Nextor Sozen

A child prodigy, **Nextor Sozen** was the heir to a great bloodline, poised to become a paragon of the Sith Order. Despite his upbringing, and success in surviving the rigorous Sith Academy on Korriban, he rejected tradition and commitment, coming to believe he need only follow his own ambitions.

Nextor did accomplish enough to be named a Sith Lord; however, by the time he had been elevated to that position, his lust for power had become outright greed. Over a period of five years, Nextor had become acquainted with a handful of other like-minded Sith and corrupt Imperial officers. They formed a loose confederation and began collaborating in various endeavors, each of them using their clout to conceal the others' criminal activities. His closest allies were Darth Vatran and Moff Kal Vanden.

Before long, their association had grown into an organized syndicate. The Hydrax Network, as it became known, was able to work freely within the Empire, now running extensive trafficking operations across Imperial territories. Nextor had been assigned to the Sphere of Intelligence while it was under the command of Darth Zhorrid. The young Dark Lord's lack of any real experience, coupled with her unsound mental state, made it simple for Nextor to exploit his authority for his own gain. The level of access and influence his new position afforded him allowed him to continue expanding his criminal enterprises even further, and Hydrax eventually became an ally of the Exchange.

Nextor was able to lead Hydrax without drawing unwanted attention for ten years, until his activities were uncovered by Sith Intelligence. He and his allies had become heavily reliant on anonymity; when their existence was made public, the Hydrax Network became highly vulnerable and was quickly taken apart by Intelligence.

Despite the destruction of his criminal empire, Nextor was able to evade Imperial authorities and fled, with the aid of his contacts in the Exchange. Anslo Kalast, a Hydrax operative who managed to escape custody, accompanied him. Nextor then spent the next several years underground; it was not until the defeat of the Eternal Empire that he was sighted on Tatooine, still affiliating with his old allies in the Exchange.

## Biography

Nextor was born on Dromund Kaas into a pureblooded family whose service to the Sith Order could be traced back several generations. In his youth, he was fascinated by ancient Sith lore.

Once he was of age, he earned admittance to the Sith Academy on Korriban. During his time as an acolyte, he enjoyed exploring the planet's various tombs, especially those in the Valley of the Dark Lords. Over time, however, Nextor's interest in archaeology and Imperial history devolved into a love for the potential of gathering immense personal wealth through the acquisition and sale of various Sith antiquities, including holocrons and relics.

Nextor's repeated success in retrieving antiquities from the many Sith crypts on Korriban drew the attention of a Sith Lord named Sartix, who took Nextor under his tutelage promptly after the young Pureblood had completed his trials. Sartix resided on Korriban and had directed a number of archaeological digs on the planet, amassing a vast collection of Sith artifacts, including ancient writings, holocrons, and relics. Most notably, he was in possession of the Sith sword that had once belonged to the Dark Lord Naga Sadow.

Throughout his time as an apprentice, Nextor became increasingly convinced he need only follow his own ambitions. At some point during his tenure under Sartix, Nextor was struck with a blast of Force lightning by a rival apprentice, leaving him with a scar running down the left side of his face. The same apprentice went on to murder Sartix, who was then in turn killed by Nextor in retaliation for maiming him years prior. He was released from apprenticeship, and also inherited Sartix's trove of ancient treasures.

By the time he had been named a Lord of the Sith, Nextor's greed had progressed to the point that it outweighed his sense of commitment to the Empire. Having kept a relatively low profile during his years as an apprentice, he was not incredibly well-known among the rest of the Sith Order. That, coupled with his repeated use of third parties, enabled him to broker sales of his old master's antiquities without attracting unwanted attention. Before long, he had sold the majority of Sartix's collection on the black market.

During the final days of the Empire's cold war with the Republic, Nextor was reassigned to serve within the Sphere of Intelligence, which was then under the control of Dark Council member Darth Zhorrid. He was quick to realize Darth Zhorrid's lack of any real achievements, and eventually became aware of her unpopularity with the other lords of the Council. Using that to his advantage, Nextor was able to use his authority and various Intelligence connections to further his personal affairs.

## Personality and traits

Like many practitioners of the dark side, Nextor is driven by a single passion. For him, that passion is greed. Despite considering himself Sith, he has no real loyalty to the Empire. He was turned away by the ideals of the Sith Order, and instead sublimated his energy and resources into pursuing his own agenda. As he is very self-absorbed and conceited, Nextor is prone to extremely narcissistic behavior.

## Powers, abilities, and equipment

Nextor practices the Ataru form of lightsaber combat and utilizes dual wield. He powers his crossguard blade lightsabers with red adegan crystals.

While directing the Hydrax Network in secret from within the Empire, Nextor maintained an exquisite wardrobe. After the syndicate's end forced him to flee Imperial territory, his attire became less elaborate; as he was frequently on the move, Nextor began wearing more practical battle suits and armor.