Flashback
Cargo Hold, Light Freighter “Raven”*
En Route To Vader’s Castle, Mustafar
Midwinter, 23 December, 37 ABY; Hyperspace
The journey from the Unknown of Wild Space to the Outer Rim and through to Mustafar, unlike previous ones, was a tense affair. All six members aboard and one flying as an escort in a fighter of her own within the Aurelius, Jade’s personal Ectis-Class Jedi Starfighter.
The difference between this time and the various other missions where one of these members fought or lived alongside him for years can determine if he’s truly earned his awards and place as a Mandalorian Leader. How else, but the defeat of a Sith Adept, his former brother who had betrayed Celevon only twelve years earlier as a recruit to the Knights of Ren looking to impress with a recruit. When he spoke, Celevon dueled and... believed to have killed the man once known as Jacen Edraven.
Jadex Werd'la was the servant of the original leader of the Inquisitorius, tortured into a form of complete submission under the tender mercies of Marick Arconae, a mentor to both; the traitor of the Order of the White Lotus. The High Inquisitor that had trained the mentally-unstable Krath after his own tortu... conditioning at the hands of Darth Pravus, the former Lord of the Sith. Which made both incapable of divulging what they considered Brotherhood secrets without extreme torture... or, if one were lucky, if there were a technique the Sith Lord had not implemented.
In reality, it had become a foregone conclusion that, at some point or another, Celevon would face his brother in singles combat one final time. Winner takes all.
However, none of them had expected an encrypted data message, leading back to Vader’s former residence within the Dark Side nexus located within the very... Sith Castle on a Volcanic planet. A building that resonated with the pain dished out within for centuries, indicating that it was an old location Vader had discovered; not simply a Castle, but built atop an ancient Jedi Temple in a reverse mockery of what the Jedi Council had done with an artifact of such darkness in what had become their Temple prior to Order Sixty-Six.
The Assassin had, in the month and a half since receiving the summons, prepared himself for this day. An honor duel with a man he once called brother, who he had sworn to never raise a blade against, had offered a duel to the death.
“Third time is the charm,” the cybernetic organism, once a Kiffar, had hissed into his ear via their Force bond only an hour into their journey.
It had come to this. Brother against Brother once again on this acrid, barren waste that had only grown worse in the absence of both the Sith and the Imperials that had used the former Sith Academy for their own needs after their infamous accidents that took place and the Battle of Jakku. The day before the new year rolled around.
Both of them had spoken through a form of Telepathy that the others had been unable to penetrate, a sort of private telepathic frequency within the Force that only they could access, agreeing that one of them would be dead before the sun rose on this New Year.
The part-Echani had been the one at fault in this particular case, believing he had killed his brother the first time on Ilum. It should have worked, especially when one considered that the Echani-raised Mandalorian had bisected Kalas almost from groin to skull. The second after the High Inquisitor had killed two members of those Celevon loved due to the amnesiac’s own psychosis, which had prevented him from recalling his brother despite his own torture under the hands of Darth Pravus until his mind was secure. Still, the Dark Jedi Master had earned his comeuppance in spades.
The Onderonian took what could possibly be his last glance at those who called him brother, willingly or having once fought at his side. To bear witness in his attempt to end his own nemesis, being able to speak of his bravery in combat. He is willing to go where necessary to prove he is no longer merely a member of Clan Erinos or Odan-Urr, but of House Par’ijaat. Clan Bloodraven,which he had successfully gathered together.
Judging by the looks in the eyes of two of the women, he would hate whatever outcome came of this. His mother, a Pureblood Echani descended via five millennia of selective breeding, was the first. Right next to her was his twin sister, Rowena, the Force User whose talents had been... damaged in an attempt to heal a near-fatal wound. The women of his family had worked together in all aspects, whether that was Healing his body or preparing him for this upcoming fight... Almost seventeen years in the making, ever since Tristan Magnuri suffered the head injury that triggered full retrograde amnesia, making him completely forget the narcissistic Jacen, who had suffered abandonment issues and fit the description of a psychopath to a ‘t’.
Whilst Celevon or Tristan had always been a thief with a skewed moral compass, he didn’t truly start to fall, to turn until nearly his twentieth birthday. After losing his memories at age twelve, crash-landing within a training area of the Onderon Military in a damaged escape pod, where he meets J’akked. An Umbaran Mandalorian Field Medic working a legitimate job, rather than selling himself as a Mercenary, yet staying close to Dxun.
However, the High Inquisitor formerly known as Jacen Edraven had instead challenged the Force Disciple, a former Grand Inquisitor himself, to single combat using the Echani tradition.
He literally could not turn such a challenge down, as it goes against his family values. It would bring dishonor on a once Noble Echani House. Serinje, the ring he bore on his right index finger bearing his family crest, partially tattooed on Celevon’s inner right wrist. This has since become the crest of Clan Bloodraven, a group of Mandalorian Raiders he has taken over and moved to the Kiast System... in the frozen mountains of Kaerls, the ice moon where one could find the Okami Clan.
This had not been the only fight he was in, facing down others on the nights from Samhain onward; technically breaking their own rules and traditions, as one is only supposed to make a single move for power during the lengthly festival (17th November to 31st December) to settle all feuds and honor duels for good. By beginning his takeover on Samhain, he was able to arrive on Festivus and challenge the leader of the Okami in the Battle Circle for the right to lord over, claiming and backing up his words with a small group of Mandalorian Commandos, as well as Force-Trained Jedi Killers amongst the ranks. Clan Bloodraven, home to the vagabonds, thieves... any who will listen to the passionate lessons of the former Director.
