Arx’s Colosseum is a monument to the original Petranaki arena on Geonosis, the site where the Clone Wars began with an epic clash between Jedi and Sith. However, instead of confining itself to a decrepit ruin, the Colosseum stands as an example of what the Geonosian arena once was.

Walls tall enough to be unscalable for even the most practiced Force-user surround a theatre the size of a holoball field, floored with sandy soil. Above, rows of seats are packed together into sections for spectators to observe the carnage. The dignitaries who preside over the gladiator matches instead find themselves in an elongated platform “box”, with the large stone throne reserved for the most prestigious among them, flanked by smaller seats for their companions. Large holo-projection screens occupy each of the Colosseum’s walls, displaying images of the combat below streamed by the cam droids that circle the arena.

The arena floor itself is, naturally, more dangerous than it appears. A wide assortment of traps are concealed beneath the dirt and sand, including but not limited to: retractable fire-spewing nozzles, power coils firing bolts of lightning, electrified floor panels, deadfalls lined with spikes, and even obelisks that simply erupt from the ground. These traps are operated by sentient technicians in the Colosseum’s control room, well away from the fighting.

You and another member of the Brotherhood have been tasked by the Headmistress of the Shadow Academy with gathering research data on a wide variety of dangerous creatures. In addition to the normal raucous crowds, sophisticated scanning equipment has been set up around the Colosseum floor to monitor the creatures’ behavior and vital signs under a variety of circumstances—including combat and injury.

Your goal in this scenario is twofold: provoke the creatures and hold their attention for long enough that the Shadow Academy scanners can collect a wide variety of physiological data, and prevent the creatures from destroying the scanning equipment placed in the Colosseum by the Academy researchers. Once those tasks are complete, you will be free to leave the arena (if you can) and claim your reward.

The Headmistress would strongly prefer the creature be left alive and useful after the experiment is finished. She would also "prefer" that you not interfere with the research by attempting to rescue the creature, but you may do so at your own peril.

“Next fight! Next fight! Next fight! Next fight!”

The chanting could be heard even in the preparation chambers. The audience outside had been enjoying the ‘research experiments’ that had taken place throughout the day, and the results had left them ravenous for more. Aiden was already tired after his experiences hunting down these creatures. And now, to be placed on display like some circus performer? The Force Disciple was not amused.

The Human looked over to Sera Kaern, his companion for this fight. The Zabrakian Aedile of House Galeres was a formidable fighter, but young in this Brotherhood. She seemed excited and ready to fight against whatever monstrosity was waiting for them. But she was untested by her Proconsul, and that made working together a difficult thing to do.

“Be calm, Sera. We don’t yet know what we’re up against,” Aiden rolled his shoulders, stretching and preparing for the coming conflict.

“After surviving Iridonia, there’s nothing here that’s going to be a problem,” Sera responded, remembering her tribal upbringing.

“Whatever it is we face, we can be sure its enhancements are nothing to scoff at,” Aiden was trying to take this situation seriously, and making sure she did the same.

“I helped capture many of these beasts, Aiden, same as you. I understand what we’re up against,” the Zabrak was slightly annoyed at the insistent tone her superior was giving her.

A nearby light in the room began to flash, indicating that it was time for the two Arconans to enter the coliseum. Aiden and Sera walked the long, dark corridor and into the sun. The arena was covered in a dusty brownish sand, with high rising walls surrounding the holoball sized field. The crowd cheered and yelled for more action. They were lively and hungry for blood, either the fighters or the creatures, they didn’t care which.

“So where is this beast we’re fighting?” Sera asked as the two Force users looked over the arena. “Let’s get on with it already.”

“I wouldn’t sound so impatient if I were you.”

Sera and Aiden looked at each other as a loud roar echoed throughout the arena. On the opposing end of the field, a large stone slab opened, and out of the newly revealed doorway a large black creature stomped out onto the field. Drool dripped from its massive fangs. Its claws and forked tail were readied to kill.

“Is that a Roggwart?” Sera asked wide eyed.

“A very large Roggwart. Extreme caution is needed now,” Aiden responded, pulling out his Shadow Academy Sith Sword. Sera noticed his choice in weapon and gave him a look. “We’re not supposed to kill this thing. A lightsaber might be a bit much at the moment.”

