Brothers and Sisters of the BrotherHood,

This is just a check-up letter, a hello...a welcome into the new year. With the new year brings us many new things, new people. The Dark Voice, the Dark BrotherHood newsletter has come out twice now and promises to be great. Position changes and promotions are abundant. I have taken over the position of Master at Arms, while Master Havok (FA Havok) is now the Deputy Grand Master.

Remember, we are going by a Time-in-Grade policy, this means you remember when you joined and you refer that time to the promotion table (fig. 1-1). Yet, if you are still an Apprentice or Novice, you may wish to take the Shadow Academy Test (see your Dark Side Compendium for further details).

Now remember all you have to do to join the Dark BrotherHood is submit a Jedi Name to myself at RA Goatboy@aol.com, or to the Grand Master at Mstr Jdi@aol.com, and if you would, please fill out the profile sheet. The profiles will be added to a on-going list and will be always added into the next Dark Voice.

Figure 1-1

Grand Master

Master (Appointed)

Dark Side Adept [Council] (Appointed)

Dark Side Adept [non-council] (1 Year)

Sith Warrior/ Krath Priest (10 months)

Dark Jedi Knight (7 months)

Jedi Hunter (6 months)

Guardian (5 months)*

Protector (3 months)*

Acolyte (1 month)

Novice (2 weeks)

Apprentice (N/A)

* - Ranks also attainable by graduation from the Shadow Academy.

Please enjoy this letter, and if you have any questions, would like a copy of the profile format, or would like to submit a jedi name (which you should all do soon), please contact me. My office is always open.

Master at Arms, Adept Maehl

Dark Brotherhood Battle No. 4 Posted by the Herald!

Baptism of Fire

HRLD/FA Pyr (RBKugel)

Part II: The Missions

The player of these TIE missions will be assuming in succession, the personae of five recent graduates of the Dark Brotherhood's Shadow Academy. Although these five have been awarded the rank of Guardian upon completion of their courses, there is still much for them to learn. These missions will teach them the value of their negative emotions when coupled with the Force.

Through the players successes in combat, the Guardians will be understood as having gained new insights and greater power, and the player will be able to take a peek at the Brotherhood's usual expectations of its members.

Sith Warrior Mateo was waiting for Guardian Whysper in the briefing room. The Guardian was shown a map of a small space colony, and instructed to destroy it. If the Guardian had any reservations, he didn't reveal them. He listened to his orders, and embarked on his mission.

The Guardian took his craft into the colony area, and began his massacre. Additional craft were made available to him since some of the targets were rather large. Even so, his soul, or what was left of it after his training, would bear the responsibility of the atrocities he was willingly committing.

The mission had a couple of snags. The first came when a squadron of rebel X-Wings happened by. They saw Whysper's ruthless attack on a civilian, albeit Imperial, settlement, and felt compelled to intervene. Strengthened by his own hardened heart, Whysper made short work of the Rebel effort.

The second challenge came when an EH patrol of trainees stumbled onto the scene. They really weren't sure what was going on. Whysper knew that if they interfered as well, he would have to disable them rather than destroy them. He knew his masters would not want the murder of EH officers on their hands.

With his bloody mission completed, the Guardian returned home.

The nature of the deception will never be revealed to the Guardian. He will live in the Dark, knowing he committed the foulest of deeds. He will belong to the Dark Side forever.

2. Rage (Sindar)

The Raja, an Imperial splinter group under the control of Moff Woshaka seemed to be preparing to move into the Phare System, earmarked for exploitation by the Hammer. They had to be stopped. Sindar, in his rage, would be the tool employed to accomplish this. In a heavily armed missile boat, he would be pointed at a medium sized force heading towards Phare. He would have to eliminate this threat.

Sindar hypers-in on the enemy force. As he begins to target the nearest M/FRG and fire the first salvo of heavy rockets, he notices a group of escort shuttles closing in on him. Before he has time to reset his weapons, they're on him. His MIS is caught between 4 E/Ss, all battering his shields with their articulated turbo cannons. The Guardian cleverly weaves in and out of the attacking E/S, causing them to catch each other in their own cross fire. Using a combination of missiles and laser gun, he eliminates them in time to face the M/FRG's approaching squadrons.

The battle grinds on, with Sindar taking shots of opportunity at the capital ships, while fending off the Raja Imperial starfighters.

To the surprise of the Guardian, Pi III, led by General Geddes hypers into the area to assist him. Apparently, Master Pyr had spoken to his old Squadron Commander, Brigadier General Sten, asking him to lend a hand. Although Pyr had every confidence in Guardian Sindar's abilities, he knew that the destruction of this enemy force was important to DB and EH interests. If the enemy could secure the Phare system, how long would it be before they discovered neighboring Aurora and Eos, the home of the DB?

