The whine of hydraulics ceased and a strong hand grasped Adele’s elbow, guiding her down the boarding ramp. A black bag that smelled faintly of topato covered her head, obscuring her vision and preventing her from getting an early look at their next venue. Still, she tried to piece together what she could using her other senses.
The air was hot and heavy with humidity. It caused the bag to stick to her skin, bringing with it a feeling of suffocating claustrophobia. Every breath carried with it the scent of wet earth, decaying vegetation and stagnant water. She could hear the high pitch whine of insects as well as the occasional bird call, the rustle of trees, and the quiet splash of water somewhere nearby. She noted the way the ground sank beneath her feet, every step accompanied by the squelch of waterlogged ground.
Wherever she was, she absolutely hated it.
The hand on her elbow guided her to where she was supposed to stand. Once stopped, Adele immediately lifted her arms to remove the black bag, but was stopped by a disapproving hiss. Taking the hint, Adele lowered her hands to her sides.
Footsteps hurried away, and a few minutes later, she heard the approach of two more people, their footsteps stopping a few meters away.
Something thudded onto the ground. Then she heard the sound of hurriedly retreating footsteps.
Through all of this, Adele could feel her irritation and impatience rising steadily. She had not known what to expect when she signed up for the combat tournament, but it certainly had not been this. Between the previous match and now this, it was beginning to feel like some sadistic experiment rather than a fighting competition.
The rising sound of engines interrupted her internal grousing. She pulled the black bag off her head in time to see a battered Nu-Tech transporter lift slowly off of the marshy ground. It hovered in the air for a moment, and Adele saw the face of a Trandoshan in the cockpit. It was the same one who had taken her signed waiver at the beginning of the tournament. The ship flew off, vanishing over the treetops.
By all accounts, she and the half-Umbaran standing across from her were alone, a metallic disc resting between them. They stood in the center of a patch of mud loosely covered with scraggly plants, surrounded on all sides by murky water that was covered in a patchy mist. Trees grew densely around them, laden with thick moss and hanging vines.
This is utterly ridiculous, she thought to herself as she pushed aside the blonde bangs that were sticking to her forehead. The humidity and vile surroundings were doing little to improve her temper.
“You’re right. This is ridiculous.”
Adele turned her gaze to the half-Umbaran. His mismatched eyes were on her, a wry half-smirk on his face. She looked him up and down with narrowed eyes, taking in his wiry form and beskar'gam. When she spoke, it was in flawless Mando'a. “You make a habit of poking around in people’s minds without permission?”
The half-Umbaran rolled his shoulders in a shrug before responding in kind. “Sorry, it’s a habit.” Yet nothing in his haughty expression showed even an ounce of contrition. “I’m Celevon Werd'a. And you are?”
“Adele Valreyes,” she replied tersely as she continued to look around, trying to glean some hint as to what they were expected to do. Were they just supposed to fight here? Because she was strongly in favor of the notion.
“Well, this is a combat tournament,” Celevon said.
Adele's violet eyes snapped back to him, her hand going to the lightsaber on her belt as she felt her annoyance rise. “That sort of behavior is gonna get your ass kicked, Werd'a.”
“Some people have tried. It usually doesn't work out for them.” Celevon studied her for a moment and then quirked his brow. “Do you even know how to survive in a swamp like this? Because I do.”
“I'll take my chances.” With that, Adele vanished and reappeared behind him a moment later.
Perhaps warned by the Force, Celevon whirled and stepped back, neatly avoiding the kick she'd aimed at his knee. Adele pushed forward, Force energy surging into her muscles to lend her strength. Her first and second blows were neatly turned aside. With the third, he grabbed her arm and threw her.
She twisted, landing on her feet, though she nearly lost her balance in the slippery mud. The Force screamed a warning and she teleported a few feet to her left, narrowly avoiding the flame that washed over where she had just stood.
“Not bad,” Celevon said with a wry smile. “Not great, but not bad either.”
Adele returned the grin, but there was no friendliness to it. He was good. Probably better than her. She felt a familiar thrill; it was a rare pleasure to face a skilled opponent.
This time, she did draw her lightsaber, and Celevon responded in kind.
“Well. Aren't you two eager.”
Adele glanced over her shoulder to see the blue and gray holoprojection of the Combat Master hovering over the metallic disc. “It took you long enough,” she said as she shifted her position to keep Celevon in her periphery. The half-Umbaran shifted his weight slightly, but made no move to attack.
Vincent paused long enough for it to become clear that Adele and Celevon had ceased their hostilities. He frowned in disappointment, but the expression quickly vanished. “Just as well,” he said, ignoring Adele's quip. “I have a task for you.”
As they watched, a small compartment on the holoprojector opened with a click. “I need a sample of dragonsnake venom. Word is, there's a sizable specimen that has made its home not far from your location. The person who gives it to me will be allowed to move forward in the tournament.”
The two combatants exchanged glances. “So we're running errands for you? You want to give us your shopping list while we're at it?” Adele asked in a voice heavy with sarcasm. Celevon chuckled dryly.
“The dragonsnake venom sample will suffice,” the Combat Master said, fixing her with an icy look. “Your transport will return once you have placed the container back in its slot. And I'd hurry if I were you. My lackey isn't the brightest. If you take too long, he might accidentally forget your coordinates.”
Threat made, the holoprojection vanished, leaving the two combatants to their task.
