“It has been decreed. The list before you are your marks.”
“My Lord...some of my comrades are on this list.”
“Then they made the wrong enemies. Eviscerate them all.”
“Y-Yes, my Lord.”
Felucia
The air was frigid. Considerably odd for such a lush planet. It's vibrancy radiated within the lingering presence of the Force. And yet, this field of bones was awash in the Dark Side. It crawled on the skin, all the while attempting to pierce the unwary’s defenses and lure them into a stupor of rage. Of hate.
The brittle remains of former Rancors did not crunch underfoot. Instead they crumbled in weightless clumps of decayed dust, as silent as the being disturbing them. A black cloak whipped in the pressure of the moving Force, concealing the humanoid within. His orange eyes scanned the graveyard before him from inside the hood, sharp and hungry. He felt his hearts speed up, filling his ears with a crescendo.
She was here, she was waiting.
In the center of the ring of bones before him, what may have been an old ritual site, the female Echani stood patiently. She bore herself almost regally, but he knew from her file that it was a military raising that had created her obvious attempt at efficiency. Form-fitting attire and a well-groomed person could not hide the fact that she was young About the same age as himself in fact. She would find no empathy here.
He came to a stop a few meters away, waving back his cloak to place his hands upon his hips. Doing so revealed his armor more clearly, the chrome of his saber glinting in one of the few spears of light that could penetrate the shroud around them. Her own saber, designed in the armory fashion for training duels, swung on her right hip as she passed her weight from one foot to the other. Not that appearance mattered much to her probably. Military types usually strove for utility over aesthetics. He hoped she could use it well.
The pair eyed each other from over the sifting dust. Julianna tried to get a read on the Zabrak before her, as his red skin and black tattoos marked him, but his face was a blank canvas. His demeanor screamed danger, and she made sure to note the jagged durasteel claws embedded into his left gauntlet.
A close range fighter, then. By the look of his armor, a Juggernaut as well.
If she really wanted to discern his ability, there was only one logical path. She made the first move.
She twisted her body so that her legs were spread slightly past her shoulders. She might survive this long enough to perhaps escape if she could remain standing. Invading the space between them she aimed a punch for his face before using the swing of her hips to lead out of the feint and into a kick. The Zabrak took the bait, launching his own assault. As he thrust a pointed hand towards her liver she slapped it aside. Her boot lashed out at his neck, but stopped in midair as a red hand caught it firmly in place. She tried to draw her leg back, but the Zabrak had wrapped his arm slightly around the leg, trapping it. Julianna felt the muscles contract, their presence outlined with the Force. In such a vulnerable position, the Echani struggled to maintain balance. A grin tugged at the Zabrak's face before he spoke.
“Echani. Typical. Tell me something. Do you know why I am here?” He gave her leg a tug for spite, forcing her to hop to stay up. “Of course you do. You attacked first.”
She contemplated her next move. With a decent twist she might could surprise him and break free. Better to keep him distracted, either way. She decided to play along.
“When I was first told to report here, I assumed it another training exercise. But Arcona has never used this site that I'm aware of. So the only logical solution…”
“Indeed. This meeting was setup from the start. Maybe if you amuse me for awhile I’ll let you in on the secret. Until then...any last words?”
She returned his intense gaze with all the rebellious fury she could muster. The miasma of Dark Side energy was filtering itself around--and even through--them. It's empowering rush gave her new confidence.
“No,” she spat as she kicked him. Her flexibility did not surprise him; she was lithely built and as an Echani very capable of using her body in battle. Still, he could not suppress the reactionary flame that erupted within.
They now stood apart again as the Zabrak rubbed his neck.
“So be it. I, Kul’tak Drol, will erase you.” He growled menacingly as he strode towards her, building velocity quickly with each stride. The two crashed and became a single mass of burning wills. Julianna looked for a chance to turn the table, but the Zabrak’s martial knowledge was formidable.
Doubt began to creep into the recesses of her mind.
