Raezyr concentrated on the Force, allowing the rage of being ambushed fill his being and feed the Dark Side. Slowly he got to his feet and looked down at his fists. Blue-white energy crackled around them, adding the smell of burnt ozone to the smoke filled room.
Already the automatic fire suppression system had kicked in and extinguished the flickering flames. The young Sith stretched to assess any damage to his body and sucked in his breath as a sharp pain shot through his side, most likely a broken rib or two from the impact with the wall.
He stripped the torn and smoldering cloak from his shoulders and tossed it into the corner of the grenade torn room, before retrieving the rest of his armor from the closet. He thanked the Sith Lords that he had worn his helm as it was probably all that saved him from a full concussion. He rummaged around in his personal stash of medical supplies and applied a bacta patch to his side and injected himself with some stims before donning his armor.
Outside, they had been pounding on his door for a few minutes and he could hear them yelling. Apparently the grenade had jammed the door shut. He scooped up his light sabers, switched them on and cut his way out through the door.
Falka and Tocar were there, along with several worker droids and some other members of Black Phoenix he didn't know.
"Lord Raezyr, are you alright?" Falka asked the large armored figure as he stepped through the remains of the door.
Raezyr ignored the question. He only had one thing on his mind, and that was retribution. "Is the base locked down, Captain?"
"Yes, just as you requested. What happened?" the Khommite asked.
"Three fools attempted to collect on a bounty. You will find two of their bodies inside, although I doubt the remains will be identifiable, but that's immaterial. Right now, I want every member of Black Phoenix assembled in the hangar immediately," Raezyr commanded.
"Sir? Every member?" Tocar asked. "Do you want us to recall the two pilots who just left to pick up Lord Trychon?"
Raezyr turned and looked at the human for a moment. "Of course not them. They were clearly not involved. I want everyone in the hangar or accounted for. There will be two missing. Those two will be the ones in my quarters. The third one will be there, and we will find him. I will be in the War Room. Notify me when they are assembled."
Raezyr didn't have to wait long for the notification, and arrived back at the hangar shortly after he was notified. The young Dark Warrior looked around as he entered. The crew was standing around in several groups, talking in hushed tones. He assumed they were wondering what had happened and why they had been called together.
Falka and Tocar approached him. "My Lord," Falka began in low tones so as not to be over heard by the rest of the crew," the two that were unaccounted for were both mercenaries hired several weeks ago, after we set up operations here on Tattooine. A quick check of their communications log showed regular contact with someone outside the base." Falka looked a bit hesitant. "We think they may have been working as double agents for Jama the Hutt."
Raezyr considered this for a moment. "I want everyone you to line up every merc you have hired since your operations began here."
Falka and Tocar quickly identified eight men and women of various races and had them stand in a line. The armored figure walked slowly down the line, pausing in front of each of them, his masked face looking into their eyes.
He knew they couldn't into his helm, but they held their heads up and stared right back, not showing any outward signs of fear.
But Raezyr could sense it. He let the Dark Side probe their feelings, and to one degree or another, all of them were nervous. All but one. The one who knew they were caught, the one who was resigned to take action and knew that each breath they were taking might be their last. The one who knew their treachery was somehow about to be found out. The one who was determined to take their target out with them.
Raezyr didn't let on that he knew. Instead, he decided to play this game out a bit more. He continued on down the line until he had looked at each and every one of them. When he was done, he turned and walked back down the line, stopping in front of a young human male, who was sweating profusely. Raezyr turned and stared at him, watching the sweat bead up on the young man's face. He was clearly terrified, and he was clearly not the one.
"Who hired these mercenaries, Captain?" the Sith spoke without taking his gaze from the young fighter.
"I did, Lord Raezyr," Tocar said, speaking up.
"Then you will be the one to execute the guilty party. Please draw your weapon," The Dark Man ordered, and Falka's First Mate did as he was told.
"Where were you thirty minutes ago, scum?" Raezyr asked of the young man. He could feel his real target relaxing, thinking they may get out of this mess yet.
"N-n-no! It wasn't me! I swear it! I was in the training room with three others! They can verify it!" The kid stammered in fear. He turned to look over at small group who had been part of Black Phoenix from the beginning, and pointed. "Guys! C'mon! Tell him!"
