You enter one of the dozens of sparring chambers within the Shadow Academy of Lyspair, the simple square room utilized mostly by those learning the ways of the lightsaber. This five hundred square-foot room, rectangular in shape, is nearly barren. The floor is lined with simple padding, while the walls are made of dull, grey durasteel, gauged by innumerable lightsaber strikes, scarring the metal permanently.

The ceiling towers above you, nearly twenty feet in height, allowing for plenty of movement from the more acrobatic of Force users. There are no other adornments within the room, save for the entrance and lighting that bathes the entire room, yet seems to come from nowhere. All corners of the room are perfectly lit, with no visible shadows to speak of. There is nowhere for you to hide within the room, but… there's no room for your opponent to hide either.

Darkblade felt the presence of his Master entering the Academy. He had gotten a com-link from Meleu asking him to meet in the training room. Irritated and grumbling the entire way to the sparring chambers, he arrived before Meleu and prepared beforehand, hoping to impress him. He had thought out a plan very quickly upon entering the room. Sparse as it was, it left good opportunities for him to test his abilities. The grey walls had many slashes and carves in them, attesting to their durability and age. This would be the first time he would meet the Dark Jedi Knight in person, as Darkblade had flown to Lyspair to study once he had been initiated into the Dark Brotherhood.

It was a slight disappointment when Darkblade was interrupted and ordered to meet in the training room. He had just started reading about various Dark Brotherhood leaders and their ability to unite the Brotherhood. As interesting as it was though, he knew better than to ignore a first time meeting with his Master. Of course, they had spoken before, and had a few lengthy discussions about certain aspects and rules, but this would be the first time they would meet in person. He was not going to disappoint Meleu, and his own irritations had turned to excitement upon entering the room.

Gritting his teeth, Darkblade concentrated on an image of himself and projected this into the middle of the sparring room, creating an illusion of himself. Making his illusion turn around, he made sure that all looked as perfectly as normal. Walking to a corner and cloaking his real self in the Force to suppress his own presence in the room, Darkblade went over his strategy. Smiling to himself, he felt confident his plan would work.

It wasn't long before Meleu strode through the doors, clad in black and wearing a helmet what seemed to be made of durasteel. "Greetings Master, welcome. I trust the trip here went without problems?", Darkblade asked, spoken through his illusion. 

The Knight did not respond, only taking off his cloak and letting it drop to the ground. Taking an immediate attack stance, the snap hiss of a drawn lightsaber was heard throughout the barren room.

Taking a bound forwards, Darkblade backpedaled and had to jump out of the way before being able to draw his own training saber. Landing niftily on his feet, the illusion braced for an onslaught of high and low attacks. Watching from the side Darkblade noticed his Master was gaining strength and speed with each blow. It didn't take long before Meleu was able to dispatch the illusion with a feint to the upper right shoulder, which backhanded into a lower cross cut from the lower right side rib-cage and ended after separating the torso down to the lower left hip.

Sighing, Meleu turned around towards his Apprentice. Not being able to read his Master's facial expressions, Darkblade went into a defensive stance and reached for his own lightsaber. Unable to find it, he looked down and saw it, mere inches to the left of his reaching hand. Before he was able to grab and ignite it, a wave pulsed outwards from Meleu's outstretched hand, something Darkblade had failed to notice whilst reaching for his lightsaber. Flying into the wall he had just revealed himself from, Darkblade let out a grunt. The air pushed out of his lungs by the impact of the wall, head slamming into the grey durasteel walls, lightsaber clattering to the ground before finally falling to his knees on the ground. Quickly trying to catch his breath Darkblade scrambled back onto his feet and reached for his lightsaber a second time. This time he called it to him by use of the Force, grabbing a hold of it and turning it on just in time to deflect the lightsaber coming at him through the air.  Meleu's lightsaber spun into the wall behind his Apprentice.

Reaching out and calling to it he retrieved it as quickly as he had thrown it with the Force. "Are you done playing tricks now Apprentice?" Meleu calmly asked, "I'd like to start our sparring for real now." With that Meleu somersaulted towards Darkblade and started to unleash his built up rage and frustration on his hapless opponent.

Meleu took the upper hand straight away, cutting down towards Darkblade’s arm in a false movement, before dipping the hilt downwards and lunging towards the stomach of the Arkanian. Darkblade elegantly danced away from the lunge, despite being slightly impeded by his injured back. The Sith unsuccessfully continued the offensive flurry of attacks, but was at the mercy of Darkblade. Meleu would cut or slice down towards his apprentice before he realised he was being toyed with, as Darkblade twisted and athletically dodged every strike, despite his injury . Impressive, Meleu muttered to himself. Darkblade once again backpedaled and the duel stayed silent as both opponents looked at each other with determination. Darkblade studied his master to find a flaw, but his reputation of obstinacy and lack of speech drew the Arkanian to no conclusion. Meleu pointed his saber arm towards the floor, seering deep into the matting of the sparring room floor, adding to the years of vandalism that it had already grown accustom to. His prestigious hilted blade lit up the small surrounding area in a sea of red. Darkblade stood firm as Meleu moved towards him, a small hissing sound coming from Meleu’s blade followed. Suddenly, Meleu leaped. His apprentice had expected this however, pushing all light particles out away from a small area around him through the Force. Meleu suddenly went blind. He lifted his saber from the damaged matting and wildly swung and sliced in the general direction of where his apprentice was. Darkblade’s face of determination briefly held a smile as he realised he had once again tricked his master. He sidestepped the sequence of unformulated strikes and lunged with his training saber towards Meleu’s abdominal region. Whether through skill or luck, Meleu miraculously swivelled on his feet at the last moment, parrying the lunge from Darkblade, just as light filled his eyes once more. With the light brought a look of surprise on each of their faces. Darkblade broke the silence-filled duel, “What th- ,” the Krath’s words were literally taken from his mouth. The Sith rammed the hilt of his blade into the jaw of the Arkanian, his teeth hitting the ground at the same time as his body. Darkblade instantaneously rolled to his side, despite being incapacitated. Meleu’s blade followed, striking the ground which previously held the body of his apprentice. Darkblade flipped up onto his feet, running his left hand across the inside of his mouth, unable to feel any teeth.