His infiltration of the Inquisitorius Order to the rank of Grand Inquisitorius following the Purges on Antei itself, as well as sabotaging key internal structures to keep their people out of harm’s way. Sadly, a bit too much, as Marick Arconae — then one of the seven founders of the Order of the White Lotus, the Elder Silver Wolf and undercover specialist — had been confronted by one of the Chief Inquisitors on behalf of certain members of the Dark Council, who were entirely aware of a spy in their midst.
To keep his closest friends from harm, the Force Adept and former leader of the Inquisitorius had sacrificed several people to keep them alive. Celevon included, who has sworn a blood oath of vengeance against his former Battle brothers who orchestrated the event. The Silver Serpent of the Lotus, as only the Elders of the Lotus bore titles. And, via tradition, were held by the eight original — not possible, due to Solari’s noble sacrifice on Harakoa and honorary place as the eighth Grand Lotus and Council member status — members or those who had been voted on as members of their elite Council.
Currently, that place was held by Atra Ventus, a blood brother from his childhood on the streets of Corellia. All in attendance would only be allowed to witness, not permitted to either depart or interfere, no matter how badly they are injured until one is definitively deceased.
However, it is his sister, living ex-wife and Shield Sibling Xathia Edraven that is highly likely one to attack others. Or the Red Dragon of the Lotus, Yuki Suoh.
Altogether, there would be six accompanying the seventh — their own leader of Clan Bloodraven — to an honor duel. His most trusted advisors, limited to observation. His twin sibling, child, mother, ex wife, bonded-pregnant betrothed via handfasting Yuki Suoh. Along with them for this trip, however, was also the second apprentice of Celevon Edraven as both a warrior and Force User. The first of Clan Bloodraven against the youngest of the original three.
Even after landing, all of them formed a protective barrier around the Onderonian, who showed up in a set of Mystic Black Shadesworn robes rather than his full Beskar’gam (Pictured left in the Armored robes). Silver to honor a lost love and seeking redemption, black for duty and green for justice.
The robes themselves are in a similar color scheme, though almost a black the green is so dark with the silver trim.
As was tradition, Celevon had arrived with only what he planned to take into the battle circle and use. If the two blood-adopted brothers would abide by traditions, that meant melee weapons at maximum unless they fought each other with everything in their arsenal. When the Grievance was aired in the ancient traditions, the two would fight with what the elder of the pair chose.
In this particular case, Celevon was the elder of the pair. Biologically speaking, at least.
Both had claimed the other to be an Oathbreaker and must settle it where the two have gathered, in the shadow of the massive obsidian throne that had once housed Darth Vader as the planned successor to Darth Sidious, formerly Emperor Sheev Palpatine.
~(End Flashback)~
The Onderonian had stripped down until only the boots and the pants of his Shadesworn robes remained, stretching in the stifling heat brought on by the lava flow somewhere beneath their very feet. Whilst those of his blood or chosen family remained solemn to some extent, a few started to search the hall after the part-Echani sank into a clear meditative pose and clearly intended to stay there for some time.
Speaking of such matters, there had been no exact time indicated to meet up beyond the mutually assured death before sunrise the following day. It was barely sunset.
“Do you feel that?” Artemis suddenly asked some time later, glancing around warily from side to side as they continued to avoid the massive throne that dominated the large hall. Thin, graceful hands carefully placed down the tome bearing some anarchic tongue. “It’s almost as if...”
“Normally, I would make a joke but I feel it too. Something is... off here,” Sylvia agreed stoically. The Echani would not have missed this fight for the world. Her firstborn son, the Head of their family, had been formally invited to an honor duel.
“I am not surprised, mother,” Atra murmured quietly, though his voice carried via the subtle acoustics of the throne room. It was a habit he had picked up from years of being Celevon’s best friend as a child; they had viewed each other as brothers and called each other’s parents by the respective titles of ‘mom/mother’ or ‘dad/father’. Noticing quickly how the others’ eyes had flitted to him, the Regent of the Brotherhood obliged the curiosity he could see brimming within all but the Mandalorian himself. “This castle was built upon a Nexus of the Force by Darth Vader some months after his duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi. Meditating whilst in that throne allowed him to become a Master of the Force, however limited his abilities had become due to how much of his body was no longer organic.”
Rowena glared at Ventus, resting a hand lightly on the shoulder of her trembling niece. “This planet is powerful in the dark side of the Force, mother. Don’t let hi—”
“He’s here,” Celevon murmured loudly, halting the tense attempt at conversation in its tracks.
Whilst one set of eyes went directly to another part of the room, the other five had to struggle to look away from the Seeker. Though eyes were wide with equal parts fear and awe, an equally pleased smile had arisen on the lips of Artemis, his daughter.
Even behind the closed lid, it was clear that the remaining organic eye was glowing and not simply giving off that impression. In fact, if they were not mistaken, the cybernetic one seemed brighter as well. The slightest frown crossed the face of the part-Sephi, once more pondering suspiciously on the crystalline marble her father had almost casually offered after the original transparisteel orb had gone missing.
The half-Echani had managed to connect to nexus of dark side energy, pushing himself to his feet. "Well, ner'vod... have at you!"
He stared across the throne room, eyes almost glowing as Celevon flipped the thumbswitch. A length of amethyst plasma burst into life, the two vents extending on either side of the crossguard hilt a moment later as the closed circuit completed itself.