“Agreed.” Sera responded as she grabbed her dagger and ran forward towards the creature.

Aiden merely shook his head at the Zabrak’s headfirst approach. Something in the back of his mind told him things weren’t as they seemed. The beast was obviously changed by the Grand Master’s ritual. It was larger and looked more lethal than others of its kind. But it wasn’t just that, the arena itself made him uneasy. Even still, he moved to join his fellow Arconan in battle.

As Sera approached the beast, it rushed forward at her. She dropped down while running, narrowly dodging a wide slash from its claws and sliding between the creatures legs. Slashing her dagger at its ankles, she noticed that the blade barely scratched the thick hide on the monstrosity. Her body almost moved on its own as the Force screamed into her mind and she rolled out of the way of the Roggwart’s sharp tail.

Sera got to her feet and had to jump out of the way of another strike from the creature’s claws. It bellowed out a massive roar in her direction. This Roggwart was angry. It was far more viscous and volatile than any she had seen before. As the creature charged again, Sera grinned, rolling away from another swipe of its claws. Unfortunately, she rolled right into the path of its tail bashing into her. The Arconan was knocked backward off of her feet. Dropping her dagger, she hit the dirt hard and coughed out in pain.

Aiden rushed to help his partner, but as he ran over the sand he heard a slight click. His body reacted of its own accord, rolling out of the way of a series of fire streams spouting from the ground where he had been.

“What in the blazes?”

The arena had been riddled with traps as well as the modified beast. This fight had only just begun, and already they were at a huge disadvantage it seemed. The crowd seemed to love this though. Their chanting grew louder. They were out for blood. The Proconsul was unsure who they were rooting for though. The monster, or them.

The mind plays interesting tricks when one is inches from death. At the moment when the senses should be at their sharpest, they blur. Feeling and sensation blend with thought and imagination, a haze in the mind.

Heat, from the fire, and the ache in Sera’s chest. The roar of the crowd, and the roar of the beast. A claw descending towards her. Her name being called, and a short, silvery hilt flying through the air.

Sera blinked. Her mind cleared.

She caught the hilt of Aiden’s shoto-saber in midair, the violet blade burst to life in a flash. The Zabrak didn’t even need to swing at the claw about to close over her skull; a twitch of the wrist was enough to send the blade hissing against hide. Thick, leathery skin resisted for a moment before the plasma burned through, severed claws falling to the sand beside Sera’s head. The massive creature screeched in pain, thick saliva spraying over the Zabrak’s visor, and she rolled away just in time to dodge the massive, sickle-clawed foot that smashed down where she had just been.

As Sera rolled, she found that the heat of the fire had grown...insistent, into a searing pain. She found the source rather quickly. The jets of fire that had sprung from the arena’s floor had ignited the trailing edge of her cloak, a fire now travelling up her lower back. Hissing with pain, the Zabrak ripped the ruined cloth from her shoulders, and threw it directly at the roggwart as she scrambled away. Reaching her free hand out, she caught the blazing garment with a telekinetic grip, wrapping it around the beast’s face like a set of searing blinders, horribly tangled in its horns.

Confused, angry, and agonized, the roggwart stumbled backwards. It bought Sera enough time to reach Aiden as the gouts of flame that separated them died away, only for more to spring up at their side. A cursory glance revealed their pattern; a line of holes arranged in concentric circles stretched towards the arena’s perimeter. They burned one at a time, forming rings of fire that lasted a second or two before burning away. “You’re good?” Aiden asked urgently, blue-green eyes locked on the roggwart’s thrashing frame.

“...Think I cracked a rib,” Sera panted, flinching just slightly as she poked her side. “And my ass is grilled rare. Otherwise...good.” Somehow, the Zabrak managed a smile as she handed her Proconsul his shoto, fists clenching as she pulled at the Force. It suffused her, filled her, giving her the strength to suppress her body’s pain. At least for the moment.

