith' boy clearly was right on the point... he didn't understand. "Just stop fighting for a minute." He grabbed the lightsaber he'd taken from him and held it out before tossing it to Raezyr. "Look. See? No more reason to fight. Now will you calm down?"

The 'Sith' boy did not calm down though, as he jumped in a futile attempt to grab his lightsaber. Raezyr calmly snatched it out of the air when it reached him, placing it on his belt as Trychon had. The boy turned towards Raezyr and ran at him, wildly swinging the blade in his hand.

Raezyr blocked the attacks effortlessly with one hand and without giving up any space to his aggressor. He called out to his brother down the hall. "I don't think this is going to go anywhere. Can we finish him off, please? Get it over with?"

Trychon shrugged. "I think we've given him enough time now. I suppose we're ready to move on." He began to close the distance between himself and Raezyr, taking his time as he knew his younger brother had the situation firmly under control.

Raezyr blocked several more of the 'Sith's 'attacks' until finally he got bored and decided to see what the boy was really made of. He carefully struck out with his blade and grazed Vain's shoulder, causing a small puff of smoke as skin and cloth alike were disintegrated by Raezyr's lightsaber. Vain screamed in pain, and backed up to look at his injury, which was barely more than superficial.

Raezyr paused, not pushing the attack. "On my brother's behalf, I'll give you one more chance. You clearly don't belong here and don't know what you're doing. Just leave. It's for the best. Just go."

The dumbfounded look returned to the boy's face, mixed in with his horror and pain. "I don't know what you want from me!" Despite his claim, he didn't seem to have any interest in trying to follow the instructions he had been given time and again, and he attempted to attack Raezyr again.

Trychon rolled his eyes. "I knew he would say that, somehow."

524. Academy Ruins - Raezyr

The kid threw himself recklessly out the door after Trychon and Raezyr, and stood in the center of the hallway. The two Sith warriors stood in defensive stances on either side, lightsabers humming in the quiet while the red, blue, green, and white light intermingled, barely illuminating the dark passageway.

"Vain... look," Trychon began, attempting to reason with the kid once more. He hated the thought of having to take him down, especially since the Sith faction was in such desperate need of recruits. "Just calm down a bit. We're pretty new to this whole thing, just like you are. We just want to give you a few pointers, things that may help you out."

"I'm not new to this," Vain said with a wild-eyed look. "I've fought with a lightsaber before. I know what I'm doing."

"You're missing the point. We aren't talking about dueling. We're talking about being a belonging to the Sith," Trychon tried to point out.

Raezyr rolled his eyes. "Trych, you're wasting your time. If this kid were any denser he'd be a rock," he said, then turned his attention to Vain. "Kid, you have two choices. Drop you lightsaber and live, or stand up to me and die. You decide, but don't take all day. I have things to do."

Trychon could see Vain's face turning shades of red even in the strange light. "Wait! Just wait!" Trychon interjected before Vain could react. "If we can just give him some advice... maybe a nudge in the right direction, and he could become a productive member."

"I don't need mentoring from apprentices! I'm a Sith Lord!" Vain snarled and began swinging his lightsaber in Raezyr's general direction.

Raezyr was glad he had taken the time to repair his other lightsaber back on Hoth. He hadn't had a chance to really test it, and figured this kid should be a nice test: Strenuous enough to determine if it would hold up, but not dangerous enough to put him in trouble if it didn't. He settled into more of an alert stance as the kid came toward him swinging his lightsaber like a club.

Suddenly, the lightsaber flew from Vain's grip, backward and straight into Trychon's outstretched hand.

Vain was stunned, looking in shocked disbelief back and forth from his empty hand to his hilt which Trychon had just clipped to his own belt.

"Now that that's over..." Trychon started to say, when he noticed Vain pull another lightsaber from inside his robe and snap it on. "Oh, are you kidding me?" He said in exasperation, slapping his hand to his forehead. "How many lightsabers do you have?"

"Give me back my lightsaber!" Vain yelled an charged at Trychon swinging away.

Trychon deftly blocked each blow as it came, and back pedaled down the hallway. He hoped there still might be a chance to help Vain become a useful member, even though it was looking less and less likely with every action Vain took.

Raezyr, on the other hand, was completely fed up with Vain and his childish antics. Trychon had given him chance after chance to redeem himself. To come to his senses and try to make something of himself. Instead, Vain insisted on acting like a complete fool, having wandered into a place where he clearly didn't belong.

For a moment, Raezyr thought about trying to disarm Vain again, but then decided that it would be much more fun not to.

523. Academy Ruins - Raezyr

The two slipped silently down the hall, unlit lightsaber hilts in their hands. Concealing their presence was almost like standing behind a two-way mirror. They could receive sensations from outside, but they couldn't actively use the Force, or it would essentially be like turning on the illumination strips from behind the mirror, allowing those on the other side to see you.

Luckily for them, the person seemed to be channeling the Force, making their location quite obvious for them to locate with out having to stretch out their own feelings. They were surprised, however that the person hadn't reacted at all when they had first sensed it, making them wonder just how experienced this person could be.

They finally reached the room where the person was, and took up positions on each side of the door. Using hand signals, they communicated their plans, then activated the control switch.

The door slid open and they stepped into the room, ready for anything.

The young man was fast asleep.

Raezyr and Trychon relaxed a little, as he figure stretched out on the cot didn't even stir. The two brothers looked at each other, and Trychon shrugged.

The youth looked to be a few years younger than either Trychon or Raezyr with dark hair. He was still fully dressed wearing some old, mismatched armor with a tattered black robe with a few strange symbols embroidered onto it. He was tossing and turning as if dreaming.

Raezyr kicked the cot hard. The bed slid sideways and the youth fell and to the floor. "Who? What... Massif..." he sputtered as sat up. "Where... where am I?"

