Deep within the jungles of Karufr lies a massive temple built from stone blocks, hand-carved by the builders of the Massassi. The ancient race made its home on the planet after joining forces with Clan Taldryan, having been freed from stasis years ago. Now, an entire civilization exists, hidden far from the prying eyes of Karufr's citizenry. As a Jedi, you are one of the few to have access to their secret base.

You step onto the temple grounds and watch the fearsome warriors train in small regiments with their crude weapons. The entire temple is in a state of anticipation as the Massassi know they will soon be called on once more to aid the Dark Jedi of Taldryan in battle. The temple is shaped like a giant pyramid, towering into the sky, and serves as a backdrop to the training ground.

The War Chief notices you and gestures you forward. He clears the area around you with a bellowing command, and the Massassi warriors present form a wide circle with you at the center. A moment later, you realize you're not the only Jedi to visit the temple—the crowd parts slightly to allow the newcomer to enter the ring. The gathered Massassi holler in good cheer. They want to see a fight.

The Chief raises his weapon to the sky and barks a command. The Massassi begin to stamp their feet against the ground, creating a loud, steady beat that seems to get your blood pumping. With little choice left, you lock eyes with your opponent and ready yourself for a fight.

Tisto entered the arena, one of the few standing buildings on the ruins of Karufr. The planet had recently been bombarded by the Grandmaster's forces, and the kiffar had decided it would be a good place to visit due to his own nature. As a scar in the force Tisto had to move around every so often so he wouldn't lead Inquisitors to the Knights of Allusis and Clan Odan-Urr. He moved through the arena, his leather jacket pushed around by the wind.

Clack

Tisto turned around quickly, grabbing his saber off his belt. Behind him stood a tall man with a blindfold wrapped around his head. The mans robes billowed out from behind him, pushed by the wind. Tisto eyed the man suspiciously, not ever having seen him before. The man was next to a pile of crumbling rocks, and had just accidentally knocked one over. He looked up, as if just noticing the Knight Commander.

The miraluka Talis looked back at Tisto unsure what to make of him. He recognized the Knight Commander from when he was Knighted after New Tython was bombarded, but just like then he was put off by the Knight Commanders appearance. Unlike the normal human shape aura there was a jagged split in the kiffar's, making him seem very disconnected. Looking him was disorienting, but after a few seconds Talis began to get used to it.

"Its you, the scar on the summit," the man said. "I saw you when they knighted me."

Tisto cocked his head, his eyes narrowing. "Who are you then? If you know me, why don't I know you?"

"Seriously?" Talis asked, slightly put off by the Force Scar. "How do you not... sorry I forget that others can't see through the Force as I can, scar. I'm Revak's apprentice, saved Nathan, and all that."

"Ohh, Tal...ir?" Tisto said trying to remember the man's name.

"Talis," the Miraluka replied annoyed. "It is Talis DeMort."

"Ahh," the Knight Commander replied. "So how have you been Talis? Any exciting adventures?"

"I am a member of Garza's Pathfinders now," Talis replied. "Why do you want to know?"

"No reason," the Knight Commander replied hastily. "Revak is fine by the way. So what are you doing on this planet?"

"Just doing some after battle scouting," Talis replied. "Its a shame they died, then again fools tend to do that a lot, am I right?"

Talis saw a sudden shift in the Knight Commanders aura in the Force. He could see anger, and was immediately on guard. Then he saw the Knight Commander rush forward, with speed Talis did not expect. The roar of an engine ran through the air, Tisto having ignited his saber. Reflexively Talis brought his Lightsaber out in a defensive swipe, his light magenta blade connecting with the dark crimson blade of Tisto's saber. While Talis was the stronger of the two, his lack of experience on defense allowed Tisto to overcome him in that moment.

Talis utilized his experience with his Wookie instructors and ducked down and hopped to the side. As his feet landed Talis went on the offensive, spinning laterally and lashing out a stab at the Kiffar’s nearest him. Tisto easily batted away the Knights stab, allowing Talis some time to make a desperate retreat away from his opponent.

“What’s your problem?” Talis demanded.

As the words left his mouth the Kiffar quickly cleared the ground. Each step augmented, pounding off the ground, raising dust in its wake. Talis met the incoming attack with his own flurry of strikes as he bound over the incoming fighter and spun. Striking Tisto’s defense in a quick repeated manner.

As Talis landed he was forced to move again. This time acting on pure instinct, and calling on the force as he rolled away, to cover the immediate area in an orb of blackness that no light could penetrate. Talis knew where, Tisto was as he came to a screeching halt in the darkness and then lept backwards twice before he felt comfortable and outside of his darkness. Tisto waded out of the black orb and began towards Talis.

This guy is starting to piss me off. Talis delved into the his anger as Tisto closed on him. In one motion Talis deactivated his lightsaber and reached out with tendrils of bluish green lightning. Tisto’s crimson blade caught and held the lightning for just a moment. In an instant, just like its summoning, the lightning vanished.