“I believe we may need to rethink our strategy,” Aiden stated tersely, brow furrowing. Behind them, the ring of fire reached the arena’s perimeter, lighting his face before burning out again. It resumed at the center, beginning to march towards them. “Sabers might be necessary…”

“Just like hunting Sand Caulkers, back on Iridonia,” Sera responded, sliding her Zabraki dagger back into its sheath and pulling her saber from her belt. “Flank, one on either side. One gets the thing’s attention...the other goes for the hamstrings. We take it together.”

“Somehow...I doubt it will be all that simple. The thing barely seemed modified. They must have done something to it…”

The roggwart was clawing at the burning armorweave that had tangled around its horns. Both of them felt what was coming next before it happened. Rearing back, the monstrous reptile gave a screeching roar, the fang-filled maw stretching impossibly wide. Its muscular chest puffed out, glossy black flesh glowing. Then, the beast lashed forward, and unleashed a wave of yellow-orange fire, pouring out from its jaws. The very heat of it disintegrated the cloak wrapped around its face, the gout of flame rippling through the air towards the duo. They dodged in unison, Aiden rolling left, Sera pivoting to the right. Sand boiled to bubbling glass. Aiden felt his hair smolder, the tip of his cloak igniting by mere proximity. As he came out of his roll, panting, he found himself staring the creature down, beady black eyes locked with his. Its flesh hadn’t even been singed by the burning cloth that had wrapped around it. Externally, at least, the beast was resistant to the fire that it could spew.

The roggwart roared a ferocious challenge, advancing with a shambling gait. The crowd screamed alongside it, just as bloodthirsty as the beast.

Aiden charged silently. He didn’t need the Force to know that Sera would be by his side.

As Aiden charged the roggwart the beast spewed another stream of flames from its maw. The Force Disciple rolled out of the way of the intense heat. The creature stomped towards the Proconsul and swiped at him with its remaining clawed hand. He brought his metallic arm up to protect himself and was launched backward by the roggwart’s brute strength. Aiden’s lightsaber fell from his grasp and clattered across the sandy arena floor as his body rolled hard.

Sera took the roggwart’s distracted attention to her advantage and moved to leap on the beast’s back. Pain hampered her movements and her cracked rib broke her concentration causing her to miss her target. She reached out and grabbed one of the beast’s back protrusions, only to grit her teeth as more intense pain spiked through her body. The muscles around her rib contracted and the inflamed surrounding tissues screamed in agony.

The roggwart growled as it felt the Zabrak holding onto its back. It swung around harshly, and Sera was forced to let go, her body rolling across the sand. She gasped out in pain before trying to stand back on her feet. She could see the creature inhaling, readying itself to launch more flames. Before it could do so, Aiden leaped in front of the injured Aedile and put all of his concentration into creating a wall between himself and the roggwart. The Force formed a thin shield that shimmered in the air as fire collided against it. Aiden could feel the intense heat being held back, and he hoped he could hold out long enough for the fire breath to stop.

Sera wheezed as she hobbled away from the battle, and she tried channeling the Force into her body. She felt a cooling sensation around her ribs as she tried to speed up the fracture’s healing process. While the effect was slow going, she could feel it working, and the pain was lessening. Aiden groaned as his barrier failed, and flames licked against his hands, burning the skin and heating the metal. The flames ended before too much damage could be done, but the Force Desciple was in serious need of medical treatment for his hands.

The roggwart moved towards the Human and swiped at him with its claws. He dodged the strike, but his concentration was not fully on his movements, and he tripped before dropping into the sand. Sera noticed her partner’s situation, and while she was not fully recovered, she launched herself back into the fight. Her lightsaber in her grasp, she slashed at the roggwart, the creature recognizing the weapon backed away in fear. It had lost one set of claws to the plasmic blade and didn’t want to lose any more.

“You ok, Aiden?” Sera asked in concern for her Proconsul.

“I will be. I just need a minute. These burns don’t exactly tickle.” he responded between pained breaths.

“I’ll keep this beast busy, get ready to back me up,” she told the Human.

“Roger that, Sera. Show me what you can do. You’re and Aedile of Clan Arcona. I have faith in your abilities.”

Faith. Faith in her abilities. Trust in her intent. Confidence in her loyalty, her strength, her selflessness. She could sense what Aiden was feeling, touching at the edges of his mind. She knew that he was genuine.

