?/055-Edge

Edge was a tall, black-armored bounty hunter who terrorized most of Senate Space for years before he was finally recruited into the ranks of the Senate Hunters. His armor design was foreign to a lot of the Senate at the time, and he became known simply as "Edge" or "The Black Hunter". While it took a long time for his identity to become known, it was eventually revealed that Edge was a human named Richard Sinclair - something which shouldn't have been possible at the time, as humans were considered a non-spacefaring species.

## Early Life

Richard Sinclair was originally born on Earth and raised in the United States. When he was a teenager, he was accused of murdering a fellow classmate and imprisoned for his crimes. While he was ultimately acquitted of the charges, the stigma followed him for years. Richard grew cold and bitter, isolating himself from everyone except for his sister and older brother. He became known for his short temper and even shorter fuse, and was renowned as somewhat of a brawler. A small miracle occurred when he encountered Turukaishal - a Scain sent to analyze Earth and prepare it for invasion by the Scain under the leadership of former Mindbank Sovakadris. Richard, along with his sister Victoria, managed to change Turukaishal's mind and helped him fight back against his ruler in what became known as the Scain Civil War. Along with the help of a Heil mercenary, Klaara'Doran kan Mitragan, they were ultimately successful in defeating Sovakadris. Due to the events which had transpired, Turukaishal was crowned the Mindbank of his people. Victoria, having fallen in love with Turukaishal, elected to remain on Chindrus with him. Richard, on the other hand, left to assist Klaara with her mercenary work.

## Pre-Senate War

Richard initially adopted the Edge persona to defeat a corrupt Iharsh-Daraz, Gamerron. He was operating an illegal weapons distribution center on the asteroid Ezonos, and was hiring pirates to help seize weapons and ships which were being traded to the Constellation. Richard and Klaara killed one of the lead smugglers, Corserrs, without knowing the depth of the operation. This drew the ire of Gamerron, who kidnapped Richard and warned him if he continued along this path that his sister would pay the price. Not believing him, Richard chose to ignore the warning. When Victoria's two Scain bodyguards were found killed, Richard realized that Gamerron was not simply throwing around idle threats, realized that he had to make some tough choices. Being human was no longer "enough" - he needed to be something else. He retired from bounty hunting and retreated into Heil Space where he contrived his plan for an alter-ego. He faked his death by crashing a small craft with a clone of himself inside it and began construction on his iconic "Edge Suit", which would be modified many times throughout the years.

Edge proceeded to make a name for himself as an incredibly lethal bounty hunter. He not only took on Gamerron and emerged victorious, but also racked up an impressive list of accomplishments. He took on Nubason, who had long been considered dead, on his own turf and won. He faced off against Liima'Doran kan Mitragan and Araan'Megim kan Mitragan in order to prevent the Heil from going to war with the rest of the Senate. He also undertook numerous other missions, even squaring off against the Constellation on several occasions, before the Senate deemed him too dangerous to be left unchecked and "invited" him to join the Senate Hunters. He is also one of the few Hunters to have survived an encounter with both a Qaplatian and a Kelthos. He is also the one credited with uniting the Heil Clans.

## Senate Hunter Activity

Edge was invited to join the Senate Hunters on three separate occasions. The first was after his victory over Nubason, and he was approached by 001-Bleak, who loudly proclaimed that Edge should join them or pay the price. Edge, with his usual blunt demeanor, told Bleak to shove it before the second hunter - 259-Meggothia - intervened and tried to convince Edge with more polite tactics. Edge continued to refuse, angering Bleak, which prompted Meggothia to take his partner and retreat.

The second invitation came after Edge defeated Liima and Araan. Once more, he was met by Meggothia, but this time the Hunter was accompanied by 041-Echo. Echo expressed dislike for Edge initially, even accusing him of copying her suit, but showed a grudging amount of respect for his strength. Once more, he was offered a position within the Senate Hunters, this time by Meggothia. Edge asked if his partner - Klaara - would be invited as well. When he learned that they were only interested in recruiting him, he told them to leave him alone. Echo, incensed at his tone and words, attacked Edge on the spot and was almost defeated. Meggotha intervened and forcibly restrained Echo before granting Edge permission to leave.