He looked around, seeing a man in black fatigues leaning against the wall, grinning and twirling a lightsaber hilt in his fingers, while another man, clad head to toe in blue and black armor, arms crossed across his breastplate, lightsaber hilts gripped in his fists stood over him.

Not knowing what else to do, the kid jumped to his feet and reached inside his robes and drew out a black lightsaber hilt, igniting it as he did.

Instantly Raezyr and Trychon took up defensive stances, igniting their own blades. "You don't want to do this, kid. We just want to know what you're doing here," Trychon said, drawing on the Dark Side and trying to sense the youth's reactions. The kid was clearly scared out of his mind, but there was also an underlying stubbornness he was sensing.

"I'm not a 'kid,'" the kid said. "I'm Darth Vain, a powerful Sith. You can't talk to me like that!"

"Fine. Darth Vain," Trychon said, rolling his eyes. "You don't have to do this. It's only going to end badly."

The kid kept shifting his stance nervously, unsure of where to focus his lightsaber, but one thing was for sure, he didn't like the way Trychon was trying to reason with him.

Raezyr was growing tired, and realized Trychon wasn't going to be able to persuade the kid to listen. "Drop the lightsaber now, or you lose the hand that holds it!" Raezyr demanded.

Trychon winced, knowing what the kids reaction would be, but also realized that unless that the kid was not going to back down, and he knew they couldn't back down and give this Vain kid the upper hand.

Screaming in outrage, the kid lunged at Raezyr, who deftly blocked the attack and easily spun backward toward the door. Trychon backed out as well, knowing that in the hall, they would have more room and be able to flank the kid, gaining even more of an advantage than they already had.

522. Flight of the Decoy - Raezyr

Anya shut deactivated her lightsaber as the body of the dead shopkeeper crumpled to the floor. Clipping the hilt back to her belt, she bent over and grabbed his swipe key, then hustled to the back entrance. The door whooshed open quietly as she passed the card through the reader. "Quick, get him in here," she called into the darkness.

Tyr appeared from the shadows, with the arm of Kal Van-Dohr draped over his shoulder. Using the Force to support most of the smuggler's weight, he moved him effortlessly into the shop and set him down gently on the floor behind the counter.

Anya secured the doors and turned out the lights, then moved over to the dead Arkanian and attempted to drag him back out of sight of the window, in case any of the security commandos shined glow rods into the shop windows.

She struggled to drag the body for a moment, then attempted to lift it using the Force, but as usual, she couldn't lift anything more than tiny objects, and those only with a struggle. Anya turned to Tyrrazapon who was tending to his old acquaintance's wounds. "Tyr, stop messing with him, and move this body, I can't budge it."

Tyr stood up and looked over the counter at her. With a wave of his hand, the body effortlessly slid across the floor and under a shelf where it would be out of view from any of the windows. He then went back to tending Kal's wounds. "Doesn't look good, buddy," Tyr said. "You were hit pretty bad to begin with, and after the last couple of hourse, it's even worse."

When they had gotten out of Kal's headquarters, they had run into two of Kal's men. Over the next few hours they had worked their way through the city streets, trying to get to the spaceport and their ships, but they had run into trouble more than once, which resulted in losing both of Kal's men and Kal taking another wound.

Kal coughed, spitting up a bit of blood. "I'm so sorry, Tyr."

"It's not your fault you got shot, Kal, just hang tight. We'll get you out of this," Tyr replied.

"No... I'm not going to make it, but that's not... " he paused and winced. "That's not what I meant," he said, his breath coming in ragged grasps.

"What did you mean then?" Anya asked having ducked back behind the counter after the body had been moved. She was glad to have the rest, as they'd been on the move for quite some time now.

"I meant, this whole thing... they knew where to find you because of me..." Kal said.

"WHAT?" Anya said incredulously. She scrambled over to Kal, drawing one of her hidden daggers and putting it to his throat. "You turned us in? I should kill you right now!"

Tyr grabbed her wrist before she could go through with it. "Anya, wait! Give him a chance to explain."

Kal coughed again. "It wasn't my fault!" he began. "They must have been monitoring my communications, because shortly after you contacted me, they did too. They told me about the case they had been building against me, and that it would all go away if I just kept you two busy for a few days. They said the republic wanted you, but they want to capture you themselves. Having you two kill that informant was supposed to take you three or four days, and would have been my way of getting back at them.

"I had no way of knowing you two would just haul right out and kill her without any pre-planning. Apparently they decided not to wait for the Republic to get here..." he trailed off as he finished, wincing in pain again.

Anya's face was flushed red, as she began digging into her pack. "You DID sell us out," she commented as she began pulling out kolto patches and various stimulant injectors.

"I didn't have a choice, babe. It was..." he paused again, wincing once more. "It was either turn in two people I barely knew, or go to prison. You'd do the same thing in my place. Tell her Tyr," he reasoned.

Tyr ignored Kal and looked at Anya, wondering why she was pulling out medical supplies now, when they could have used them a couple of hours ago. "Anya? What are you doing?"

"I'm going to show the galaxy what happens to those who betray the Sith," she said calmly.

"Do what you want," Kal said raggedly. "I'm dead anyway."

"No. You're going to live, Kal," Anya said, ripping Kal's shirt off and applying the kolto to his wounds. "At least long enough to get my message across."

Anya shoved the shirt into Kal's mouth, then picked up her dagger again, placing the cold blade against his skin.

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

The Arkanian news team sneaked down the alley to the open back door of Alok Dang's electronics supply store. They had been caught and turned back twice by the Arkanian Security Force, but the anonymous tip they'd received said they'd find evidence of Sith activity if they arrived quickly and quietly, and they weren't about to be denied, even if this turned out to be a hoax.

"Alright, turn the holocam on, and follow me in, get shots all around, got it?" the reporter instructed her cameraman. He nodded in understanding, and shouldered the camera, thumbing the power switch to the 'on' position.

