When you are traversing the wild and untouched landscapes of the savannah, just remind yourself that you are never the apex predator. The vast and desolate area of sand, rocks, dead and ancient trees are all the same blood-orange color for a simple reason: to hide your worst nightmare from your sight, the Akul. A large, quadrupedal and orange furred mammal, the Akul are the top predators that hunt all sorts of bovine, dog, hooved and giant mammals. Using their extraordinary sense of smell, they can trace your scent from days long past and track you down without mercy.

Throughout the Savannah, tall and wispy Turu-grass stretches out into long ranging fields. Watering holes are sparse and spread thin, and the terrain offers little safety from the blazing sun that hangs overhead. When the sun retreats and gives way to moonlight, the Savannah becomes almost chill, but the night is dark and full of wild creatures. In the Savannah, it’s hunt or be hunted.

Of all the planets Atra Ventus could find himself on, there were an endless supply of options he'd take over Shili. It wasn't so much the desolation surrounding him that bothered the Grand Master's Praetor. Nor was it the tapestry of orange upon bloody orange that coated every tree and rock juxtaposed with the red-white blades of turu-grass. No, it was something far simpler in nature.

It was the damned sun.

The Umbaran squinted in discomfort. His hand passed beneath his cloak to tap against the polarized goggles therein, but he succumbed to stubbornness instead.

"I'll ask again," a voice repeated, "state your intentions." The speaker's tone was a curious one. There was a roughness to it; a raw yet unmistakable bristling. Rage broiled within him like lava shifting beneath a barely cooled surface.

Atra let out a quick breath and allowed the corner of his brow to lift as he looked up at Tra'an Reith. Ventus' black-gold eyes traced the Kaleesh's ivory mask, taking note of the long red scar anointed upon it. Finally, he met the reptilian eyes staring back down at him. It was a rare thing for the Praetor to look up to anyone—both literally and figuratively—and he couldn't resist temptation.

"One more time," Atra said with the faintest of lilts and a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I couldn't hear you down here."

That brought an annoyed sigh from the Kaleesh. Tra'an took a step back and pressed his clawed fingers against the hilt of his lightsaber. "If you think I can't tell when I'm being tracked, you are mistaken."

That much couldn't be disputed. The savannah wasn't exactly a location where people just ran into each other by happenstance. It was the hunting ground for predators. Of course, Ventus wouldn't have had to expose himself if Tra'an hadn't employed a signal jammer.

That had been frustrating.

The Praetor shrugged—an act punctuated by a quick tilt of the head. "Reports need verification."

Tra'an's deep yellow eyes narrowed. "What sort of—" he began, but the Plagueian found his answer. Despite the lackadaisical way in which Atra carried himself, Tra'an could see the readiness there. The Praetor's stance was deceptive in that it invited one to attack. Yet, the Kaleesh could feel the intent in it; the coiled readiness waiting to strike. "I see."

The Plagueian immediately took action. His copper blade erupted as his crimson scaled fingers grasped his saber, raising it up at an angle. It hummed ominously as the energy coursed within the shielding that contained it. At the same time, Tra'an allowed his anger—ever present—to grow into a tempered fire. His emotions fueled his connection to the Force and he embraced the cold burn of power as he tapped into the flow of it.

Ventus took his first step and the Kaleesh felt the first warnings. Within his sight, Reith experienced double vision. He saw Atra taking a second step and in the same moment saw the ghostly apparition of a sparking cerulean blade arcing up towards him. Heeding the warning, Tra'an backpedalled and spun to the left, pivoting on his rear leg. As he did so, the threat became reality. Ventus suddenly raised his arm and one of his lightsabers leapt into the air, activating with a snap-hiss as it slashed through the now empty space. Atra deactivated the weapon just as quickly and it returned to rest within his grasp.

The Praetor made note of Tra'an's reaction time, then fell back into his casual stance. Meanwhile, the Plagueian wasn't one to simply defend. Tapping into the power roiling within him, Tra'an willed himself to be faster. The Augur charged forward and swung. The aggression he embodied carried into his form, clasping his lightsaber within two clawed hands and bringing it down and across in a strong cleave. Atra managed to lean out of the way while taking a step back, conceding ground to Tra'an's advance and demonstrating his alacrity. Reith didn't relent. He chained his strikes, using one hand to push against his own momentum and bring the blade back towards his target, followed by a thrust.

