Lightning shatters the sky and strikes the spire atop the cloning complex towering before anyone who steps off their ship and onto the rain-slick landing platform. Kamino, the Planet of Storms, is known for its roiling seas and constant torrential downpour. The fall of the Galactic Empire hit the planet’s primary export of military cloning projects extremely hard, but the Kaminoans remained afloat, both figuratively with contracts to galactic warlords, and literally with the brilliant engineering of their iconic seaborne cities.

The initial landing pad is a wide circle designed to accommodate a variety of ships, and is connected to a series of other platforms as well. Every surface is slick with rain, but avoids flooding due to the sloped edges that allow the water to run off into the sea below and away from the centerpoint.

The cloning facility’s exterior is characterized by similar slopes, and raindrops rapidly transform into steam as they touch against the series of lightning rods around the platform, much like they would if they dripped onto a lightsaber blade.

History tells of the fateful encounter between Obi Wan Kenobi and renowned Bounty Hunter Jango Fett. The doors of the facility are sealed, which means that whatever challenge awaits you, will have to be faced in the heart of the omnipresent rainstorm.

Kul beat down the Kaminoan’s glare with his own, even though the slender indigenous people towered above him. He shook his cloak once again which sent hundreds of tiny droplets cascading to the floor, much to the ire of the pale-skinned amphibians. Kul feigned ignorance to their offended gazes. His focus was on the hunt, the prize of which was enticing enough to draw him from the shadows of the looming war and into the delightful company of the grim-faced Kaminoans.

“I understand your concern, but I assure you I have no business with your people. I am here merely to catch a prey I have long awaited. She will be here shortly, so if you don’t mind I would just like to wait here inside. Where there’s not an ocean falling on my head.”

The Kaminoan’s eyes snapped shut once with a gooey click before he responded.

“You are of course welcome here, young Jedi, but know that your kind have caused trouble for us in the past.”

Kul followed the black orbs as they stared at the saber hanging from his left hip. He nearly scoffed aloud at the notion.

“I am no Jedi.”

The amphibian’s vertically running nose slits flared wide.

“Then you would do well to leave.”

Kul turned to face the door, a hungry smile spreading across his face. It was not directed towards the Kaminoan’s paltry attempt at a vague threat, however, but at the figure who had triggered the entrance to the small spherical room. The automated door snapped open with a hiss, and a figure covering herself from the hail of rain stepped through. She raised a hand to slide back her hood. At the same time she noticed the Zabrak, who was even now a step away reaching with his hand towards her.

“Kul’tak?”

She only had time for the confused look as the Zabrak barreled into her. His momentum pushed them back into the driving rain, where Kul now sat atop her on the landing platform’s walkway, his eyes eagerly taking her in. Neither noticed the door activate its locking mechanism as the Kaminoans sealed them outside in the storm.

“We meet again, Tahiri. It’s been some time since our mission together, but I have looked forward to this moment ever since.”

The young Togruta tested her oppressor’s weight, but the Zabrak was larger than she and he held fast. He smiled at her attempt, but did not allow her any room to gain ground. Kul gazed down at her, ignoring the cold rain dripping from his soaked body.

“Don’t worry, beastmaster. I will not hurt you. Though I am curious as to your skill. First, however, I wish to offer you a proposition of sorts.”

Tahiri was unsure what Kul would want with her, but she had seen him in action and would have to be careful to not trigger his animalistic side. She could little from her current position. Unless...The Togruta nodded once to Kul.

“Let us here it then, Kul’tak. I am curious as to why you followed me here.”

The Zabrak leaned back a bit, shifting his weight, with a pleased look on his face.

“Indeed. I knew there must be others like me. Not just Sith, but those with a connection with the beasts of the universe. You showed your attunement during our mission with how you controlled your pet Akul, and I have not forgotten it. An ally like yourself would prove a powerful one indeed. Especially in these times when the rumors of war are becoming more believable. I would enjoy the clamors of battle with another beastmaster at my side.”