The reporter gave the signal and they entered the building. They looked around the back room for a few minutes, finding nothing. "I think this is bogus," said the cameraman from behind the holocam.

"Just stay with me. Let's go to the front."

The stepped through the door and into the area behind the counter, and instantly saw the body with the note on it. The reporter covered his mouth and had to look away, but through the lens of the holocam, the scene was surreal enough, the cameraman was able to stay focused, and zoomed in on the horribly mutilated corpse until the note was legible. This is what happens to those who cross the Sith, was the only thing it said. The cameraman zoomed back out to a wider view.

"What a horrible way to go. I can't believe what they did to him," the reporter commented, finally recovering a little bit.

Suddenly the corpse began to cough and gurgle. It's eyes flared open and it's head lolled to the side as it attempted to reach toward the reporter.

The reporter began to retch, and the cameraman even dropped the holocam. "How can that thing even be alive?"

521. Academy Ruins - Raezyr

Raezyr pulled back on the hyperdrive levers and the swirling blue of hyperspace reverted to realspace, with elongated starlines coalescing into pinpoints with the brown orb of Korriban hanging in the middle of nothingness. He immediately checked his scanners for ships in the area, thinking back to the last time he had seen the Sith homeworld. An entire task force had tried to intercept them and prevent their escape into hyperspace, and only some fancy flying had saved their skins. He breathed a sigh of relief after the scopes showed that other than a [URL=http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Czerka]Czerka Corporation[/URL] freighter, the system was empty.

He felt a shiver of excitement as anticipated the feeling of power that would come with setting foot back on Korriban and the temple. Checking the transponder to make sure it was sending out a false identification signal, Raezyr contacted Dreshdae, the Czerka outpost located near the Sith Academy and received landing clearance. Not knowing how long it had been since the Republic had left the system, they didn't want to make themselves conspicuous if they could help it.

The trip to Korriban had been filled with more study, instruction by the holocron of Daxon Var, and meditation. They sparred some, but they had long passed the time when they could get a good sparring session in such a small space, but they did their best anyway.

Raezyr called to Trychon through the Force, letting him know they had arrived just as Aitchkay stepped into the cockpit and strapped himself into the passenger chair. "Query: Are you going to be needing my services once we reach the surface?" the droid asked, his voice sounding mechanical as it emitted from his vocabulator.

"I don't think so, Huck, do you Trych?" Raezyr said, consulting with the other Sith as he entered the cockpit. Even though he hadn't heard Trychon, he had sensed his approach while keeping his eyes on the instruments as he switched over from the sub-light drive to the repulsor lifts as they entered the atmosphere.

"I don't either," Trychon concurred. "Why don't you go find the droid service center and have them run some diagnostics on you when we land in Dreshdae?" He suggested as he sat down in the co-pilot's seat. "After that, come back here and watch over the ship."

"Affirmative, masters. An oil bath [i]would[/i] feel good," the gun-metal gray droid agreed.

After landing, they wandered around for a bit, grabbing an ale in the cantina and shopping a bit, they quietly slipped out of the outpost and headed toward the Academy.

It looked a bit worse for the wear when they arrived. The doors had long ago been blasted open, but now after the Republic and the Jedi's recent invasion of the ancient Sith stronghold, the doors no longer even closed.

They slipped inside the doors and into the darkness, ficking on their lightsabers and creating a faint glow to see by. They stopped for a moment, then stretched out with their senses to ensure they were alone.

Almost at the same instant, their minds touched that of another, located somewhere in the dormitory section of the ancient Temple. Instantly they withdrew their senses and hid themselves away from the prying senses of others, as Daxon Var had taught them to do.

"Did you feel that?" Raezyr asked his brother.

"Yeah, but I think we shut down before he could sense our presence," Trychon returned.

"What do you think? Jedi maybe? Merc? Or just some looter?" Raezyr tried to guess.

"I can't be sure, but whoever it is really deserves a proper Sith welcome," Trychon said with a grin.

"Cut it out, Trych, this could be serious," Raezyr admonished.

"I know, I mean, look at this place. It's in no condition for guests. I'm so embarrassed!" Trychon said in mock horror.

Raezyr rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Trych," he said, stalking toward the corridor leading to the dormitory, bracing himself for whomever they might find.

520. Hoth: King's Lair - Raezyr

Trychon's plan was complex, and he had to go over it several times before Raezyr was sure he understood just what exactly his brother was proposing to do. "I'm not sure if I'm okay with this," he objected. "After all, betraying someone who trusts you isn't a good idea."

"We've got time," Trychon reassured. "Think it over. If you have questions, we can still talk it over, but in the end you'll see that it's the only way."

"Still, it's a bit unsettling."

"You have to look at the big holo, little brother," Trychon said grinning. "What's best for our ultimate goals? The few who happen to get hurt will ultimately benefit from it, and if they can't see that, then they're holding us back. You once told me to 'Sith up.' I could say the same thing to you right now."

Raezyr sat in silence for a while, mulling over the plans. "I'm still going to have to think about this."

"Like I said, take your time. We have to make sure each facet of the plan is in working order before we can even think about implementing it," Trychon said, reaching over for the bag he had brought, and pulled out Daxon Var's holocron.

They spent the next few days in deep study with the ancient Sith Lord's holographic avatar, and it was in it's usual foul mood, berating them and belittling them when it wasn't teaching them more techniques and rituals of the Sith Order.

During that same time, Mannix had found two new friends in Delki, the male Chadra-Fan mechanic and Bleetz, the female Squib supply officer. Somehow their natural curiosity and genuine friendliness soothed his sense of displacement.

Each day Raezyr and Trychon would check on Mannix during breaks in their intense training schedule, and each day, Mannix seemed to need them a bit less. By the time two weeks had passed, Mannix was not only friends with the two small aliens, but was also making friends amongst Dianna's crew, and especially with some of younger crowd who had hung around Dek, the young man whose death was still a source of stress and guilt for Trychon.

