As Raezyr led his lover into the dining area, to find his brother sitting smugly already with a plate full of food. He shot a quick glare that way and grabbed himself and Dianna plates as well. Trychon didn't look up, but he certainly felt the intent behind the look from the younger Sith.
As the pair sat down across from him, Trychon spoke with his mouth still half full. "I'm serious though..." He paused to swallow before clarifying. "No... not about that part. Di, all due respect, I know that you prefer to keep your business and personal life separate, and that's great. It's smart."
Dianna crossed her arms. "Exactly. That's why..."
"That's why..." He stopped to swallow yet again. "You need to look at this from a strictly business standpoint and so do we."
Dianna's expression soured, but Trychon continued after shoveling even more food into his mouth. "Relax. We're not trying to take control of your operation or anything like that. Korriban knows we have enough on our plates to worry about as it is, and now with Tyr and Anya stealing one of our ships and leaving in the middle of the night..."
"What?!" Dianna blurted out, louder than she intended and gathering a few looks from around the room.
"Don't worry about it." Raezyr assured her. "They're just lucky that Trych and I have other things to attend to at the moment."
Trychon could tell she was about to get too curious about what was more important than a stolen ship, so he interrupted again. "In any case... from a purely business standpoint, it only makes sense for us to give you more than you're asking for. One of the largest reasons we went on a mission so risky was to get you ahead in the game again. If we give you enough to be barely standing, and quite frankly, worse off than before... well, you're going to have a harder time paying any of it back. It's just not good business for anyone involved."
"So you ran the numbers?" Raezyr said, playing along.
"I did, and our modest investments have produced more than we expected. Not only will we have enough to cover Di's losses, we'll be able to invest enough in the King's Lair for her to repair and upgrade her operations," Trychon explained.
"I'm not sure what to say," Diana started. "I'm in debt to you two."
"Oh you bet your sweet ass you are," Trychon said grinning. "We'll draw up the paperwork after breakfast, but we're going to expect a return on our investment."
"Excellent, because I'm not taking a hand out," Diana said, a prideful look in her eye. "You'll be paid in full, with interest."
------------
After breakfast, Trychon began drawing up the contracts while Diana duties to attend, chief among those was finding a new First Mate from a long list of candidates.
Raezyr left the two to their respective work and sought out young Mannix, who had become quite the recluse since their return from the mission. He found the youth working on his star fighter absent-mindedly.
"You should really pay closer attention to what you're doing. You're craft is all that is between you and death out there in the black," the big Sith scolded.
The former Taxl monk half jumped at the sound of the big man's voice directly behind him. "I'm sorry Raez. I know better. Taggart used to say the same thing."
"You should also be using the Force to be mindful of your surroundings. I shouldn't be able to slip up behind you like that. Is there something wrong?" Raezyr asked the young man, noticing the young man's empty eyes.
Mannix looked down at his feet. "I just can't help thinking about Jester. If it weren't for me, he'd be alive right now. I keep thinking it should be Jester standing here, not me," he said, then paused, looked up at the Sith warrior and continued. "But then again, maybe I need to let this go."
"Mannix," Raezyr said, shaking his head. "Listen closely." The youth's eyes met the warrior's for a moment.
Then Raezyr punched him in the nose. Mannix nose exploded in a gush of blood, his head rocked back and his knees began to buckle. Before the kid hit the floor, the Sith grabbed him by the tunic and shoved him back, slamming him against the snubfighter almost effortlessly.
Mannix opened his mouth to speak, his hands covering his face, but Raezyr interrupted. "I don't ever want to hear you talk like that again, got it?" He didn't wait for an answer but continued, his face twisted into a snarl. "You're gorram right Jester's dead because of you. If you hadn't screwed up he'd still be here, and don't you ever forget it. Remember it, because it won't be the last time you're responsible for someone dying.
"Then take that feeling, bury it deep and let it fester and simmer. Then let it rise again as hatred for failure and for those who fail you and purge it from them. Let that feeling fuel the Dark Side.
"You're mad at me right now. Good. I can feel it within you. Let go your forgiveness and embrace your hatred. It will make you powerful... more powerful than you can imagine," the big warrior finished, then backed away, letting the monk go.