Talis’ shoulder collided with the smaller opponent at the hips and wrapped his arms around his waist. Two heavy blows connected with the middle of his back. Talis pushed through the pains of the blows with sheer rage and used this moment to muster all the strength he could into his arms. In one fluid motion Talis lifted the Kiffar off the ground and turned his body before slamming him on his head into the ground.

Talis stumbled back away from the seemingly unconscious foe and stood up, only to double over in pain. The blows had broken a pair of ribs and his shoulder blade on his right side. Every motion with his right arm pained him but Talis began concentrating on mitigating the pain. After a few moments he had dulled it to a heavy throbbing sensation.

Great, now i have to report this fiasco too. Talis shook his head as he turned to leave. A few paces away Talis’ mind went off like a blare horn. Moving on instinct and luck Talis spun to meet his attacker. The red lightsaber slammed hard into Talis’ orchid blade. Stopping the assailant, but sending a shock through Talis’ body, to his right shoulder, causing him to wince in pain and vomit in his mouth. The chunky liquid splashed against his teeth seeking an avenue of escape. Some of the splatter dotted Tisto’s face but he didn’t seem to mind. Talis turned a little and pushed the foul tasting bile out of his mouth and onto the ground where it splattered the ground and both of their feet.

As the two sabers fizzed and popped in protest Talis used his superior raw strength to hold back his smaller foes push. They were even in strength and something had to be done. Talis had one option left in his repertoire.

He lightly hopped into the air, drawing a confused stare from the Kiffar. Talis snapped a kick into Tisto’s groin strong enough, with the added push by his opponent, to push Talis clear of any harm. Talis stumbled and rolled away from his opponent cursing as he came around and bounded off his broken shoulder.

When he finally came to a stop Talis had slammed up against the wall of the chamber. Tisto was doubled over holding his groin and his aura was pure, furious rage. It swirled around the scar across his aura like a frantic sea beating on an immovable island.

Tisto growled as he straightened himself, pain lancing through him as he called on the Force. The energy felt like a warm fire after a long day's work in the Trepus Mining facility, and he began to relax and heal. He felt the pain recede, though he wasn't completely healed. He took two steps forward, limping.

Damn, well I can still fight with a limp he thought, looking at his enemy. I don’t want to kill him, but he has to learn to not insult the oppressed!

Talis was crouched against the wall, his right arm on his leg, supporting his broken shoulder. His lightsaber was held in his left hand, unactivated. He was sweating profusely, and breathing heavily, though he showed no other signs of exhaustion.

Tisto felt his chest rising and falling at a higher rate aswell, though aside from the groin injury, he was still fine. Tisto removed his leather jacket, and it landed on the ground behind him with a thump. A line of sweat ran down his red sleeveless undershirt, creating a dark line which stood out among the bright red.

He is good though, Tisto thought to himself. He may really be Revak’s apprentice. Hopefully I can teach him a lesson about those who have been hurt before.

Tisto limped forward, igniting his lightsaber again. The same roar of an engine came forth as he limped towards Talis. He held the blade forward, in a strong methodical two handed grip. Down to just elbows and punches, I don’t want to only be on one leg. Still, no more holding back.

The Knight Commander leaped forward, clearing the distance with surprising speed for his limp. Talis reacted quickly, igniting his orchid colored blade, and leaping aside. Afterall, Tisto had only shown the most basic of skills, even if he could match Talis in speed with them. Tisto replied by cutting downward angling the strike towards Talis at the last second.

Caught off guard, Talis barely ducked under the downward cut, and felt the top half of hi robe suddenly come loose. He landed, feeling the remainder of his top come off from the jarring impact. Instinctively, Talis called forth another sphere of darkness, swallowing both of them in the inky black depths. Talis scrambled out, and stood up, his right arm now hanging uselessly at his side. He ignited his saber, ready for Tisto to charge out.

“Why are you doing this?” Talis called into the sphere of darkness.

A few seconds passed inside the sphere, as Tisto concentrated. An illusion of the charging Kiffar came forward, taking the shape of him as he appeared in the Force, and launched itself in the direction of Talis. Tisto followed close behind, coming in slightly under it, his lightsaber held out to his left.

Talis raised his lightsaber to block the illusory Tisto’s saber swing, taken by the illusion due to his exhaustion. Confident in his strength, he set himself up solidly, only to feel Tisto’s right elbow smash into his stomach. The two of them fell to the ground, lightsabers rolling away, deactivating with a hiss-click, and the sound of a dying engine. The two rolled over several times, Talis keeping a firm grip on the Knight Commander despite only being able to use one arm. They stopped with Talis at the bottom.

Struggling, Tisto punched at Talis’s right shoulder with his right hand, blasting with his wrist laser. Talis released the Kiffar with a scream, pain running through his broken arm. Tisto launched himself from his injured foe, only to has his foot kicked out from underneath him as Talis reacted to the pain.