Raezyr enjoyed the small vacation. His days were spent training, studying and working out, and his nights he spent next to the beautiful woman who ran this operation on the remote ice world of Hoth. He knew it couldn't last. Too many things waited for them off planet. He wished somehow that Dianna would leave all of this to Zanz, and go with him, but he knew even suggesting that would put undue strain on whatever type of relationship this was. On top of that, he was worried that some of the actions they were forced to take may only serve to drive her away.

Finally the day arrived. They had taken care to pack quietly, little by little over the last few days as not to draw too much attention when they left. They wanted it to be a quick departure so as make things easier on Mannix.

Dianna walked with Raezyr and Trychon to the space craft hangar where the Jet Razor awaited them. Trychon had launched the Twilight Stalker a couple of days earlier, and it sat in orbit above Hoth, waiting for it's next orders.

As they walked, they made small talk. "Isn't Mannix going to walk with us?" Dianna asked. "Or is he busy saying goodbye to his friends?"

Raezyr and Trychon looked at each other for a moment, unsure of what to say to her. Tell her, Trych.

No way, this is all you.

Raezyr sighed. "Um, Mannix is staying here with you, Di."

She stopped dead in her tracks. "WHAT?" Dianna said, nearly yelling. "I thought you two were joking. You're seriously going to saddle me with that kid?"

"He's pretty mature for his age," Raezyr said, trying to counter.

"That's not the point, Raez! You know I can-" she began, then lowered her voice to a near whisper. "You know I can barely afford to keep this place operational right now. I can't feed an extra mouth unless he can pull his weight around here."

"We didn't say you HAD to feed him," Trychon interjected. "Just kind of thought it would be a nice thing to do, since he looks up to you and all...."

"Shut up, Trych," Dianna blurted. She was clearly not in a joking mood.

"Di, we're going to be going into some rough places in the next few weeks. Places he's not ready for, and he can't spend his entire time on board the ship with only an HK droid for company," Raezyr explained. "Maybe you could have Taggart show him how to pilot some of these things, or Zanz or Dengar or Teera could show him how to fight. Think of this as your chance to mold the perfect smuggler. He's young. He's smart, and he's intuitive, as well as agile and determined. Trust me when I say that he can do anything to which he puts his mind."

Dianna stood, hands on her hips, silently glaring at Raezyr. Finally after a few moments her features softened as she spoke. "If it were anyone but you Raez, I'd tell them to stick it up their ram jets."

Their good byes didn't take long. Raezyr and Dianna had shared their moment in private a few minutes earlier, and she gave him but a hug and a quick kiss before sending him up the loading ramp where Aitchkay was already waiting.

Dianna grabbed Trychon's arm and gave him a quick hug as well as a peck on the cheek. "Bring my man home in one piece, or you'll have hell to pay, Sith," she said with a smile.

"In that case, I'd just let you keep him now, except you just gave us that speech about not wanting another useless mouth to feed," Trychon said grinning.

"Get out of my base, Trych," Dianna said still smiling, and headed to the control room.

The repulsor lifts whirred to life and the ship lifted half a meter off the deck. Trychon jumped up onto the ramp and boarded the ship as the Raezyr slowly turned the craft around to point toward the hangar doors, which began to peel back.

Snow driven by the wind surged through the opening. The storm outside was bad, but not bad enough to delay their launch. The loading ramp retracted and closed as the ship began to slowly drift toward the entrance. Once it was fully closed, the repulsor lifts whined up to full power and the Jet Razor shot forward, disappearing into the curtain of snow and into the endless night beyond, Korriban their destination.

519. Hoth: King's Lair - Trychon

Raezyr ducked and rolled through the entryway into the old unused storage room he knew Trychon to be in. His brother's blade swung safely over his back before he let his momentum carry him back to his feet.

"Too slow, old man..." Raezyr joked as called his practice blade to his hand off of Trychon's belt.

The two exchanged a quick clashing of thrumming blades before Trychon backed off again. "It doesn't hurt that you can sense me from anywhere in this facility, of course." Raezyr shrugged as best he could while closing the distance between them and locking blades. "Speaking of which... how did it go last night?"

Raezyr kicked at Trychon's legs. Sensing the move, Trychon lifted his leg out of the way and spun around, swinging it back towards Raezyr's back. Raezyr had already sidestepped before he could connect though. "What do you mean?"

Raezyr pushed forward and strung together a small fury of attacks, which put Trychon firmly on the defensive and backing up. He was accustomed to it though and deflected the blade repeatedly as he retreated. "Felt like you were struggling with some answers or something for a bit there before... you know..."

Raezyr kicked him squarely in the chest, causing him to take several steps back. If he hadn't been nearly ready for it, he would have been knocked over completely. "Don't you have something better to do than play 'peeping Tom'?" Ignoring Trychon's laugh he explained "Assuming you mean before the second and third... you know... She was asking about Mannix's story."

Trychon gave him a look that clearly indicated that he should continue. "She wanted to know if he was telling the truth."

Trychon looked dismayed as he reengaged the fight. "Of course he was telling the Truth. Why would Mannix lie? Not his fault if he's a little misinformed though..."

Switching styles to attack at what seemed to be openings in Trychon's defenses, Reazyr answered. "Well, he did leave off a bit and I think she was just picking up on that. He's not good at hiding things."

On the defensive again, Trychon found his back nearly against the wall and pulled the Force through his right arm and extended a full push towards Raezyr. In practice, they usually toned down their Force attacks, so Raezyr was nearly caught off guard and was pushed back several meters. "Di told me she didn't care about this room." He said with a smile. "Seriously though, if I slid a knife into your ribcage once... or several times... I certainly wouldn't tell many strangers about it."

Raezyr cursed Trychon's shift in tactics. When they were going blade to blade, Raezyr held a clear advantage, even when limited to one weapon. If Dianna had told Trychon not to worry about damage though, he'd be merciless in his force attacks, evening the gap in their skills. He decided he'd have to build a second practice blade when he repaired his other saber. "That's what I said. Sort of."