Raezyr stepped back a bit, out of the line of fire. "Take aim, Tocar," he ordered, and Tocar did so.
The young man dropped to his knees. "Please Lord Raezyr, I swear by the gods! I am loyal to you, and what ever it was that happened, I had nothing to do with it!"
The Sith stared down at the man, who was not much younger than himself. He was surprised that he felt no pity for him, but rather a sort of loathing that anyone who called themselves a warrior could grovel and beg like this.
Raezyr reached out with the Force and gripped Tocar's hand, shifted the man's aim, and caused him to squeeze the trigger. The kid covered his head and screamed at the sound of the blaster.
Two places down from the kid, a Hraki female dropped to the floor with a blaster hole in her forehead.
Tocar stared in disbelief as did everyone else in the hangar. "My Lord, I-I..." Tocar stammered.
"I did that. If you examine her communications, you will probably find the same patters as the other two, and you should also find a stealth generator in her belongings in dire need of recharging," Raezyr said and drew his lightsaber from his belt.
In one swift motion he flicked on the crimson blade and struck Tocar vertically on the side of his head, just deep enough to remove the First Mate's ear, part of his jaw and most of the skin.
Tocar screamed and dropped to his knees, gripping the side of his face with his left hand. A true fighter, he brought the blaster he still held to bear on the one who had inflicted the pain on him.
Raezyr reached out with the Force and yanked the blaster from his grip, pulling it to him and catching it in his outstretched hand, then Force-kicking the injured man in the chest. Tocar flew back several meters and sprawled on his back, still holding his injured face.
Instantly all around the room, Raezyr could hear weapons being drawn as men and women all around the room prepared to avenge their fallen friend and leader.
The armored Sith ignored their actions, putting away his lightsaber and tossing the blaster to the side as he strode toward groaning figure on the floor. "I suggest you take a better look at who you hire from now on, Tocar."
He turned to the rest of the members of Black Phoenix. "Tocar has paid for his failure. Next time someone fails me, I won't be so lenient."
The Sith Warrior turned to Falka. "Captain, come with me." Raezyr turned and strode from the room, not looking to see if the Khommite would comply, but knowing he would.
Raezyr could feel the level of fear and terror rising at what just happened, and he breathed it in like a refreshing breeze after a summer rain.
Already the automatic fire suppression system had kicked in and extinguished the flickering flames. The young Sith stretched to assess any damage to his body and sucked in his breath as a sharp pain shot through his side, most likely a broken rib or two from the impact with the wall.
He stripped the torn and smoldering cloak from his shoulders and tossed it into the corner of the grenade torn room, before retrieving the rest of his armor from the closet. He thanked the Sith Lords that he had worn his helm as it was probably all that saved him from a full concussion. He rummaged around in his personal stash of medical supplies and applied a bacta patch to his side and injected himself with some stims before donning his armor.
Outside, they had been pounding on his door for a few minutes and he could hear them yelling. Apparently the grenade had jammed the door shut. He scooped up his light sabers, switched them on and cut his way out through the door.
Falka and Tocar were there, along with several worker droids and some other members of Black Phoenix he didn't know.
"Lord Raezyr, are you alright?" Falka asked the large armored figure as he stepped through the remains of the door.
Raezyr ignored the question. He only had one thing on his mind, and that was retribution. "Is the base locked down, Captain?"
"Yes, just as you requested. What happened?" the Khommite asked.
"Three fools attempted to collect on a bounty. You will find two of their bodies inside, although I doubt the remains will be identifiable, but that's immaterial. Right now, I want every member of Black Phoenix assembled in the hangar immediately," Raezyr commanded.
"Sir? Every member?" Tocar asked. "Do you want us to recall the two pilots who just left to pick up Lord Trychon?"
Raezyr turned and looked at the human for a moment. "Of course not them. They were clearly not involved. I want everyone in the hangar or accounted for. There will be two missing. Those two will be the ones in my quarters. The third one will be there, and we will find him. I will be in the War Room. Notify me when they are assembled."
Raezyr didn't have to wait long for the notification, and arrived back at the hangar shortly after he was notified. The young Dark Warrior looked around as he entered. The crew was standing around in several groups, talking in hushed tones. He assumed they were wondering what had happened and why they had been called together.