Mannix pulled his hands away from his nose. The blood had slowed to a mere trickle. "Yes, Lord Raezyr," he said, half mocking yet half respectful. Deep down he could feel what the Sith was telling him was true, and he liked the power which had sprung to him while he was angry, and longed to taste more of it.
Raezyr ignored the half facetious tone. "Now, I came here to tell you Trychon and I will be leaving again, but I have training for you to do while we're gone." He un-clipped a training lightsaber from his belt and tossed it to the former monk. "I've uploaded a holo-trainer in the workout room computer. It'll teach you some of the basics."
"Is this mine?" Mannix asked in awe, staring at the metallic cylinder in his hands. He switched it on and listened to the snap-hiss and humming of the energy blade, his anger from before forgotten.
"Hell, no." Raezyr replied. "That's a loaner. One of these days you'll build your own."
"So you ran the numbers?" Raezyr said, playing along.
"I did, and our modest investments have produced more than we expected. Not only will we have enough to cover Di's losses, we'll be able to invest enough in the King's Lair for her to repair and upgrade her operations," Trychon explained.
"I'm not sure what to say," Diana started. "I'm in debt to you two."
"Oh you bet your sweet ass you are," Trychon said grinning. "We'll draw up the paperwork after breakfast, but we're going to expect a return on our investment."
"Excellent, because I'm not taking a hand out," Diana said, a prideful look in her eye. "You'll be paid in full, with interest."
------------
After breakfast, Trychon began drawing up the contracts while Diana duties to attend, chief among those was finding a new First Mate from a long list of candidates.
Raezyr left the two to their respective work and sought out young Mannix, who had become quite the recluse since their return from the mission. He found the youth working on his star fighter absent-mindedly.
"You should really pay closer attention to what you're doing. You're craft is all that is between you and death out there in the black," the big Sith scolded.
The former Taxl monk half jumped at the sound of the big man's voice directly behind him. "I'm sorry Raez. I know better. Taggart used to say the same thing."
"You should also be using the Force to be mindful of your surroundings. I shouldn't be able to slip up behind you like that. Is there something wrong?" Raezyr asked the young man, noticing the young man's empty eyes.
Mannix looked down at his feet. "I just can't help thinking about Jester. If it weren't for me, he'd be alive right now. I keep thinking it should be Jester standing here, not me," he said, then paused, looked up at the Sith warrior and continued. "But then again, maybe I need to let this go."
"Mannix," Raezyr said, shaking his head. "Listen closely." The youth's eyes met the warrior's for a moment.
Then Raezyr punched him in the nose. Mannix nose exploded in a gush of blood, his head rocked back and his knees began to buckle. Before the kid hit the floor, the Sith grabbed him by the tunic and shoved him back, slamming him against the snubfighter almost effortlessly.
Mannix opened his mouth to speak, his hands covering his face, but Raezyr interrupted. "I don't ever want to hear you talk like that again, got it?" He didn't wait for an answer but continued, his face twisted into a snarl. "You're gorram right Jester's dead because of you. If you hadn't screwed up he'd still be here, and don't you ever forget it. Remember it, because it won't be the last time you're responsible for someone dying.
"Then take that feeling, bury it deep and let it fester and simmer. Then let it rise again as hatred for failure and for those who fail you and purge it from them. Let that feeling fuel the Dark Side.
"You're mad at me right now. Good. I can feel it within you. Let go your forgiveness and embrace your hatred. It will make you powerful... more powerful than you can imagine," the big warrior finished, then backed away, letting the monk go.
Mannix pulled his hands away from his nose. The blood had slowed to a mere trickle. "Yes, Lord Raezyr," he said, half mocking yet half respectful. Deep down he could feel what the Sith was telling him was true, and he liked the power which had sprung to him while he was angry, and longed to taste more of it.
Raezyr ignored the half facetious tone. "Now, I came here to tell you Trychon and I will be leaving again, but I have training for you to do while we're gone." He un-clipped a training lightsaber from his belt and tossed it to the former monk. "I've uploaded a holo-trainer in the workout room computer. It'll teach you some of the basics."
"Is this mine?" Mannix asked in awe, staring at the metallic cylinder in his hands. He switched it on and listened to the snap-hiss and humming of the energy blade, his anger from before forgotten.
"Hell, no." Raezyr replied. "That's a loaner. One of these days you'll build your own."