Trychon sent another push, this time directed at Raezyr's leg as he stepped forward. It wasn't enough to cause him to falter entirely... but it gave him the opening he was looking for. He feinted a swing at Raezyr's side but brought the blade towards his neck instead. The deception nearly worked, but Raezyr's quick reflexes and ability to feel the edge of Trychon's intentions managed to save him from a scalding.

Raezyr shifted quickly to get his weight properly over his feet and pushed off his back foot and launched out a right hand into Trychon's ribcage. Trychon managed to tighten his muscles before impact, absorbing some of the impact, but taking the full force of it as he was unable to actually move out of the way.

Raezyr took a step back and allowed Trychon to grimace a little and bend over. He had put a lot into that punch.

Raezyr felt the Force shift around him and reinforced his defenses, but was too late. He found himself launched across the room, rolling to a stop against the wall.

"I'm not old." Trychon commented as he walked over to Raezyr, lightsaber deactivated. He extended his hand to help up his brother, but was greeted to a soft but quick jab to the already sore ribs.

Trychon pushed Raezyr back to the ground and walked over to the bench to sit down. "Anyway, Raez... I DO have better things to do. Not my fault your... encounters... are broadcast all over Hoth. I was in the middle of sifting that information we got from the Unity. Been meaning to go through that forever now. Anyway... I ran across a few interesting tidbits. Need to run a few ideas by you."

Raezyr sat down next to him, using a subtle meditation technique to calm his breathing. "Shoot..."

518. Hoth: King's Lair - Raezyr

Raezyr stepped out of the refresher. His black hair was still damp and water ran down his chest in rivulets and soaked into the towel wrapped around his waist. He could have used the sanisteam, and it would have been quicker, but he enjoyed the feeling of the warm water running over his skin. He crossed his arms and leaned against the door jamb connecting Dianna Kingsdoom's personal quarters to her refresher and watched her dress. Her hair was still damp as well, liked the way it clung to her fair skin in thick strands. "I never got the chance to ask you how things are for you here, although I meant to."

Dianna sat down facing away from Raezyr on the edge of the bed and sighed. She pulled a red and black shirt on over her head, and flipped her red hair outside of the collar. "I'm not going to lie. Things are tough, Raez." She twisted around and looked at her lover. "Ever since we broke out of the brig on that Republic capital ship, they've been all over my operations. They've been coming down on old business partners and contacts as well. If I weren't so well liked by them, someone would have ratted me out by now, and I suspect a few of them have anyway, although very few actually know where the King's Lair is."

Raezyr walked over and after tossing his towel aside, he shrugged on his breeches and trousers. "I didn't realize things were getting that bad."

"I used to have contacts all over the Galaxy," Dianna continued, tugging on one of her boots. "I inherited a lot of them from my father, but I made plenty more of my own legitimate contacts over the last few years. Now, no one will come near me, but the low-lives that no one else will deal with, and that kind of scum doesn't pay much.

"I've got salaries to pay, ships to fuel and repair, plus the supplies to purchase, and that's just the beginning. For brief moments, I wish we'd never have escaped from that Hammerhead." Dianna sat quietly for a moment, staring at herself in the mirror across the room.

Raezyr wondered what exactly she was thinking. With Trychon, he could usually get a pretty good sense of what might be rattling around in his head, but he attributed that mostly to their connection through the Force. But with Diana, it was a mystery, and it was almost a challenge, while at the same time comforting somehow. "I feel bad that Trych and I got you into this mess."

She spun around and looked at Raezyr questioningly. "Into? You and your brother got me out of that mess. It was Fillis Riv-ars who got me into this mess.

"Speaking of that dirty mynock," she said, getting up and walking over to Raezyr who had just finished dressing. She slid her hands up his chest and interlaced her fingers behind his neck, looking into his eyes. "You'll never know how much I owe you for crushing him and his crew, you and your brother both."

Raezyr slid his muscled arms around her narrow waist and pulled her body close to him. "It was nothing, really. I mean, Trych and I owed him one anyway, we were just returning the favor."

"You still didn't have to do what you did, and for that, I owe you more than you'll ever know." She leaned up and kissed him deeply. After a long moment, they separated.

Dianna touched her tongue to her lips as if still tasting the kiss. "Now that I've officially welcomed you home, I've got to get back to my duties," she said with grin as she turned and headed for the door.

"I know, I do too," Raezyr added, following right behind her.

"What duties do you have?"

"Training," he said flatly.

"I should have known," Dianna said, rolling her eyes a bit.

"A Sith's work is never done," Raezyr said in mock exasperation.

517. Flight of the Decoy - Raezyr

Alok Dang, the Arkanian owner of a small electronics supply store, was working late tonight. He had decided to stay late to catch up on some book keeping, and although the main store lights were off, the back work area was still lit.

From time to time, Alok had seen the flashing lights of the patrol speeders as they cruised quickly by his shop. He wondered briefly what the emergency was but, as it was no concern of his, he quickly forgot about it.

He lost himself, and track of time, in his task, until a rapping on the transparisteel storefront window drew him back to the real world. Alok looked up to see a human woman standing there, tapping on the window.

"We're closed!" he yelled.

The woman said nothing, but rapped on the window again. Alok stood up from his desk, grumbling something to himself about inferior lifeforms and walked up to the front door. "We're closed. Are you deaf as well as human?" he said through the glass.

"I'm working on a project, and I have to get it done before tomorrow, and I really need to pick up some power converters," she said pleadingly. "I'll do... whatever it takes... if you'll sell me a few right now!"

Alok eyed the young blond woman up and down. She was wearing a black cloak over some sort of black, form fitting jumpsuit. He had noticed she said "whatever it takes" instead of "whatever it costs." He wasn't normally attracted to humans, inferior as they were, but this one was fairly pretty for a human, and worst case scenario: He would make a late night sale.

