Hidden in Felucia’s jungle lies a two hundred meter expanse marking the ancient burial site of this world’s deadliest creatures and the location of innumerable remnants of hundreds, if not thousands of rancors. A circular enclosure of sun-bleached bones are arranged in the center of the cemetery—no doubt the former dwelling of a powerful practitioner of the Force. Cobwebs cling to the fallen beasts, a testament to the primordial age of some of the creatures.

Somewhat obscured by surrounding cliffs and the luminescent jungle, the dusted bones and carcasses are cast in a faint shadow, leaving just enough light to see by. The atmosphere is thick and stifling, with a strong overtone of dust and bone suspended in the still air. The taint of the Dark Side's influence has polluted the landmark over time, giving form to a dreadful aura that has scared off scavengers hoping to sell off a rancor tusk or two. Unlike most of Felucia, the area is nearly devoid of life aside from ravenous predators dwelling within the hollowed-out husks of dead rancors.

Ellac slid down the cliff wall into the desolate gully flanked by the beauty of Felucia’s jungle flora and fauna. The jagged rocks tore small gashes into his robes as he came to rest at the bottom of the valley. Ellac brushed the dirt from his cybernetic left arm as he gazed out upon the desolation. The sky was blanketed by ominous storm clouds that hung unnaturally around the graveyard. He blinked the dust out of his remaining humanoid right eye. Had lightning really shot upwards from the ground? It must be a trick of the fading light.

Trepidatiously, he struck out to find…something. He had received an encoded message that ordered him to this spot. No transponder, no chain code, yet the authorization code made it clear that Ellac couldn’t ignore it. “Hello?” Ellac asked into the void. The void answered with a gust of wind that howled through the bones that had grown denser the further towards the center of the valley he progressed. He had puzzled what bones these were when he was confronted by the skull of a Rancor, illuminated by the light of another series of lightning strikes. Ellac recoiled in fright. The last encounter he had with a Rancor had left several lasting impressions upon his body. As the fear left him it was replaced by anger. He was a Knight of Scholae Palatinae and he shouldn’t be cowered by a pile of bones.

Ellac…, he whirled around. Did he hear his name on the whirl or was it his imagination running wild. Fear and anger battled for control of his spirit as he slowly pushed forward into the growing storm. He covered his good eye with his hand against the dust as he heard it again. Ellac…, it definitely was a voice. Something about it was familiar. Haunting. Unnerving. Slowly, in the distance, he saw a figure sitting crossed-legged. Ellac couldn’t tell if what they were sitting on was obscured or if they were floating in the center of the storm. Lightning struck with abandonment around them though they were unfazed.

“Hello,” Ellac screamed against the storm. This time there was an answer. The storm seemed to abate, the lightning ceased, and the figure rose. The dust stung Ellac’s watering eye. Who was it out there? Ellac continued to press forward, his arm lowered as he fought for his balance climbing up the piles of Rancor bones. “Who’s there?” Ellac called.

A lone lightning strike illuminated the figure, Kamjin Lap’lamiz. The Emperor of Scholae Palatinae. The shadows danced across his crimson armor as his cloak fluttered on the wind. The Master smirked down at Ellac. Ellac could see Kamjin’s mouth start to move. Some grand speech about him being called here for a test or trial or because Kamjin was bored and wanted to mess with him. Ellac heard none of it. His heart raced. His head pounded. His lone emerald eye twitched, yellow and red tinged at the edges as his breathing quickened.

Kamjin was in his element. His hands gestured to the Rancor bones around them. He didn’t see what was happening before him. The sound that escaped Ellac’s throat was primal. It echoed against the valley walls. Kamjin looked down, dumbfounded, as Ellac drew his lightsaber and ignited his raging red blade. His anger boiling over, Ellac leapt with unknown strength at Kamjin. His blade extended above his head. A killing strike now would end it. Ellac would eliminate his tormentor before he took another limb. Ambition grew in place of his anger. If he killed him he’d have proven he should be a Knight. He’ll have eliminated an Elder of the clan. He could be the next Emperor.