The Togruta could not ignore that the offer was interesting. Meeting another beastmaster had been exciting, that much was true, but there was something missing from Kul’s explanation.

“Would I be required to leave Tarentum for this alliance to function?”

Kul frowned.

“Of course.”

“Then I must refuse. I would not betray my clan.”

Surprisingly to Tahiri, Kul genuinely smiled at her response.

“An answer that I expected and respect. Loyalty is an important thing. However, I cannot accept a refusal.”

Tahiri felt the grazing wind as Kul’s fist slammed into the durasteel beneath them. Only her instinctive reflexes had kept her from becoming red paste. With a smile of her own, the Togruta twisted her hips and tossed the Zabrak’s unbalanced weight aside.

As Tahiri felt Kul’s weight slip off of her, she deftly rolled to the side and jumped to her feet. Quickly taking a low wide stance thus keeping her center of balance low against the wind, the Togruta called her saber to her right hand, while unsheathing the blacked out vibrosword from her back.

Kul’tak had gotten to his feet, revealing twin blacked out Ryyk blades. The Zabrak stood at the ready, towering against the dark sky as lightning electrified the air. The rain incessantly beat against her head, causing her to blink as water dripped down.

“Thank you for respecting my loyalty Kul’tak,” nodding her head in respect to the Zabrak. Tahiri almost choked as the wind blasted her cloak, making it billow and whip wildly around. “Though there is no reason to take my answer as a complete refusal.”

“What do you mean, how can I take it any differently?” asked Kul’tak, quizzically raising an eyebrow. “Do you wish to reconsider?”

“No, I will never leave my clan under any circumstances,” Tahiri shouting over the thunder to be heard. “However, if you are willing to listen, I may have a proposal that would suit us both.”

“Oh really? Well first, let’s see if you are as good with your blades, as you are with your pet,” with that last sarcastic remark, the towering 6 foot Zabrak swiftly bore down on her, spinning and then swinging at the Togruta with broad strokes.

Kul’s style is smooth and technique is efficient, though I can be just as smooth and efficient with the skills I got, Tahiri commented to herself, as a sly grin spread across her crimson face.

She leapt to the side, as the striking blades sliced only the rain, using the wet surface to her advantage as she landed, extending her leading leg and kneeling with the other, slid further away from the Zabraks’ blades. As Tahiri slid, she re-clipped her saber to her belt, turning round as she unsheathed her blood red vibrosword from her left hip.

Facing Kul’tak once more, she stood tall and twirled her blades. Reversing the grip on the blood red blade, she cocked an eyebrow and smiled coyly. “Well, finally a fight with true blades. Call me sentimental, but I prefer a fight without sabers.”

Kul’tak stared at the Togruta for moment through the thick sheets of rain, and then with a little devilish grin he nodded. “Yes, so do I. It is truly natural for us to be sentimental about natural things.”

Nothing was noticed, not even the sounds of crashing and falling water, mixed with the timed beat of thunder and crackling lightning, while the two combats sized each other up. Most likely he is sizing me up as he would prey. If Kul wants to play that way, then I play that way as well, though he may be surprised as to the results.

As a particularly bright bolt of lightning pierced the sky, Tahiris’ swords rang as they met Kul’taks’ blades. Grappling the Zabrak briefly, Tahiris’ black lips formed a smile as the towering man tried and failed to get the upper hand on her, as the Togruta slipped from under his grip to ready for another attack.

“You see Tahiri, we are made for each other,” Kul’tak shouted to her after another bout. “Together we beastmasters could take down anyone in our path. We’d be unstoppable.”

“Yes, I do admit. We would be a force to be reckoned with,” Tahiri nodded, sighing deeply. “However, I believe that there may be a way that we can aid each other, and still stay within our respected clans. If you are willing to listen?”

This match has concluded by way of draw.