"Fine," Alok said, "but make it quick. I have work to do." He pulled his security card and swiped it through the mechanism on the door. With a click, the light turned from red to green. He hit the button and the door swooshed open.

"This better be worth my while," he said, turning away from the woman entering his shop and walking over to the row of power converters. "Now, are you smart enough to know what kind of converters you need? There are all kinds, you know." Alok said stopping in front of a set of shelving filled with various makes and models.

When she didn't answer, he turned to look at the girl, angry that she was indeed wasting his time. "Look, I don't..."

He stopped mid-sentence, staring into the end of some sort of cylindrical tube only centimeters from his face. He saw her thumb flick an activator switch, and then a bright red light consumed his vision.

516. Hoth: King's Lair - Raezyr

Raezyr interlaced his fingers behind his head as rested on the pillow, staring at the dimly lit ceiling above. Dianna's bright red hair played out on the bed next to him as she propped her head up on one hand, the synth-silk sheets covering both of them from the waist down. "Was that the truth?" she asked her lover.

He'd been waiting for that question, and although he'd had time to think about what his answer would be, she had kept him distracted for most of the time. He decided to stall for a little more time. "Was 'what' the truth?"

"Don't play that, you know I'm talking about Mannix story," she said, rolling over and placing her hands on his chest, and resting her head on her hands, looking up at his face.

"Well, it was mostly the truth," he replied, trying not to look into her eyes, but failing.

"I knew it! What really happened?"

Raezyr wished it was his brother answering these questions. Trychon was a much better talker as Raezyr had grown up with little companionship outside his first Master. He sighed quietly and did his best to answer. "I said it was mostly the truth, and it was. Mannix left a part out, but that's for Mannix to tell when he's ready. It's not something you blurt out to complete strangers."

Dianna sat up on her knees and then punched Raezyr in the shoulder. "Damn you, Raez. You can't say something like that, and then not tell me what it is!" she said in mock indignation.

Raez just grinned as he sat up. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her into his lap. She half-heartedly struggled against his powerful grip. "No use struggling, my love. Resistance is futile," he said, still grinning despite the blows she was raining down on his arms and shoulders.

He reached up and, putting a hand on the back of her head, pulled her lips to his. Her struggles melted into willingness as Raezyr laid her down on her back, pulling the sheet up over their heads.

515. Hoth: King's Lair - Trychon

The four of them sat in the cafeteria alone, with the company of just the droid. Several times, Dianna had to run off part of her crew, who had stopped in to welcome back Raezyr and Trychon, had heard the news of the alien child, or who were just hungry.

Trychon had started off by telling the story, but he didn't get very far. He had started off by telling how they'd heard rumors of a rogue Sith Master on a remote planet who needed to be stopped, and how they'd taken a shuttle, not wanting to draw too much attention. Then he started to explain how they'd had mechanical failures on the shuttle and lost control and some safety measures.

Mannix had already finished the first plate of food Dianna had set out for him, and it turned out she was right. Having downed the serving, and helping himself to a second round, Mannix jumped in on Trychon's story, figuring he'd remember the next part better than the brothers could. He told Dianna how he'd found the shuttle, and then continued on with the story until it was done.

Trychon and Raezyr sat quietly and listened to the boy's perspective on the adventure, a little shocked at how quick Mannix was to open up to Dianna. On their voyage back to Hoth, they'd forgotten how excitable and friendly he once was. He told Dianna with a big grin about how the two had saved the miners, how Trychon had destroyed the giant horde of beetles, and how
Raezyr had found Saffron's body and brought it back to the monestery. He finished the story by telling how the town had turned on itself, unsure whether or not Trychon and Raezyr were the ones from the prophesy... and how they'd saved Mannix from a mob. He left out the part about the mob bieng his brother's friends, and how he'd killed his brother Baldemar with Trychon's knife... but neither Trychon nor Raezyr felt like correcting him.

Trychon added on to the end of Mannix's story a small spin about how they had been attacked from behind while helping search for survivors of the fight and give aide.

Dianna gave him a somewhat doubtful look, but she seemed to believe the look of concern on Mannix's face when Trychon recalled the pain of the attack.

Dianna changed the subject to some of her business, although she kept much of it vague and more 'visitor friendly'. When everyone had eaten, Trychon took Mannix back to the ship while Raezyr and Dianna headed back to her quarters to discuss things a bit more.

514. Hoth: King's Lair - Trychon

Delki and Bleetz were the first to greet Mannix. In their usual fashion, they were exceedingly enthusiastic in their approach and introductions. Mannix's eyes nearly jumped out of their sockets when he saw them quickly approaching, and his initial reaction was to shield himself behind Aitchkay. This was as Mannix liked to say 'Old Mannix' reacting. Then as the two aliens started shaking his hands and asking him questions, he forced himself into what he called 'New Mannix' and stood up straight, unafraid of anything and with nothing to lose. He still had a very unsure look on his face as he turned to look at Raezyr, who smiled and nodded reassuringly.

Dianna stepped in between the friendly twosome and the boy, deriding them for not giving Mannix room to breathe before sending them off to find work. She then sent the rest of the crew off after them, partially to ensure that they didn't stick around to eavesdrop, but also so that she could privately attempt to comfort her new guest as well as punching Trychon and finding out the real story.

She kneeled down and put her hands on his arms to turn him to face her directly and to talk away from the two brothers, though she suspected they'd be able to hear anyway. She gave the small alien boy her most welcoming smile she could manage as she mouthed hello. She'd always enjoyed children, but she hadn't had many opportunities to spend much time with any lately. She was guessing that this boy was between the ages of ten and twelve, but she was unsure because his small frame also indicated a diminutive near human species.

"I'm Dianna, and this is my home. What's your name?"