The third and final time, Edge was confronted in Lower Namrah. Once more, Meggothia had been sent out as a mediator, this time bringing along his protege, 256-Morceti. They informed Edge that this time they had been given direct orders to bring him to their leader, Naztetra. Edge bluntly refused and Morceti, with her trademark impatience and fury, attacked him. Edge eluded capture at first, leading them on a drawn-out chase through Lower Namrah and out onto the clifftops surrounding it. Edge managed to incapacitate Morceti and almost defeated Meggothia, but before he could take the fight further he was beset by four additional hunters: 125-Aksak, 250-Pain, 260-Ateriel and 300-Avogar. Ultimately he was taken before Naztetra where he was told that this is the last time he will be offered the position before being classified as an enemy of the Senate. Edge told Naztetra that he'd been willing to join the last time they'd offered, but only if his partner was allowed in as well. He also states that no matter what the Senate thought hiring him would do, he was still going to help people who needed it - even if the Senate told him not to. Naztetra grudgingly agreed to Edge's demands, and he was assimilated into the Senate Hunters and assigned to Councilor Omyuris of the Alintean Empire along with Meggothia, Morceti, Echo, 056-Pearl and Avogar.

## The Senate War

Ultimately, Edge's identity was revealed by Bleak, which caused a massive uproar among the Senate and their Hunters. Richard's suit was confiscated and he was imprisoned in the Senate Ring while he awaited his trial. Ultimately, the Senate voted to execute him, as he was human and therefore not part of the Senate. Meggothia, however, approached him in his cell and asked him if he would fight if released. When Richard told him he would, Meggothia left without a word. Morceti brought him his suit and told him to be ready, because Meggothia had unleashed the storm. She then broke him out of his cell by tearing the door off the hinges. Edge raced up to the Senate chamber to find that Meggothia had murdered Bleak in cold blood in front of the Councilors. This had sparked a division between the Hunters who believed Edge should be executed and those who believed the conviction was wrong. A massive schism had formed in the Senate Hunters which had turned both physical and bloody. Klaara had gone seeking help and returned with Nubason and Aldanai, as well as additional forces, which only caused more chaos. Edge escaped into space after the battle had claimed at least a fourth of the remaining Senate Hunters.

Forty years after his exile from the Senate, Edge returned with a private army he called the Gray Syndicate. This army was far more passive than expected, responding to force with diplomacy and only resorting to violence if there was no other alternative. Their primary purpose, however, was to act as a bounty hunter service to both Senate and non-Senate races. Each and every one of the Gray Syndicate soldiers was armed with an Edge Suit of their own, albeit not one as advanced as the original, which made them a force to be reckoned with. In addition to this, Edge had four Gray Generals - Pearl, Avogar, Morceti and Meggothia - which further angered the Senate. He also harbored hybrids, which were frowned upon by the Senate. Numerous attempts to paint him as having allied with the Constellation failed, which resulted in the Senate vowing to crush the Gray Syndicate as it threatened to destabilize the tenuous peace in the Galaxy.

Ten years after their appearance, the Senate declared war on the Gray Syndicate by attacking and burning the planet of Sernomir. They then went a step further and chased his forces to the planet of Siraphius and launched an all-out assault against them which resulted in millions of casualties. This not only enraged the Gray Syndicate, but also the Sov-Nikan who owned both planets. Edge immediately gathered the united Heil under his command and sent envoys to the Sov-Nikan. Eager to seek retribution for the burning of their worlds, they joined him readily. Edge went further still, drawing the Scain Empire, still under the command of Mindbank Turukaishal, away from the Senate. He convinced both parties to put aside their differences, at least until the war is over, and used their combined might to push the Senate back from Sernomir.