The Knight Commander landed on his back with a thump, pain arcing through him. He struggled to pull himself up as Talis began to dull the pain in his arm as best he could, healing over the surface wound created by the wrist laser. The two combatants pulled themselves up, not knowing where their sabers had rolled off two. Tisto raised his hands up, Talis raised his good arm.

Talis turned his body and widened his stance, he placed his right foot forward and his left slightly back, under his good shoulder. Talis knelt into a deep squat before his enemy with his hand flat and rigid, palm facing Tisto and tucked in close to his chest. He managed to curl his arm across his body and grasp the kidney belt of his Dathomiri robes

The vibe had changed, Tisto could feel it in the air around him. In response to his opponent's tense, offensive stance, Tisto adjusted his dominant right hand back towards his body, readying it like a coiled snake to strike out. He left his left hand out in front loosely bobbing. Talis didn’t seem to care. Tisto got the unnerving feeling that he was cornering a wounded animal.

The two stood unwavering like a pair of serpents, coiled and ready to strike, less than a step from each other.

“If you don't want to tell me your problem, you crimson topped sleemo, then I will beat it out of you.” The growl in Talis’ voice was filled with rage. Tisto realized then, that Talis was going to come at him with a killing intent.

Talis snapped a kick to the outside of Tisto’s leg with his right foot. The crimson haired combatant bound back as Talis’ foot missed the mark and came to a sliding stop.

Tisto saw his chance. Talis’ stance was crossed, leaving his injured side open. Tisto closed the distance with a quick hop forward and planted his feet as he threw a crossing right jab at the Miralukan’s unprotected side.

Talis snarled as his opponent closed. With exhaustion beating on the door, Talis snapped his right leg back and dug his heel into the inside of Tisto’s left knee. Tisto, already in mid swing, couldn't stop his momentum. Talis bellowed as he stood towards his off balanced foe. Rising up on his left leg, Talis snapped his hips around bringing his momentum up and forward from his left to his right.

The momentum yanked Talis’ flattened palm strike at his target like lightning, as his shoulders followed his hips’ momentum to strike at his foe with his left hand. Tisto did everything he could to redirect his punch, losing some strength in it as he started to drift to his left. With a booming smack, the two strikes collided. The resounding shockwave from the stalemated blows sent a searing pain down both combatants’ arms followed by a loud bang and a snapping noise. The small explosion of energy sent them careening in opposite directions while creating a small cratered area in the center of the ring.

Talis watched the world swirl around him as he rolled across the ground. Tisto endured a similar fate and came to a stop on his chest with his face looking towards Talis. The Miralukan was on his back staring up at the ceiling of the building. Both combatants’ chests were heaving up and down.

Tisto winced in pain as he rolled over and sat up. He turned his gaze back to Talis, who still lay on the other side of the blast zone. Tisto attempted to stand but collapsed as soon as he put weight on his left leg. It was throbbing and starting to swell before the equite’s eyes. Tisto cleared his mind and began reaching out with the Force. He began putting his left knee back together. He was surprised to find that Talis’ kick did as much damage as it did. He had hyperextended multiple ligaments and torn some cartilage with that seemingly insignificant kick. Tisto reattached the severed ligaments and began mending the stretched ones back to normal. He resealed the cartilage in the area and healed the fractures along the bones.

As he finished the mending of his knee he began inspecting his other injuries. His right arm had begun to turn purple and the adrenaline from breaking it had begun to wear off. He was done fighting for the day, so he walked over and retrieved his vest before searching for his lightsaber. Both lightsabers were jammed into some loose packed dirt a few feet apart. Tisto retrieved both and made his way to Talis’ unconscious body.

Tisto had no words to describe the unconscious Knight. His left shoulder was visibly swollen, along with his right forearm that was an unsightly shade of purple and blue. Bruises and scrapes dotted the man’s prone body, but the most interesting wound was a burn mark that went up three quarters of the Miralukan’s left arm. Tisto looked down at his wrist laser with a smile. It soon receded when he realized that the concussion from earlier was not from their attacks, but from his wrist laser’s powerpack rupturing. The top of the wrist laser was burst open and empty where he had installed his last power pack.

As much as the Kiffar could tell, he had instinctively fired it to defend himself, but it appeared to have missed its intended target. The only thing that had saved his arm was the shielding around the power pack. It was also what had broken his arm, not his opponent's strike. The bottom of it was dented in right above where the break was.

Tisto limped over to his speeder and began hailing his battle team.

“Allusis actual, this is Allusis one, how copy?” A response immediately blared back at the Knight Commander.

“We copy you loud and clear Allusis one.”

“I have two casualties, one stretcher priority, the other, walking and coherent, how copy?” After a moment a reply came over the radio.

“We copy, two casualties, one stretcher priority one, one walking wounded, cas-evac five mike, how copy?”

“Roger that, five mike, over and out.”