Mannix steeled his nerves and kept his gaze equal with her eyes. He knew he'd be meeting new people and going to new places, but that still didn't quite ready him for the experience. Dianna struck him as a nice enough person, but he was still off-balance from the onslaught of questions and randomly offered insights of the two aliens who'd jumped to meet him first. "Mannix." Was all he replied, and his first words on the new planet.

"Well, it's certainly my pleasure to have you here, Mannix!" She continued to smaile at him. "Did Trychon and Raezyr bring you here? How did you meet them?" She trusted Raezyr and Trychon implicitly, but she could not fathom what in nine systems could have brought them to the possession of a young boy. She was sure that they wouldn't be stupid enough to be too out of line, but Zanz still liked to tell stories about some of the Sith he'd encountered and some of the travesties they'd caused. She knew that he was simply trying to not so subtly discredit her friends with these stories, and she didn't pay him much mind, but she didn't doubt the stories and she couldn't help if it had slipped into her subconscious just a little.

"I saved Trychon and Raezyr from a crash. They took me away from home because there wasn't anything left there for me anymore." He was loosening up a little, but still didn't feel like saying too much.

His comment didn't do anything to calm Dianna down though, as phrases like that are seldom spoken by kids Mannix's age. "Nothing left for you? What about your family and friends? Won't they miss you?"

"No."

"No?"

"They're dead."

"Who died, Mannix? Your parents?" She was becoming more and more unsettled, and Mannix's defeated manner was almost creepy.

"Everyone. Everyone died."

She forced another smile and brushed his cheek before grabbing his hand and standing up. She shot a dark warning glare at Raezyr and began walking towards the cafeteria. "How about some food, Mannix? After a long trip on a ship, there's nothing that cheers me up like a good planetside cooked meal..."

It turns out that she'd have Trychon telling their tale a bit sooner than she'd originally planned, and he'd have a much smaller audience, but it couldn't wait. This story better be good, she thought.

513. Flight of the Decoy - Raezyr

Anya put her back to the wall just left of the open doorway, a blaster pistol in each fist. She stretched out for just a moment, sensing where other beings were in the hall. Silently she slid into the hall and faced the six cops to the left, and opened fire with both blasters, and two went down with her first salvo. Making a half turn she kept the blaster in her left hand on her original targets while pointing the blaster in her right hand at four new targets 180 degrees from her down the hall and continued to fire.

The commandos were unprepared for the deadly onslaught, concentrating on covering their comrades in the rooms in front of them. By the time they dove against the door jambs for cover to return fire, six of them were down.

Anya felt Kal step back to back with her, and as one they spun around, each facing opponents at the end of the hall.

Suddenly Anya felt a surge in the Dark Side and watched as the door to Tyrrazapon's room burst outward, followed quickly by Tyr, wielding his lightsaber and making short work of the two security team members that had taken cover outside his quarters.

At almost the same time, Anya felt Kal Van-Dohr's body jerk and sensed his shock as a blaster bolt hit the man in the stomach. Anya dropped to one knee and spun, firing both pistols and taking out the remaining target.

She then stood and strode up and down the corridor, assessing the wounded. She walked along, putting a blaster bolt into each their foreheads. She stopped and bent over the last one left alive. "Have you called in for help yet?" she asked, carefully brushing a few strands of long brown hair from the woman's face.

"Yeah..." the woman said, struggling through the pain to say the word.

"Good," Anya replied smiling, placing the barrel of her pistol to the woman's skull.

"Please! No! I've got kids!" she pleaded.

Anya pulled the trigger.

Standing up, she turned to Kal, and Tyr, who just stood, watching her. "I need to get my lightsaber," she said with a grin and nearly skipped toward her quarters.

Tyr looked at the expression on her face, and it reminded him of a small child at a festival. He pushed it out of his head. "We have to hurry. Their back up can't be far away." Turning to Kal he said, "You going to make it?"

"I-I think so," Kal said, pulling his hand away from his stomach and examining the wound. It was red, blistering, and ugly. Tyr was pretty sure Kal wasn't going to make it.

"Just... just let me get some stims from the medical kit in the speeder garage," Kal said through the pain.

"Sorry old buddy. They've probably got that covered already. If you have a back way out, that's the way we go," he said as Anya returned from her quarters, holding the metallic silver cylinder of her lightsaber in one hand and Kal's blaster in the other.

"Kitchen... garbage chutes... this way..." Kal said, and lead the way.

Anya and Tyr watched him go for a moment.

"You think he's gonna make it?" Tyr asked in a whisper.

Anya tucked away her weapons, then put her left hand on Tyr's cheek and the right on the back of his head, pulling his ear close to her lips. "Doubt it," she whispered, then gently licked his earlobe.

512. Flight of the Decoy - Raezyr

It didn't take long or much urging to get Kal to take her back to his room for a drink. A small hint about "the good stuff" and within moments they were in Kal's quarters.

He lifted the stopper on the ornate decanter and took a whiff from the bottle. "Ah, the best Corellian brandy I could get my hands on out here." He began pouring dose into two snifters. "I'm sure they have much better stuff on Corellia, but out here you'd probably have to be much more powerful and influential than I am." He replaced the stopper and handed a glass to Anya.

She'd never really cared for the brandy from her homeworld. It reminded her too much of the place she was trying so desperately to leave behind. The memories she knew she could never outrun. Nevertheless, she took the glass and smiled, gulping down the liquor.

She walked over to the bed and sat down next to the pillows, then patted the spot next to her, indicating she wanted Kal to have a seat next to her. He did as she indicated.

Kal put his hand on her thigh and tried to lean in to kiss her neck, but she skillfully avoided his seeking lips, her years of experience making it seem almost accidental as she leaned back and turned her head as if she hadn't noticed his advance.

"I'm not dumb, Kal," she commented as she carefully slid her hand under one of the pillows. She found what she had suspected to be there. Very few criminals slept with out a blaster or weapon of some sort under their heads, or somewhere else within easy reach.