The Senate, their troops stunned by crushing defeats on both planets, were eager to retaliate. They returned to both worlds only to find them protected not only by the Gray Syndicate, but by Nubason's N-Space forces. After a harrowing battle, they are unable to take either planet back and were forced to admit defeat. Meanwhile, Edge slipped onto the Taeski world of Altar and made a pact with the Crimson Dominion. Without warning, the Gray Syndicate swept in and boosted their new allies in the battle against the Azure Empire. After laying waste to eighty percent of the Empire's ground forces in the span of a few days, the Crimson Dominion took command of all remaining Taeski forces and ended the Hasmak-Dekara.

Edge's forces then took the Senate-controlled system of Miros and advanced quickly towards the Senate Ring. The Senate, in a desperate gambit to buy some time, managed to get a fleet into the Mordakrelai system and lock out the majority of the Scain forces as well as imprison Mindbank Turukaishal for treason. They also placed armed blockades near key points in the Zyzyt and Erythian systems, as they were close allies with the Scain. With no other option, Edge's forces retreated from the Senate Ring to break the Senate's grip on the systems. The counterattack was swift and brutal, starting at Mordakrelai and beating the Senate's forces all the way back to the Erythian homeworld of Besodaari before they finally relented.

Losing territory with every battle, the Senate mounted a swift counterattack. Edge was defeated at Koram and pushed back out of the Erythian system. Using the bulk of the Alintean Empire to secure their territory, the Senate formed a defensive perimeter and began pushing Edge back towards Constellation Space. Not one to be deterred, Edge mounted a two-pronged assault on the Alintean system of Haven. While he was able to temporarily take the Haven system, the Alintean armies proved too much for the Gray Syndicate and they were eventually kicked back out. Realizing that Edge was serious about defeating the Senate even if it meant taking massive risks to do it, the Alinteans decided not to wait any longer and mounted a full-scale assault on Earth in an attempt to draw Edge back away from their worlds.

Hopelessly outgunned, Earth was on the brink of falling when Edge's armies jumped into the system to defend it. Much to the Senate's discomfort, Edge was not with them. Instead, he had gone to the ancient homeworld of the Zetans - Shaili - and broken the Chrono Cage which surrounded the planet. The Zetans, free from their imposed stasis, attacked the Senate with a viciousness which hadn't been seen in billions of years. Edge dragged the Chrono Cage through Dark Space and used it to freeze Earth in a stasis field so that the Senate could not continue their attack. He then proceeded to push the Senate back out of the system using the Zetans as the tip of the spear. They aim for the weakest point in the Senate blockade and attack the Zepeusm system - a Rhurni outpost.

Long neutral in the conflict, the Rhurni were grateful to Edge for breaking the Senate's hold over their outpost - grateful enough to lend a small number of soldiers to his cause. With a gap in the Senate barricade, Edge's armies punched through and cornered the Senate with their backs to the Galactic center and attacked the Senate Ring. Edge was bitterly reunited with the remainder of the Senate Hunters during the battle, but learned midway through his assault that the Senate's Councilors aren't even on board the Senate Ring at all. Instead, he learns that they fled to a safe house on the Krell, a garden world in the Gremmik system.

Armed with this knowledge, Edge amassed his remaining forces and launched a full-frontal assault on Krell in the hopes of ending the war immediately. Although he was successful in attacking the planet, which caught the Alinteans off guard, they were quick to retaliate and trapped him on the planet's surface along with most of his ground forces. Knowing he was doomed unless the battle ends quickly, Edge managed to coordinate an effort to bring down the anti-spacecraft towers that were keeping his fleets from entering the fray before throwing all of his forces against the Crystal Spire - the Senate's final stronghold. While his fleets engaged the Senate in orbit, the Senate's ground forces were hard-pressed to keep Edge away from the Councilors. Several of Edge's allies perished in their attempts to clear a path for him. Avogar met his end fighting 081-Vizonheimo, and 252-Kordar detonated a tactical warhead manually in order to stop several battle platforms from launching an attack. Meggothia, Morceti and Edge were the only ones to make it inside the Spire. 006-Reaper, an ally of the Gray Syndicate, stayed behind to hold the entrance while the other three mounted their assault. He was confronted by 078-Duleket, and the two waged war in the entrance of the Crystal Spire.