Sindar thought of ordering Pi III home, but thought better of it when a squadron of enemy missile boats joined the fray.

Sindar felt the minutes go by like seconds, lost in the intensity of his well controlled anger. One enemy craft after another burst into flames before him, until there was nothing left to kill.

The Guardian returned to the Lichtor V. He had never felt weak in times past, but now he wondered why; now that he felt so much stronger than ever before.

He sought out Master Havok. It wasn't hard. Havok was waiting for him in the Lichtor's hand-to-hand combat chamber. Without hesitation, both men ignited their light sabers, and touching the shafts briefly together, resumed their duel. Havok was still the master, but Sindar's new-found control pushed the powerful Dark Jedi to the limits. Guardian Sindar's honor and pride were restored, and Master Havok had taken yet another student further into the Dark.

Guardian Rene' Le Gar, known to friend and foe alike as "Pappy", made his way to the Lichtor V's briefing room. Master Sths Tor illuminated the holo-map projection as he conducted this supposedly clandestine briefing.

Pappy was informed that he would have to rely on a TIE Defender for this mission, in place of his beloved Imperial X-Wing, since he would have to disable his targets instead of destroying them.

The new Guardian would face a series of cargo vessels, in ascending order of value. Each vessel would be guarded by more and more challenging starfighters. Those starfighters had to be swept away, and all cargo vessels disabled. Guardian Rene' would then hyper back to the Lichtor V while Master Havok would arrive at the scene with boarding crews, taking posession of the cargo

Pappy could not have suspected that this was another ruse orchestrated by Master Havok. The real reason Pappy wasn't permitted to take his X-Wing on this mission was that Havok had tampered with the sensors of the TIE Defender assigned to the Guardian. They would read a false IFF code, identifying the target as "Privateers" instead of "Imperial Raja". The convoy Pappy would be attacking was actually a supply effort en route to a Raja staging area. This staging area was intended for a second attempt to invade the Phare System.

Pappy's sensors would also register freight of immense value. It was hoped and expected that once the Guardian saw how much there was to gain, the resistance marshaled against him would be inconsequential. The Dark emotion of greed would empower even this expert pilot to exceed himself.

As expected, Pappy encountered an increasing level of resistance as he made his way through what he believed to be, targets of unimaginable wealth. No starfighter sent against him was going to stop him from getting a piece of this treasure. The Raja even sent some reserve CRVs in to help save their convoy, but they too were no match for this Guardian powered by the dark force of greed.

Obeying orders, the warrior hypered home when his task was complete, with thoughts of a new life before him.

Master Havok was more than relieved as Pappy bellowed loudly with laughter, as the truth behind the mission was revealed.

Pappy had to admit that greed was a powerful motivator, but also reminded himself that wealth is of only limited use to one who derives his purpose from combat. What does the pure warrior need with riches?

Guardian Cow received a message to report to the Dark Hall Complex's hidden hanger bay. He sullenly made his way from his new quarters in the Sith Wing, up to the underground landing pad area. He arrived just as a TIE Defender was being readied for launch. Krath Priest Pendragon, who seemed to be chatting with the ground crew, motioned for the Guardian to follow him. The two men left the hanger area and entered the adjacent briefing room.

Pendragon informed the Guardian that the T/D was intended for him. The Guardian was being given leave to hunt down the perpetrators of the crime against his family.

The Guardian's mood changed dramatically. His countenance transformed from a brooding melancholy to one of pure malice. Pendragon, sensing this, reminded him that he was expected to exact his price only on those who deserved it. He was to disregard all others.

In reality, Cow, like Pappy and Sindar elsewhere, was being deceived as to the nature of his target, as well as being tested without his knowledge. The test was designed to teach the Guardian to focus his power against the correct targets. Vengeance is another powerful Dark Side motivator, but it is only useful if the wielder employs it against the proper victim.

Compounding the deception, this test was also orchestrated to bring an end to the Raja threat. The Raja, whom Sindar had crippled and Le Gar had starved, were in retreat. However, among their number were some who wished to ally themselves with the Hammer. Cow was being used to winnow the wheat from the chaff. To motivate him, his mind had been touched just enough that he would believe these Raja to be among those who killed his family. The long range sensors of his T/D would register the Raja only as those enemies. He would have to do a close-range inspection to determine friend from foe. He would have to fight his urge to destroy the defectors, and concentrate only on the others.

We don't know the details of the mission. We do know that Cow successfully destroyed the last of the Raja forces in this sector, and allowed the EH sympathizers to rendezvous with Emperor's Hammer forces, but unfortunately, Guardian Cow never returned.

Perhaps he has taken his newly realized powers and gone off to carve a piece of the galaxy for himself. Perhaps at the last moment, he realized the nature of the deception and turned to the Light. We may never know.