The flurry of blows left Atra dancing around the threat. Beads of sweat dripped beneath the black strands of hair now clinging to the Umbaran's brow, the heat of the savannah already taking its toll in tandem with the sudden burst of physical exertion. Still, his focus remained unwavering. The thrust almost caught the Elder, leaving him to bring out his second lightsaber, its unstable crimson blade providing an evershifting glow as it clashed against the ember of Tra'an's saber. Their dance continued, a cacophony of ignitions amongst shifting cloaks as the Plageuian's dominant display of rapid-fire attacks clashed with the Praetor's dance.

Forced to cede ever more ground, Atra hopped back several steps before planting his feet in a wide stance. Tra'an followed, pressing his advantage with his impressive arm span, his legs coiling before launching him into the air in a low leap. As he came within reach of the Elder he experienced the most disconcerting of sensations: Tra'an could no longer feel the Force under his command. Instead, it was a distant whisper—just out of reach with only ghostly tendrils left within his grasp. In the same moment, Atra reached out with his left hand and furrowed his brow in concentration. The Kaleesh's momentum came to a halt. Then, just as suddenly, Tra'an was sent tumbling away from his target. He grunted with pain before coming to a stop. Reith allowed himself to growl as he rose up on one knee, feeling his connection to the Force once more.

Atra allowed himself a long breath, his chest rising and falling heavily. Sweat stung at his brow, but he couldn't afford any distractions. Instead, he flexed the fingers of his right hand, each knuckle cracking in succession. "So, are you gonna start trying...or what?" the Praetor asked with a smirk.

Tra'an did not answer the sarcastic quip with words, instead opting to sprint at an angle to his opponent while disengaging the copper-hued lightsaber and storing it. The rust tainted ochre landscape did nothing to hide the black cloak streaming in the wind behind the scarlet Kaleesh, but it did mask his hand caressing the illegal DX-2 Disruptor Pistol in its holster. With determination, he leaned in to turn the dash into into a circling movement at speed.

Atra did not move, eyes tracking the oversized lizard he'd had the unfortunate luck to draw for this assignment. The smog-colored orbs missed nothing, as evidenced by the motion happening beneath his robes. It was just enough for the Augur to guess at what had occurred, but not enough to confirm until the split second warning came as the Force whispered.

Arms extended, the long legged lope turned into diving roll at the hint that something was coming. The snapshot missed wide, and the follow up slammed into the matted grass the former Obelisk had leapt from, only to return to his loping run as he landed. There was the distinct sound of sighing from the Elder as he put away the pistol and cracked his knuckles. Eyes narrowing, the Umbaran dashed forward on a path to intersect the circling of his foe.

Tra'an grinned and changed direction to run directly at Atra, hastening their confrontation. If it surprised the Umbaran, he didn't show it, the sweat from the heat and the brightness of the sun causing him to squint, being the only physical indications that he was even moving. With a deft movement, the Kaleesh reached down to his belt and withdrew the thermal detonator, and appeared to thumb the dead man's switch, holding it close to his body.

The Force began to scream at the former Questor of House Plagueis right before he crossed into the sphere of silence that surrounded the Praetor. With a mock salute of the left hand, Tra'an's lope turned into a slide as he leaned back almost horizontal to the ground. The cerulean Lightsaber flashed into existence directly above him and passed through the space he had just occupied. With a twist of the hips, the slide turned into a tumbling roll, dodging the vertical chop of the crimson saber that had adjusted for his previous tactic.

With an outstretched left hand, the roll launched him into the air, and the lanky Kaleesh snapped out a kick as Atra tried to skid to a halt, realizing only after the second dodge what was actually happening. The pinky claw on Tra'an's left foot cut a line across the Umbaran's right cheek, leaving behind a line of slowly bubbling red blood. Then the Augur landed and twisted to lunge, attempting to stay within the humanoid's reach, grasping for a limb to grapple. The distinctive clicking noise of the thermal detonator's timer being set was obscured over the noise of their legs thrashing the tall grass.

With a louder, more articulated sigh, the Praetor whirled and channeled his will, the annoyance written on his face fueling the Force as it grabbed the Augur by his throat, pressing him onto his knees.

"As I was saying, I couldn't hear you all the way up there. But you don't seem to have anything to say anymore, do you?" Atra taunted sarcastically. Tra'an grinned as best he could, and tossed the thermal detonator between them, the timer already clicking down.

Unfortunate.

The single word occupied Atra's thoughts as he looked down at the detonator. For a moment he entertained the idea of using Tra'an as a shield and putting the explosive to the test. An amusing thought, but not very practical. After all, the goal had been to confirm the Plageuian's effectiveness, not to eliminate him. Instead, Atra released his invisible grip upon the Kaleesh and redirected his focus. The Force, ever under his command, flung the detonator straight up into the air.

