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.]

Atashi sat cross-legged on the floor of the small room. She was fully absorbed in the holorecording she'd carefully selected from the Combat Hall's archives, watching the translucent blue figure. Dodging and diving, duel blades in hand, the combatant moved with the skill and grace of someone who not only had natural talent but years of dedicated practice. Micromovements showed throughout Atashi's otherwise still body as her mind played through what it would be like to possess that kind of effortless grace.

She let out a sigh as the recording came to an end and the projection flickered off. She tossed the disk onto the rising pile next to her as her eyes scanned the archives for the next piece of information to absorb. I'm never going to get that good, she berated herself, even if I practice every day for the next two decades! Usually a font of optimism, seeing the skills of her fellow Clan members had shown her just how lacking her own abilities were. She'd barely mastered Banlanth, the very basics of lightsaber combat, never mind being able to dance with two blades.

"I hope you are going to put those back".

Atashi spun, knocked out of her inner mental conflict as her body reacted instictively to the sudden intrution. Standing at the doorway, a tall, muscular form had appeared.

"You know, you are not going to get better by watching holorecordings", he continued. Her body started to regulate. She didn't know Knight Tezo very well, but it was hard not to have noticed the Iktotchi around - the horns kind of stuck out, literally. From what she'd seen of him, he seemed OK. She tried to intuit if he was teasing, or telling her off. Wasn't that what the archives were for?

"Come now, stop wasting your time watching other people fight, and let me see what you can do".

Atashi froze. While she didn't know much about Tezo, she knew he was a lot more experienced than she was. Would fighting him really help bolster her confidence? Still, he was probably right. Spending hours in the archives didn't seem to be helping her much. She took a deep breath before standing up. "Let me just put these all back first...", she mumbled. Tezo had already left the room and was heading for the sparring mats. It didn't look like she really had a choice.

As she was replacing the holodisks, she cast her eyes back into the main hall. Tezo had already readied himself, lightsaber in hand, the red blade casting an eerie light over his face. His expression had hardened into a look of determination, and a sense of dread started to wash over her.

Killing Proselytes isn't actually allowed here, is it? she thought to herself. Still, she didn't sense that was his intention, for now.

She swept her white bobbed hair back off her face, as she pulled out her own standard issue lightsaber, powered it up and headed out to the mats. "Go easy on me, I'm pretty new to thi...."

She was cut off by Tezo charging at her, full force, as soon as her feet touched the mat. Nearly stumbling, she met the downwards thrust of the blade with her own, the sparks of interchanged energy filling the air with a strong smell of ozone.

Center yourself, came that inner voice. Atashi looked Tezo straight in the eyes as she felt the weight of her body plant herself firmly to the floor, and she put her full might into pushing him backwards.

"Good reaction, Rain. Not too slow, but not fast enough either. Just intercepted, a moment later," he looked at her mockingly, "and I have to explain to your master why she only has half an apprentice left. Although a quarter student would be closer to the truth." He gives her a mocking grin. However, his opponent did not seem to respond to the verbal blow, nor show a visible reaction, it seemed more as if she was using it as fuel to push him back. He caught their strength and feigned to give in, controlled, his feet adapted to the ground and danced slightly to the side. The interlocked blades moved slowly towards his left shoulder.

The iktochi looked intently into the eyes of the human woman before giving her a grim smile. "You're stronger than you look, just-" Even as he spoke, he leaned to the right and rolled his body past her, disengaging for a moment while dragging his sword with him, using his elbow to give her a low push in her side. Atashi gasped in surprise and staggered a step backwards.

"-we are here to fight!”

He did not allow her a moment to recover and began to cover her with a chain of rapid attacks. Pure adrenaline flooded his brain and surging his attacks. Every strike followed a step forward, every step forward, pushed her back a bit. To his surprise and relief, she managed to uphold her defense, parrying most attacks barly, but in time. Her footwork lacked balance; her hands never left the same position that was typically for the Way of the Banlanth, but….there was spirit.

He stopped his avalanche of attacks, forcing his mind to reason the battle lust. *I am not here to batter her down, she wants to learn. * “You are still standing. Good. Now. You attack me. Show me your fire!”

Cade lowered himself into his defense position, his right leg behind his left, knees bend, he connected with the ground. His saber casted a crimson shadow on his face, as he turned his body sideways and gripped it firmly with both hands. His eyes were radiating orange as he watched her, waiting for her to attack.

Atashi caught her breath, static buzzing in her ears as her hyperfocus on the present moment blocked out everything beyond the mat. She saw echoes through her mind, replaying each dodge and parry from the Ikochi's onslaught. She pushed them to one side. The replay could come later. Acutely aware of every mistake she'd made, the lessons could wait. Now was the time to do better.