Falka and Tocar approached him. "My Lord," Falka began in low tones so as not to be over heard by the rest of the crew," the two that were unaccounted for were both mercenaries hired several weeks ago, after we set up operations here on Tattooine. A quick check of their communications log showed regular contact with someone outside the base." Falka looked a bit hesitant. "We think they may have been working as double agents for Jama the Hutt."
Raezyr considered this for a moment. "I want everyone you to line up every merc you have hired since your operations began here."
Falka and Tocar quickly identified eight men and women of various races and had them stand in a line. The armored figure walked slowly down the line, pausing in front of each of them, his masked face looking into their eyes.
He knew they couldn't into his helm, but they held their heads up and stared right back, not showing any outward signs of fear.
But Raezyr could sense it. He let the Dark Side probe their feelings, and to one degree or another, all of them were nervous. All but one. The one who knew they were caught, the one who was resigned to take action and knew that each breath they were taking might be their last. The one who knew their treachery was somehow about to be found out. The one who was determined to take their target out with them.
Raezyr didn't let on that he knew. Instead, he decided to play this game out a bit more. He continued on down the line until he had looked at each and every one of them. When he was done, he turned and walked back down the line, stopping in front of a young human male, who was sweating profusely. Raezyr turned and stared at him, watching the sweat bead up on the young man's face. He was clearly terrified, and he was clearly not the one.
"Who hired these mercenaries, Captain?" the Sith spoke without taking his gaze from the young fighter.
"I did, Lord Raezyr," Tocar said, speaking up.
"Then you will be the one to execute the guilty party. Please draw your weapon," The Dark Man ordered, and Falka's First Mate did as he was told.
"Where were you thirty minutes ago, scum?" Raezyr asked of the young man. He could feel his real target relaxing, thinking they may get out of this mess yet.
"N-n-no! It wasn't me! I swear it! I was in the training room with three others! They can verify it!" The kid stammered in fear. He turned to look over at small group who had been part of Black Phoenix from the beginning, and pointed. "Guys! C'mon! Tell him!"
Raezyr stepped back a bit, out of the line of fire. "Take aim, Tocar," he ordered, and Tocar did so.
The young man dropped to his knees. "Please Lord Raezyr, I swear by the gods! I am loyal to you, and what ever it was that happened, I had nothing to do with it!"
The Sith stared down at the man, who was not much younger than himself. He was surprised that he felt no pity for him, but rather a sort of loathing that anyone who called themselves a warrior could grovel and beg like this.
Raezyr reached out with the Force and gripped Tocar's hand, shifted the man's aim, and caused him to squeeze the trigger. The kid covered his head and screamed at the sound of the blaster.
Two places down from the kid, a Hraki female dropped to the floor with a blaster hole in her forehead.
Tocar stared in disbelief as did everyone else in the hangar. "My Lord, I-I..." Tocar stammered.
"I did that. If you examine her communications, you will probably find the same patters as the other two, and you should also find a stealth generator in her belongings in dire need of recharging," Raezyr said and drew his lightsaber from his belt.
In one swift motion he flicked on the crimson blade and struck Tocar vertically on the side of his head, just deep enough to remove the First Mate's ear, part of his jaw and most of the skin.
Tocar screamed and dropped to his knees, gripping the side of his face with his left hand. A true fighter, he brought the blaster he still held to bear on the one who had inflicted the pain on him.
Raezyr reached out with the Force and yanked the blaster from his grip, pulling it to him and catching it in his outstretched hand, then Force-kicking the injured man in the chest. Tocar flew back several meters and sprawled on his back, still holding his injured face.
Instantly all around the room, Raezyr could hear weapons being drawn as men and women all around the room prepared to avenge their fallen friend and leader.
The armored Sith ignored their actions, putting away his lightsaber and tossing the blaster to the side as he strode toward groaning figure on the floor. "I suggest you take a better look at who you hire from now on, Tocar."
He turned to the rest of the members of Black Phoenix. "Tocar has paid for his failure. Next time someone fails me, I won't be so lenient."
The Sith Warrior turned to Falka. "Captain, come with me." Raezyr turned and strode from the room, not looking to see if the Khommite would comply, but knowing he would.
Raezyr could feel the level of fear and terror rising at what just happened, and he breathed it in like a refreshing breeze after a summer rain.
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