Meggothia faced off against his former mentor, 015-Vak Tzimar, in a heated battle of the Cyulei. Ultimately, he managed to triumph over his opponent, although only by the slimmest of margins. Morceti was attacked by Pain when she attempted to shut down the power plant keeping the doors sealed. During the battle, Pain crushed a memento from Meggothia and threw Morceti into the turbines. She survived, badly damaged, and attacked Pain with everything in her arsenal, finally overcoming him.

Edge finally reached the Councilor's chamber and was confronted by 260-Ateriel, who had been assigned to guard the Councilors with several of his machines. During the battle, Meggothia joined the fray and assisted Edge in crushing Ateriel's defenses and killing the Alintean himself. At this point, Edge handed the ultimatum down to the Councilors - they could end the Senate War, which he never wanted, or he could kill them and drag the war to the doorstep of the civilians they swore to protect. Duleket, having trapped Reaper in some rubble, appeared and tried to attack Edge but was stopped by Morceti as she dragged herself into the room. The Councilors, faced with no other option, surrendered to Edge and agreed to end the Senate War.

## Post-Senate War

For the next several decades, Edge managed the Gray Syndicate from a massive fortress on the planet Sinerak in the Crezzia system. They maintained their alliances with numerous other races, particularly the Scain and Heil, and continued to take bounties and protect numerous smaller outposts and regions. They were instrumental in the reintegration of the Zetans as well. Although the Senate still existed after the Senate War, more and more races came to the Gray Syndicate for military or political advice. The Gray Syndicate also took over the role of guardian, ensuring that humans integrated peacefully with the other races in the Galaxy.

This changed in 2154, when S/301-Ruler appeared and took credit for much of the Senate War's planning. He revealed that Bleak's actions in exposing Edge had been his plan, and that he'd been trying to annihilate not only Edge but the human race for a very long time. The attack on Earth had been part of his machinations as well.

Ruler launched an attack on Earth from his flagship, the *Divine Ascendant*, with the intent on wiping out enough of humanity to keep them from establishing a foothold in space. Many of the Gray Syndicate ships which had been tasked with guarding Earth were obliterated in the span of a few hours. Edge himself immediately flew in to face off against Ruler. During the battle, Edge managed to damage the main cannon the *Divine Ascendant*, which would have been capable of drilling through a large planet in a few minutes.

Not to be deterred, Ruler launched an entire fleet of autonomous robots onto the planet's surface. Edge was forced to redirect his attentions and Ruler took the opportunity to shoot him in the back with his damaged weapon. Although normally fatal, Edge's suit drew power from his Kelthos Core and protected him. Unfortunately, the collateral damage was immense. Several thousand humans as well as countless Gray Syndicate soldiers were killed in the blast. Klaara was thrown a great distance, protected only by the armored suit she wore, and suffered a broken spine. Even after the battle, she remained paralyzed from the waist down.

Realizing his weapon was no longer powerful enough to destroy the planet, Ruler settled instead for driving the *Divine Ascendant* into the planet's surface. If the reactors went critical, the resulting blast would be enough to tear the mantle wide open and cause planet-wide destabilization. Realizing the stakes, Edge overtaxed his Kelthos Core and attempted to catch Ruler's ship and push it back out into space. Incensed at Edge's hubris, Ruler fired the laser once more - this time directly into Edge's face. While it still failed to kill him, the damage to the Edge Suit was massive. Edge managed to stop Ruler's ship from colliding with the planet's surface and, using one final burst from the near-limitless Kelthos Core, managed to fling the ship back into orbit where it was dragged into a retrograde orbit around the Sun. Ultimately, Ruler and his ship were dragged into the star where they were both vaporized.

After the battle, Edge's armor fell back to Earth where it broke open to reveal that it was empty. There are two widely circulated theories on this. The first (and generally accepted theory) is that Edge was vaporized by the overwhelming power of the Kelthos Core. The other is that Edge faked his death once more and vanished. Due to the various unknowns circulating his disappearance (and the fact that he cannot be confirmed as dead), his status among the Senate Hunters and the Gray Syndicate is "Missing in Action" and "?" respectively. He is the only Senate Hunter, current or former, to have an unknown status.