Two towering, tinted, transparisteel doors slide open to grant you access to the central chamber of the Combat Training Halls. The main room is wide and open and as large as as a holoball field. Tall walls stretch towards a domed ceiling that is made up of rows of ambient lights that spread out and fill the room with soft even lighting that eliminates any shades or shadows. Those same walls are lined around the perimeter with racks and stacks of varied weaponry: everything from swords and polearms to rifles and flamethrowers.

There are two signs that hover over each weapon rack to create an alternating motif in the Combat Training Hall: “No Explosions” and “Accorded Neutral Territory”. While the first is fairly obvious, the second speaks to the single law of the Training Halls: all members of the Brotherhood are welcome, and no member is to be killed or maimed without incurring the wrath of the Grand Master and the Inquisitorius.

A trio of training dummies are statically set up and spread out in a line, each made out of a blend of alloys and padding that can withstand blows from any standard weaponry with the exception of lightsaber blades. To the side of the dummies, a large sparring mat has been stretched out to create a larger footprint than the typical shockboxing ring. The padding is good for helping teach new combat students how to take a fall without injury and offers firm footing, but the hard rubber mat is hardly forgiving.

Behind the sparring area is a door that leads to a small archives that combat students can use to view holorecordings of fights and duels from the past as well as relevant information on combat tactics, techniques, and forms. On the opposite side of the archives at the far end of central room is the locker room that members can safely store their equipment.

The final and probably most important element of the Combat Training Hall is the onsite Med Ward. The maglock door is sealed off and can only be opened by an attending Medic. The Medical facilities feature state of the art bacta tanks for recovery and aftercare. A combination of observation and waiting room rests adjacent to the recovery center and features two large monitors that display a live feed of the central room.

The Combat Halls are staffed around the clock, allowing combat students and mentors alike to come and go as they please at odd or regular hours. It also available for members looking to prove their worth to compete in the Antei Combat Center.

[Venue Note: Weapons incorporated into your match are allowed to be used, even if not listed on your Loadout for the match itself. Skill usage and all other ACC rules and guidelines still applies.]

Xuner Holst walked over to a small panel which controlled the room's temperature. He input a desired temperature and waited at the panel for any noticeable difference. Soon, a wave of cold air began to consume the training centre. Vesh, Xuner's Master, agreed with the desired temperature since she was bound to his body via Holst's left cybernetic arm.

The pair had agreed on a meeting with Tasha'Vel, the matriarch to the Versea family, to further prove his capabilities. The thought of having to prove himself once more wasn't something he detested since it had given him a clear sense of purpose. It was more so the idea that the Rollmaster was still unsure about his capabilities as well as his mental stability. The blue alien could ill afford another incident with Bentre and needed to be sure that the two were able to subdue the Consul on their own.

Getting in hours before anybody else gave the three a sense of freedom that couldn't be felt with an audience watching. This freedom, coupled with the sense of calm that the bleak walls of the Arx Combat Training Centre placed on Xuner pacified any doubts and worries that would’ve normal suppressed his ability to fight. As he knelt in the center of the sparring mat located to the left of the medical center, the old warrior took in a deep breath that came with the scent of rubber, tainted by the faint stench of dried blood and tears. Xuner opened his mind and body to the darkest voids of the Force, allowing the ebb and flow to rage rampantly within him as he tried to vividly imagine the training that took place. Every impact, sound, and feeling began to flood into his mind. He knew the costs of living better than most as his past was bloodier than the usual born-to-be. As he took in the scents, three training droids were programmed to stand peacefully around him.

With a connection to the Dark Side having been made, Xuner began to manifest his thoughts. Swirling tendrils of an unknown darkness, hidden to those without the gifts of the Force, rose out from the center point of Xuner’s back. Their sluggish movements were indicative of the Human struggle with keeping his concentration as the droids simply stood in place.

To better strengthen his connection, the Sith Human needed to feel pain. To achieve this, intense feelings of anger and regret began to dominate Xuner as vivid images of his past captors and their heinous atrocities filled his mind. Everything from the feeling of being branded to how they ran their fingers up and down Xuner’s body as they repeatedly violated him. But what really burned the former King was the last thoughts he had had of his home.

He remembered what happened to his once vibrant planet. How his ship, The Recluse, stole him away from his people. How he stared out the small window and watched as an inumerable fleet of capital warships began to unleash their payloads onto the surface below. The Sith’s face contorted as he unconsciously started to slip into a state of hate and regret. The tendrils now began to more lively yet slowly slither out towards the machines, wrapping around them from the feet upwards. Vesh, pleased by her Apprentice’s efforts, continued to watch him. Xuner felt a surge of pain in his heart as the imagery intensified to its peak. Tears rolled up in his eyes as the death of his planet now ran across his mind. He seethed and drew heavier breaths by each passing second. He felt more in tune with the Dark Side. His fists obliviously shut tightly, resulting in the tendrils snapping closed. The metallic constructs were held in place as Xuner lifted each droid slightly into the air. The droids too had began to suffer in his fit of rage. Slowly the chassis of each metal being began to cave into themselves by every passing second and thought.