The explosion was brilliant, adding a second sun to the savannah that cast such a glare that the Umbaran had no choice but to completely shut his eyes. Atra felt the heat of the blast sting his face while simultaneously feeling the Force trickle up his spine.

The Elder reacted, putting a hand in front of him and willed the Force to solidify. A sudden whine of protest could be heard as Tra'an's disruptor pistol fired and the shot found its path halted prematurely. The energy of it crackled before shattering Atra's barrier entirely. Ventus opened his eyes and allowed himself a smirk once more, but it somehow lacked any trace of condescension.

"Good," Atra confirmed. As he had hoped, there were still those within the Brotherhood willing to do anything to accomplish their goals. No matter the cost. That's exactly what he had been looking for.

Tra'an, still focused on victory, freed his grasp of the DX-2, unwilling to wait for its overlong cooldown cycle to process. While Atra idly thumbed the crimson stain spreading across his pale cheek, the Plagueian fully submerged himself in the unbridled rage and darkness of his very being.

Ventus barely had time to feel the change. A blur of scarlet marked Tra'an's arrival, a sweeping bronze blade announcing his intent, and Atra was immediately forced to retreat. The Plagueian had pushed himself far beyond the levels he had previously demonstrated, and—despite the rage burning clearly in his slit pupils—there was a clear sense of purpose in his movements.

The Umbaran searched for more power with which to respond, but was first met with only faintly dancing whisps slipping through his ghostly fingers. Still, he pushed back against his own exhaustion as he stirred the Force into a violent storm, willing it to manifest as he extended a hand towards his attacker. Crackling, violet strands forked through the air and smashed against Tra'an's lightsaber. The Kaleesh let it surged across the shielded weapon before flicking his wrist, bringing the blade's tip towards the ground as if to throw the energy unto the dirt.

Atra continued to put distance between them, the energy sparking over the fingertips of his right hand, ready to keep the Kaleesh at bay. As he did so, he contemplated if he could outlast Tra'an's wrath. Yet, something else felt off. His ear practically twitched as a faint growl reached it in answer.

Of course.

Orange fur breached the surface of field's canopy, sharp rows of teeth at the ready. The akul lunged at the Umbaran, seeking to rend him. Atra was midstep when it came and merely dug his heel in, letting physics handle the rest. He tumbled comically to the ground, but it was enough for the akul to pass ineffectually over him.

Tra'an—despite the newcomer—was disinclined to relent. His sharp, taloned feet dug into the soil beneath him and carried him towards his prey just as the akul was readying itself for another go.

"Really?" Atra allowed with a sigh of frustration.

The test, as it was, had quickly spiralled out of control. Naturally. But Atra wasn't entirely surprised. What plan ever survived first contact anyhow? As his eyes flit back and forth between the oncoming threats, Ventus realized the pieces were falling into place for the battle's final puzzle. The shatterpoint upon which everything hung. But could he do it?

The Plagueian timed his arrival so that he could come upon his target just as the akul did. Then he could take them both. A single, decisive moment of victory. If only Atra had been more willing to comply. The Elder turned and threw himself at the akul just as the beast's jaws spread wide. His left arm pass beyond the teeth just as the beast snapped its mouth shut. Atra could only cry out as the nerve receptors surged through the cybernetic limb. Sparks and fluids exploded within the akul's grasp, but the Umbaran's momentum still carried him upwards and onto the beast. Atra turned pain into resolve with his teeth clenched tightly upon his lip, enough to draw blood.

Tra'an didn't relent, still seeking his final blow. His blade arced upward, meeting the sun's glare before beginning its decent. Then he felt a final warning. The akul yelped in response to Atra's cerulean blade passing through its skull, the Umbaran putting all the control he had left into directing the blade onward. Tra'an twisted to the side and avoided the fatal blow, but Atra gave the last of his will to tug it back once more. The lightsaber responded and cleaved the Kaleesh's leg just below the knee. Pain scorched through the reptilian man's nerves and he gave out a shuddering cry.

All three fell to the ground. The Elder broke the silence first as he severed his cybernetic arm fully. Salt and dirt stung at his eyes, but he turned towards the Plagueian before leaning against the side of the akul. Already, the rage faded from Tra'an and left him utterly spent, a ragged and exhausted man. Had he the strength, perhaps he could have fought on, but he didn't.

"Kill me, then," Tra'an hissed.

Atra, despite his exhaustion and heavy breaths, furrowed his brow in confusion and tilted his head to the side. "That would be a waste," he stated matter-of-factly.

Assuming they were recovered before more predators came upon them, Tra'an had proven his worth to the Brotherhood. At least to Atra.