These thoughts came crashing inward as his blade went to connect with Kamjin. Kamjin reached out, grabbed Ellac’s lightsaber handle, and redirected the energy of his attack. Kamjin’s right hand pulled Ellac forward by his hilt, throwing him off balance. With his left hand Kamjin connected firmly with Ellac’s chest and sent him tumbling down the bone throne. Kamjin held Ellac’s blade in his hand. Ellac looked up, blood already flowing from a gash on his forehead. It hurt to breathe, had Kamjin broken a rib or just bruised it. Kamjin deactivated Ellac’s blade and tossed it down at him. His yellow-red eyes taunted the Knight to dare to rise up and strike him again.

With a trembling hand, Ellac wiped the stream of blood from his brow as it trickled down towards his eye. In his mind, he knew he should’ve been able to control his fear, but the look in Kamjin’s eyes had cut right through him, sending chills through his spine despite the suffocating humidity in the air. He could sense the Dark Side not just flowing through Kamjin, but emanating from him, as if he were its source. “I’m only gonna get myself killed if I throw myself at him,” he thought to himself.

Ellac’s eye fell to his hilt in the dirt, reaching out to pick it up as he pushed himself back to his feet. His chest ached, but he forced himself to stand, activating his lightsaber again. “Is that the best you’ve got, old man?!,” he said, steeling himself to meet his Emperor’s burning gaze.

Kamjin’s mouth twisted up at the corners in a cruel grin as the air around Ellac began to crackle and the hair on the Knight’s arm and head stood tall with static. The young Sith reflexively flinched away as lightning struck the ground a few feet behind him, throwing him forward onto his bruised chest. The deafening crack of thunder echoed out across the valley, rattling the bones beneath Ellac as he clutched his ears against the ringing in his head. His lone eye blinked as he tried to clear his vision, but the white flash that had filled his sight was slow to fade.

Pushing himself to his knees, he winced at his now throbbing chest as he blindly felt around for his lightsaber. He knew Kamjin wasn’t going to just wait around and let him pick himself back up. It was only a matter of time before-

WHAM!

Ellac felt something hard slam into his abdomen, digging into his stomach as it knocked him onto his side. The Knight coughed violently as he pushed himself back, straining to make out his surroundings as his sight began to return. The hazy valley light in combination with his blurry vision made it difficult to see much more than the sporadic flashes of light in the sky from the storm. “KAMJIN!,” he shouted, his own voice still muffled in his head by the deafness that didn’t seem to wane. Ellac felt the Force compress around his body, pulling him into the air before tossing him sideways, crashing into protruding bones and rocks alike as he bounced along the ground.

Rolling to a halt, flat on his back, but the world seemed to keep spinning in his head as he drew a hastened breath. His whole body was covered with small bruises and cuts that burned under a layer of sweat, dirt, and blood. He could feel every knot that had formed in the muscles of his shoulders and back as he rolled himself onto his side. With his vision finally starting to clear, he squinted at the valley around him, his gaze locking onto the large object lying at his feet. The empty eye socket of a rancor skull, half buried in the dirt, peered back at him, baring what was left of its enormous teeth.

In the distance beyond the skull, Ellac noticed Kamjin’s figure marching closer, cape billowing in the wind, inactive lightsaber hilt in one hand, small arcs of electricity dancing in the other.

Ellac pushed himself to his feet, gritting his teeth as his body protested. His hand instinctively reached to his belt where his primary saber would’ve been had he not dropped it a second time after being thrown by the lightning. Reaching over for his secondary saber, he activated the hilt, but found the hiss of the blade muted to his ears. Looking up, he saw Kamjin’s mouth moving, unable to make out the words, but with the look in his yellow-red eyes as he pointed at Ellac, he was confident he could guess what was being said.

Lowering his stance, Ellac launched forward, rushing at his Emperor. Kamjin’s red blade sprung to life, colliding with his opponent’s as he effortlessly blocked the overhead attack, but this time, the Knight wouldn’t let himself be caught as easily as before. Using Kamjin’s solid footing underneath his blade, Ellac jumped over his head, using the two locked blades as a pivot point to position him behind the Elder. His metal arm swung up into the side of Kamjin’s lower back, causing him to take a few staggering steps forward.

Keeping his stance, Ellac hesitated for a moment. That was the first hit he had ever landed on Kamjin. A lump tried to form in his throat as he anxiously watched the Elder slowly stand upright. When Kamjin finally did turn to face him, the edges of his eyes were shrouded in shadow, and the yellow-red hues in his irises seemed to glow, as if specifically to brand themselves into Ellac’s soul.