Just as genuine as the bloodlust, stark and overpowering, flooding into the arena from around them. The savage anger of the Roggwart, hungry and in excruciating pain, striving to slaughter them both. And, their fear. The beast’s fear. Aiden’s fear. Her own fear.

Light and dark.

Sera gave her Proconsul a bright, shining grin, through bloodstained teeth and the pain of her half-healed rib. The Zabrak reached out, placed a hand on the human’s shoulder, and melded to him. It happened in a flash, their internal rhythms synchronizing to each other, to the beating of their hearts. “We’ve got this. Be done in a hot second, yeah?”

She was moving before Aiden could even react to the pun, plumes of sand kicking up behind her as she charged directly at the roggwart, burning saber in her hand. Sera could see the plumes of flame poured from the arena floor behind it, approaching with a steady beat. She dropped into as she crossed the next line of jets, just before the wall of flames first to life, coming to rest unsigned. The roggwart’s gaze was locked on her as she looked up, coils of smoke curling around its black, leathery hide. It regarded her with a dark, bloodthirsty gaze, its fang-filled maw falling open, barrel-like chest expanding outward as it took in air. Already, she was moving...but Sera made no move to dodge. Light and dark. Fire and ash.

Balance. Her bond with Aiden wasn’t telepathic or precognitive. Rather, it was...sympathetic, coordinating them, holding them together, augmenting their awareness of the other. She could feel him in the Force. A steady, plodding tune, balanced and even, matching to her rising song in a beautiful harmony. He was there for her. The roggwart’s jaws opened, preparing to unleash a stream of flame that would burn her to ash and cinder. Then, they snapped shut with violent, crushing force as a telekinetic grip closed over them. A smile spread across Aiden’s face as he clutched tighter, limping closer with his saber held in his free hand.

Sera held her charge, sprinting directly at the beast. Unburned, it lashed out with its one good claw, but she dropped into a fluid slide, one that she had practiced almost all her life with K’thri...and though she wasn’t quite large enough to sweep this creature’s leg, as she normally would have done, there were other options available.

In the last moment of her slide, Sera caught herself and whirled, bringing her saber around and smashing it against the flesh and the back of the roggwart’s knee. When the flesh resisted, she pushed with all she had, calling the Force to amplify her strength...until she felt a familiar give. Hide and muscle buckled, and the tendon of the hamstring parted, then snapped with a sickening wet thwck. The roggwart screamed in sudden agony, its leg buckling beneath it. Sera scrambled away from the scrabbling beast, barely avoiding the tail as it lashed over her head. The limb buckled, and the roggwart fell heavily to the hard packed sand. Crippled, it had no way to fight and nowhere to go, scrabbling desperately away from the source of its agony. Sera, for her own part, was trying to blink black dots from her eyes as she sat up. Between the healing, the meld, and the last spot of amplification, it was a miracle that she was even conscious. She looked up as Aiden offered her a hand up...and a smile.

“Impressive, Kaern. Guess you could say...we’re really on fire.”

Sera could only respond with a grin. He pulled her to her feet with a low groan, and they supported each other as they turned back to the roggwart, which had dragged itself several meters away. The audience was shrieking, frantic and overjoyed at the spilling of blood. As one, thousands of voices joined a single, torrid call.

”KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL!”

Sera’s grin died as she heard it. Aiden just shook his head.

“Not our job to see them entertained,” the Human muttered, guiding them towards the fallen roggwart. “We came to see a job through...not to satisfy their bloodlust.” “...’Through serenity, I gain strength,’” Sera quoted, recalling the code of the grey jedi. She wasn’t a great scholar, but a few things still stuck. Aiden nodded in response, circling around the beast. It looked up at them with wide, dark eyes...but it was helpless, now. Its fate in their hands.

“And through victory, I gain harmony,” Aiden completed, blue-green eyes meeting Sera’s. “Today...we found both. Together.”

She nodded, her grin slowly returning. Then, she raised one foot high, muscles tense, and brought her heel down on the side of the roggwart’s skull, knocking it out cold.

“Now...let’s take this beasty in. Before Head-Lady sends anything else after us…”