It was the intention of Master Sths Tor and Master Havok that the Vice Admiral and those who listened and followed him be taught a humiliating lesson. The Rebels must be reminded from time to time that any movement against the Emperor's Hammer can bring them nothing but embarrassment and destruction. It has been a while since the destruction of their Hast Shipyard. The time for another lesson has come again.

ISB reported that Eleam had 3 M/FRGs with more capital ships on their way. Klip would hyper in alone into the staging area. He will find Eleam, fight off his forces, disable his vessel, and board it. He will most likely be boarding a frigate and have to fight through its entire garrison to get to Eleam. Once through, he will simply rip the VA's rank insignia from his uniform, and return home... a nearly impossible mission.

If successful, the Guardian will have faced almost insuperable odds, experienced fear, and overcome it, thus learning that a fear overcome is more valuable than mere fearlessness alone.

In addition, Eleam would be so shamed by the deed that he would no doubt abandon his ill-conceived ambition of capturing the GA. Even if the Vice Admiral were too stupid to quit, his credibility with those who follow him will be ruined. If nothing else, the Rebels will know that their security had once again been breached, and they will busy themselves in other parts of the galaxy, leaving the Outer Rim to the whims of the Hammer.

Guardian Klip approached the staging area. He found three modified frigates. He zoomed in on the one closest to his hyper in point and inspected it. It was the flag ship M/FRG Zenda. The ships began scrambling their squadrons. Klip had to fight off a stream of well-piloted X, A nd B-Wings.

Klip had been one of the most confident of all students at the Academy, but as he saw the forces sent against him, knowing that even if he survived, he would have to fight hand to hand throughout an entire capital ship in order to complete his mission, his confidence wavered.

He reminded himself that he carried a light saber, the terrible weapon of a Jedi, but it was not one of his own making, and this only reminded him that, despite his accomplishments thus far, his Dark Jedi skills were not yet complete. For the first time in his life, doubt crawled down his back like a cold smooth snake. He knew fear! But he did as Master Sths Tor advised. He used the fear he felt and drew strength from it, until it was spent, and he was stronger than he had ever felt before. That fear lay as an empty slough at his feet: The power it possessed was now his!

As the DB Guardian cut through the fighter defenses of the frigates, the Zenda launched a trio of shuttles at the same time as additional X-Wings from the infamous Rogue Squadron arrived. Eleam was trying to make his escape, and had evidently called in Rogue Squadron to cover him. He no doubt saw how the Sith pilot was obliterating his forces and was prepared to leave them behind to save himself.

Guardian Klip, with two X-Wings pounding on his tail, swept past the fleeing SHUs, identifying them, and locating Eleam. He toggled on his ion cannons and disabled the vice Admiral craft.

He then turned on the Rogue X-Wings and eliminated them with ease. A smile came to his face when he realized what sort of horror this must be for those poor souls on the frigates, who could only sit helplessly by as their best efforts to stop him and protect themselves, were swept aside. He could actually feel their fear and hopelessness, and was strengthened by it.

When the fighter reserves of the FRGs were exhausted, Kilp hastily docked with the shuttle. He reached for the light saber that lay across the leg of his flight suit. Although regrettably, the confines of the shuttle would prohibit its effective use, it could at least serve to cut a hole through the locked hatched above him. He pulled himself through the steaming breech and drew his blaster, slaying guards and pilot. He then completed his mission. Leaning over to the petrified Vice Admiral Eleam, Klip reached out and tore the man's rank insignia from his uniform, saying "Grand Admiral Ronin likes to keep souvenirs of all the Rebel's he's been able to scare the h-ll out of"

Laughing, Klip crawled back into his TIE Defender just in time to see an entire fleet of vessels hyper-in. He set his course, and climbed to light speed; the vice admiral's insignia firmly in his grasp.

In the end, each of the new Guardians performed admirably. They each learned the lesson Master Havok and his peers intended for them. In addition, the Dark Brotherhood once again provided a chilling demonstration of power to the enemies of the Hammer.

It is unlikely that Moff Woshaka of the Raja will entertain the thought of encroaching on EH territory after his entire fleet was mysteriously destroyed by a handful of starfighters. The Phare System remains at the disposal of the Hammer.

And too... how soon will the New Republic return to this region of the Outer Rim after their complete humiliation?

The Guardians can now take their places in front rows of the Hall, secure in the knowledge that they have faced their demons, and embraced them.

Each mission has in-game briefing, de-briefing and briefing map sequences, so don't forget to click on those elements before a mission.

When you're instructed to push "Q", as you know, the TIE Mission will prompt you to end. Try to imagine that the events of the plotline that follow this action will commence once you've ended the TIE mission.

If you should have any problems, comments or questions, please contact me at RBKugel@gnn.com, and I'd be glad to help out.

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