The grip on her blade tightened and she felt the dull metal bite through her hands, bringing her even more into sharp focus. The rise of familar energy had been building within her and was now at the point of spilling over. Electric waves from the core of her being spread through to her fingertips and she felt the hilt start to warm.

A vision flashed past by her inner sight. She saw herself launch in an effortless somersault over the Knight's head, landing at the far corner of the mat with precision. Landing in a crouch, one hand touching the mat, she half closed her eyes as she let the force within her take full control. Thrusting her free arm forward she felt the energy gather and grow, arching currents jumping in an ever building cataclysm of blue as her sight narrowed....

FOCUS That ever present inner voice pulled her back. Now was the chance to prove herself, right now, not with fantasy ideas of what she might grow to become. Was it to Tezo, or to herself? To the Clan.

She took a slight step backwards to steady herself as she re-centered and used the pent up undercurrents to reach forward with the force.

BEHIND YOU! She used every fibre of her being to project the message loud and clear into Cade's mind.

She saw her opening. While he briefly turned to cover his back, she launched herself forward bringing the blade across her body until she reached her target. As he brought his head back he was met with the dull sting of a sabre inches away from his throat.

A smirk spread across his face as he gave a low chuckle. "Well done Atashi. You did very well."

The energy drained from her body as she gave him a look of gratitude, the lightsabre dropping from her hand. She fell to the floor in exhaustion, resting on her knees.

"Rest up", he continued, "We meet here again tomorrow. This time, no force tricks. If you want to progress beyond Banlanth, you have to actually use the techniques".

She gave a timid nod, as he put away his blade and made his exit. She fell backwards and spread herself on the mat. Staring up to the metal panels above she started to replay the battle in her mind, over and over, placing herself as if she was him and tracing the movements until it felt natural. He was right. This was far better than any holorecording.

Atashi watched her adversary in his defense position. She was unsure if attacking him would be the right course of action. Moments before she was trapped inside a storm of his red blade, a storm she could barely defend herself from. Now she was supposed to attack him, but she didn’t know what do to. She liked the space between her and the Iktotchi. She grabbed her saber with two hands holding it angled before her body than slowly went ahead to move forward, watching him closely trying to find a weak spot.

On the other side of the mat Cade watched her getting closer slowly, she seemed to study him, unsure where to attack. His heart was still beating fast, a remnant of the battle heat slowly subsiding into him, leaving all but a strong glimmer.

“Just attack me! Glowy side first! Don’t think too much, trust yourself!” He encouraged her. Her violet saber twitched forward in a small slash towards his left shoulder. Cade blocked the attack lazy, then chuckled. “You need more power than that!” He centered himself back into his defense position. “You have the power inside you. Again. This time trying to hit me like I just killed your porg. In fact, if I win here, I will take it as my trophy!” As soon as he finished his sentence, he looked into the shocked but angry, very angry face of the Proselyte.

“Nobody will touch my porg, Tezo!” She screamed performing a wild powerful blow towards his head. Cade moved his saber upwards catching her blade. But moved through it, channeling her force against her in a direct counter that wiped her saber away and let his blade move through her defense unhindered stopping a few inches before her face.

“Dead. I think I will eat Porg wings tonight, Rain!”

Cade lowered his saber, then turned around. “You tried, let’s –“ He was interrupted by a sharp pain in his lower back, dropping him to his knees in pain. His senses tingled as he could feel an attack homing in on his hip, that he could barely block in time. The rage in his head caught the glimmer in his heart, igniting it to a hate fueled fire of vengeance. “Bad idea, Rain! Know you die!” He turned around slowly his nerves where still screaming in pain. His hand twitched forward unleashing a violet-blue lightning towards his attacker.

Atashi felt a triumphant feeling as she used her knowledge of Echani to pinch the Iktotchi at a known knot of nerves near his spine. What she didn’t expected was that he was still moving. She used her saber to catch the lighting of Tezo, but the impact still drove her away, the electric light and heat of the force unleashed took her sight for just a moment. One moment too long.

Cade used his rage to push himself forward using it as fuel to strike at Atashi with a wild two handed jump attack. His sword met hers with an angry sizzle and a white blinding flash, but he didn’t stop there, he kept swinging at her in a wide arcs, battering her down with dominant swings, driving her towards the ground. He was blinded by his anger and didn’t realize how Atashi crumbled to the ground too weak to defend herself from the aggressive strikes.

He already followed through with the next attack, but before slicing through Rain like a hot knife through butter, another unknown red blade blocked the attack and a powerful force push hit him, throwing him to the ground; away from Atashi.

“Seize your Attack, Knight Tezo! This hall is neutral ground by order of the Council! No Killing!” As the Iktotchi looked up, he met the eyes of one of the Staff members, looking criticizing down on him. “Leave now! We will inform your Clan about this attack, they will decide how to handle this.”

Cade slowly stood up and left the hall quickly without looking back.