Kal, confused by her statement, didn't notice her subtle search. "What do you mean? I never said you were."

"Back in the lounge. You were bothered that we had taken care of your job already," she explained.

"I wasn't bothered. Honestly. I was just really surprised. Things must have been opportune for you two to strike so quickly," he said.

Anya noticed that he didn't look her in the eyes, and the Force told her that his pulse quickened with nervousness, although his outward demeanor appeared nonchalant.

She also noticed an unfamiliar presence outside of the doorway. It also seemed nervous and hesitant. She was about to dismiss it as a member of Kal's crew, unsure as if to disturb the boss at such a late hour, when suddenly 3 more joined the first. Now there were feelings of fear and determination as well.

Suddenly there were several more up and down the hallway. Somewhere in the background she heard Kal blathering on about who knows what. Some slick line to get her to stay the night no doubt, but Anay wasn't listening. She was wishing she hadn't left her lightsaber back in her own quarters.

Suddenly the the tension outside the door grew, and the door slid open. In rushed four people dressed in some sort of tactical gear decorated with Arkanian Security Forces insignia. They lowered their assault carbines to cover Anya and Kal as one of them spoke, "I'm Captain Farrell of the Ark-"

At the same instant, Anya summoned the Force and accelerated her movements, reaching under the pillow with one hand and drawing the blaster in Kal's holster with the other. She interrupted the speaker, jumping to her feet and blasting him with both barrels, the bolts striking him in the forehead.

Her movements had been so fast that no one had been able to react in time, and she flipped backward onto the bed just as the three other Security commandos triggered their first shots at the spot where she had just been standing.

Anya landed in a crouch and fired both blasters again, striking two of the other troops in the throat. From the corner of her eye she notice Kal rolling off the bed and diving toward his desk.

Anya dove forward as the last trooper fired again, trying in vain to track her quick movements with the barrel of his carbine. Anya hit the ground and rolled forward under the blast and came up right in front of the trooper, the barrel of her blaster pistol dug in where his throat met his chin.

She paused for a just a moment, letting the situation sink into the commando's consciousness and soaking in the terror and despair like a sponge as it oozed from her victim. Then she pulled the trigger.

Looking over at Kal who was just pulling another blaster from a desk drawer she said, "C'mon... and try to keep up."

First, she needed to get back to her room and get her lightsaber. I won't be caught without it again, no matter how safe I think I am, she vowed to herself.

511. Hoth: Kings Lair - Trychon

The trip to Hoth was an uneventful one. Mannix was starting to act normally, albeit with a fairly unhappy disposition and general moodswings. One day he was homesick, miserable and missing his parents; the next he was still miserable but was talking about how much he hated 'that place'.

Aitchkay for his part had taken on the role of temporary nanny rather well, helping Mannix figure his way around all the technology he'd not been exposed to before and helping him with the computer, learning a bit about the galaxy. Granted, he did have a bit of a quirky touch to his teachings, such as introducing a species by first explaining the quickest ways to disable or kill them. Trychon thought his bedtime stories were hilarious though.

They arrived on Hoth without any notable instances though, simply glad Mannix was eating again. Raezyr commed down to Lair control, and after a routine landing, the landing bay doors creaked shut, keeping out as much of the harsh temperatures as possible.

Raezyr turned to Mannix and set a hand on his shoulder. "Trychon and I are going to go down here and say hello to our friends. We may be leaving you here while we go look for any leads on how to find Darth Vikon. You're a bit young for the crowd we're going to be talking to. I want to find the right time and way to introduce the idea to the leader here though, so I'm going to ask you to stay on the ship with Aitchkay for just a little bit, ok?"

Mannix frowned, but not really more than normal. He looked at Trychon, who just nodded and winked at him. Mannix shrugged and muttered 'ok.'

Raezyr turned to the droid and told him he'd have Trychon tell him when to bring Mannix down. The droid affirmed his understanding, and the two brothers grabbed a few things and headed for the ramp.

Out in the landing bay, a small group headed out of the control room towards the Sith Stalker. The group was the expected faces mostly, Dianna, Delki, Bleetz, and a few other faces Raezyr recognized as Kord's friends, though not all of them. Not surprisingly missing was Zanz, the group's grumpy second in command.

Dianna jogged the last 50 paces to Raezyr, who dropped his bags and picked her up in his arms, embracing her with a kiss. Raezyr looked on her warmly before setting her down, sure he hadn't been so happy to see someone before in his lifetime. "How are you?" He asked nonchalantly.

She smiled at him with one of her warm and caring smiles. "We're ok. Not great, but we'll be fine after all. How was your 'trip'? Any bruises I need to know about?"

"Long story." Was his quick reply.

Her mouth opened a little and she put her hand out to stop him from grabbing the bags. "I'd love to hear it."

He smiled, just as much as he first had. "I'm sure Trych will go into story mode at dinner, like usual. I'll fill in any blanks later tonight."

She didn't break her gaze from his eyes, clearly concerned about the level of danger he tended to put himself in, but not voicing it publicly as her crew and Trychon closed in on them.

Trychon gave her a quick hug. "Good to see you up and about, Di."

Delki hopped up and gave Trychon a high five as a greeting. "Hey there Trych! Bring me anything to tinker with?"

Trychon laughed. "Of course I did." He pulled out his new datapad and tapped a few buttons, which looked nearly exactly the same to Raezyr, but elicited an 'Ooh' from Delki and Bleetz, who were clearly impressed.

Trychon turned back to Dianna. "I brought you a surprise too, Di."

She looked at him with a bit of shock in her eyes. "You shouldn't have, Trych..."

He punched another button, and the door at the top of the Stalker's ramp opened up again, revealing Aitchkay and a nervous Mannix, whom Trychon had summoned just moments earlier.

"Oh, Trych... you shouldn't have." Dianna said, with a clear look of disbelief covering her features.