The sapphire blue Twi'lek stood a good distance away from the sparring mat as she stared at Xuner. Tasha’Vel watched as the sounds of tormented screaming shot out from the overloaded voice modulators of the mechanical trio as they slowly become spheres of crushed metal. Her natural maternal instincts picked up more on the Knight's sense of discomfort and responded by reaching out with the Force to better understand the man tasked with the safety of her mate, and Consul of Clan Naga Sadow, Bentre Stahoes. She was more than capable of resisting what she was about to feel, but instead having decided against that, she allowed the connection to be in its purest and raw form. Vesh, having noticed Tasha’s attempts to sense Xuner’s pain allowed her to peer into his mind without intervention. Tears uncontrollably swelled around her eyes as Xuner’s pain became her own. Streams of tears ran down her face as she furiously severed the connection. The Equite gasped for air, having collapsed onto her knees immediately after.

The sound broke Holst’s concentration, bringing him out from his torment and releasing his grip on the droids. The shattered balls of their former selves collapsed on the floor, landing with a heavy thud. Xuner quickly stood to face the Rollmaster. He stared at the droids in their dysfunctional form for a brief moment before snapping to his Captain.

“How much did you see?” His face seethed with anger as the thought of her intrusion was something he wanted nobody, most importantly her, to ever know.

“Everything,” she spoke in a hushed tone of surprise as she gathered her wits.

“So now you know my shame.” He lowered his face away from her. She composed herself before him. Tasha'Vel lifted her arm towards the mat. Xuner nodded and the two Sadowans walked onto the mat. The two reached out in unison and easily cleared the droids off the mats with the Force.

“I know nothing about your shame, but instead your reasons to fight. Regardless of your past, I still want you to prove yourself to me. To the clan, Blackguard. With or without Vesh, it matters not to me. You will nonetheless fight,” Tasha'Vel awkwardly spoke out after a short, yet tense period of silence.

Xuner's ears perked slightly at this. He tilted his head to her. He clenched his jaw as he nodded.

“Neither dead nor dying. Onward we press on,” the Knight spoke those words to himself as a sort of mantra that only he and Vesh knew. The Twi'lek looked perplexed.

Holst didn't bother to explain as he gripped his katana. In a fluid motion born from years of experience, the sword was drawn from its sheath. The Rollmaster drew her vibrosword in response, still in the shadows about what he had said but not allowing her guard to drop.

“What do you mean?” Her words fell upon deaf ears as Holst flung his body towards the female.

“One of the sayings my people had. We spoke it often until it became a part of us, Captain.”

Xuner lunged at her with fast downward sweep of his katana. The Twi’lek easily stepped to the side to dodge. Seeing an opening, she took upon the chance the deliver a blindingly quick thrust stopping short of contact with the Human’s side. The Rollmaster gave a short smile to the Human’s acceptance of his defeat.

“Interesting. Tell me more about your people,” She said as the two step away from each other on opposite side of the mat.

“How about I show you instead,” Xuner replied with a cruel smile and lifted up his katana.

Taking the blade in both hands, He charged fearlessly towards the blue Twi’lek on the opposite side and leapt towards her at the last moment, bringing down his bloodthirsty blade eager to tear into her flesh. However, an audible hum reverberated in Xuner’s ears, as he stared down at the beautiful Echani vibroblade blocking his katana from piercing Tasha’Vel’s flesh. Her eyes were no longer mirthful, but instead cold and calculated. Her personality had changed from being friendly to cold and calculating. Her eyes also bore the look of a well-seasoned warrior as she spoke.

“When Vishra’ Reyal is unsheathed, the blade will find its mark. This sword has seen combat through many generations and has ended the lives of many who dared to attack its owner. You just attacked me.”

The Human Marauder felt an immense surge of dark energy emanating from the Rollmaster as her blade began to push against his katana. She was stronger than he first thought, and with the murderous glare she was giving, this didn’t look good.

“You can take her,” Holst whispered to Xuner. “You have my strength.”

Xuner grinned and pushed back against her blade. As he pushed, he sidestepped and kicked the side of Tasha’Vel’s knee. She let out a cry of pain as she limped back a few feet from him, still holding Vishra’ Reyal in her hands. It was a dirty tactic, but all was fair in combat. Refocusing, she used her left hand to pull Weyrin, her Nightsister dagger, away from the left side of her belt and allowed the dark side to flow within her. Like a bladed missile, the dagger flew through the air and plunged itself deeply into the right side of the oncoming journeyman.

Hot lancing pain rippled through Xuner as he now stared at the dagger protruding from his right side.