[ WP ] In an undiscovered region of the galaxy , the Grey side of the Force awakens .

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 Austen Cyr swore as the X-TIE Fighter just barely missed his view screen, the brillant scarlet lasers of the `` Ugly'' illuminating the inside of his cockpit for one brief but terrible moment. Austen jerked the control stick of his MorningStar-A to the left, the tri-winged fighter responding with an alacrity unusual to the aging design. It was n't the first modification he made to the veteran machine but it was one that often made the difference in such matters of life and death. He kicked his pedals to the right, the act causing his inertial compensators to lag behind as Austen felt himself being slammed against the padded flight chair. 
 
 The maneuver worked, and the enemy Ugly shot past his fighter and directly into the path of his laser cannons. Before the pirate pilot could react Austen Cyr squeezed the trigger on his stick, sending a stream of orange bolts towards the exposed stern of the X-TIE. The fighter's shields, somehow compromised in the manufacture of the bastard craft failed in a spectacular fashion, evaporating in shudder of light before the rest of the laser bolts impacted against the Ugly's stern. Durasteel armor melted under the intense heat, globules of metal boiling off its hull. Something flew off of the X-TIE's hull and flashed by the MorningStar's cockpit, a squat shaped thing of dull green that Austen somehow knew was the fighter's astromech. 
 
 *Now for the kill shot... * 
 
 Austen Cyr switched over to his fighter's concussion missiles, the HUD's aiming reticle morphing ever so slightly. The targeting screen flashed from red to orange to green, the lock-on tone turning good as he launched one of the expensive missiles. The enemy pilot, no doubt still reeling from the effects of his lasers failed to take evasive action soon enough, the streaking missile detonating mere meters from the X-TIE. The TIE fighter's distinctive panels warped under the shockwave, crumpling in half as the solar arrays were pitted with shrapnel. The X-Wing nose snapped in half, the broken stub venting oxygen and other gases into the void of space. Cyr saw no pilot eject, the shattered view screen and bloody cockpit confirming that his foe did not survive. 
 
 Austen Cyr whooped with joy, his blood hot with victory. That made four more in a single engagement, bringing his kill count to a sizable forty all in told. That made him the second leading ace in the Basilisk Mercenary Squadron; his commander and mentor Captain Otim Larn had more confirmed kills. Any further celebration was cut short however as he felt something hit him, a searing pain in the center of his mind like a red hot needle. Austen reeled in his cockpit, the straps of his seat digging into his skin as he thrashed in agony. Nothing he ever felt had ever come close to what he was experiencing, his screams deafening in his ears. 
 
 He began to slam his head against control panel, only the thick padding and armor of his flight helmet keeping him from dashing in his brains. All the while *something* wormed through his mind, probing each and every memory no matter how insignificant; his earliest recollections, treasured moments, past lovers all laid out for whatever it was to see. He felt it working its way through it all, tossing aside the chaff and collecting the most powerful memories into some sick twisted amalgamation. Austen clawed at his face, tearing off the oxygen mask in a vain effort to free himself from whatever it was. And then it began to implant thoughts of its own into his mind, it's voice somehow sowing itself into his soul. 
 
 *Shhh.... shhhhh.... do not be afraid. All is well. * 
 
 Austen Cyr gasped in pain, blood dripping down his face from where his nails scratched off skin. 
 
 `` Get the kark out of my head,'' he hissed, the serpentine entity sliding in and out of his memories. 
 
 *Not yet. Not while I have use for you. * 
 
 `` Get. Out.'' 
 
 *My methods may seem cruel, but rest assured this is for the greater good. You are weak, still untrained. But with me you shall discover your true potential, experience the true power of the Force. We have much to do, and we have begun late. There is much to teach you. I am fear you will not enjoy it but remember this above all: Everything I tell you is a lie. *