Kamjin had not expected Ellac to land a blow. A glancing blow but still contact. Progress… Kamjin thought to himself as his blood raged. Any thoughts of testing young Ellac were quashed. The Knight flexed his hand, trying to find the balance point of the hilt. Kamjin recognized the move of a novice practitioner of Form VII. It was clear he wasn’t as practiced with this hilt. Kamjin waited and as Ellac nervously flexed again he opened his palm and the Knight’s saber flew from his grasp. With a casual flick of his blade, Ellac’s hilt sparked into pieces.

Kamjin smirked as Ellac’s face fell and the storm raged. Ellac panicked. Where is my hilt? he thought as he whipped his head across the graveyard seeking it. The sand stung his eye. He needed the pain to focus. Pain was the only thing that was going to keep him alive. Kamjin slowly advanced, his saber left casually at his side. I’m going to die, screamed in Ellac’s head. He didn’t want to die. He didn’t want to be maimed again. His mind flashed back to the horrors of the medical bay as they carved into his mangled flesh and attached his cybernetic arm.

“NOOO!,” Ellac howled over the wind. His human arm lashed out, like a marionette on strings, as Force lightning arced from his seized fingers. If Kamjin hadn’t moved his blade at the last moment to block the blast of energy he’d have seen the look of surprise on Ellac’s face. Lightning snapped and crackled over the blood red blade of the Emperor.

Now…NOW, move, move, MOVE, Ellac's mind pleaded with him as his arm was buffeted by the wind. Kamjin gripped his hilt with both hands, slowly twisting the blade’s angle against the onslaught. The lightning started to refocus off the blade, ricocheting now against the ground. It’s coming this way! MOVE!!!, Ellac regained control of himself moments before the Emperor had redirected the lightning back at him. His own energy impacted against a pile of bones near his feet. The bones splintered and exploded as what little moisture remained evaporated. Ellac dove out of the way as miniature bone fragments impaled themselves over his clothes and exposed skin.

Ellac fled into the dust storm. Kamjin, having averted his gaze at the explosion, squinted into the swirling chaos. “You can’t hide, Ellac. Your thoughts betray you,” Kamjin said, though no one heard him. Ellac risked a glance behind him as Kamjin turned into a blurred outline in the swirling dust storm. If not for the hazy red glow Ellac would have lost sight of him completely.

Find the saber. Fight back, Ellac repeated in his mind as he blinked away the tears from the dust scanning the ground. Where had he lost his saber? His foot slipped as a pile of Rancor bones shifted underneath him. As his foot became lodged between the bones he fell awkwardly to the ground. He screamed like a tenor blending with the baritone of the wind as his ankle popped. He rocked back and forth on the pile of bones. Agony. It was pure agony as he curled up to dislodge his caught foot.

With a mighty lunge he twisted his foot and freed it from the pile of bones. His body slid helplessly down the pile of bones. His head tilted to the side and he thought he was imagining it. Was that his saber? Ellac’s vision swam with the pain. A lull in the wind cleared his vision enough that through the tears he was certain he had found his saber. Ellac didn’t know if the tears were from the dust or relief now. He let his head fall back the other way. A moment of total relaxation washed over his body. His eyes closed as he found himself laughing. He couldn’t explain it. Why laugh? He was in mortal peril. Was he enjoying himself?

Ellac opened his eyes and his joy turned to anguish. In the distance he could see the fuzzy red blur of death approaching him. With an extreme effort he rolled on his right side. His ankle throbbed as fluid caused it to swell. He reached out his cybernetic hand trying to bridge the distance between him and his saber. The hilt wiggled but remained firmly in place. Ellac pleaded with the great mystic power, his metallic fingers straining to reach his hilt. The hilt scooted inches towards him but no more. The pain was overwhelming him. “I am the master here!” Ellac said, mastering his senses. He exhaled as he rolled onto his back. He knitted his fingers together bringing his thumb and forefingers to rest over his mouth and nose. The dust partially blocked, he inhaled and felt the Force flow through him. His mind regained its focus. He had trained for this. He would master his body but this felt different. Instead of the feeling of relief there were moments of guttural pain. It felt like he had drunk spoiled blue milk and his stomach was turning. The pain eased in his ankle as his insides cramped. What is wrong? Ellac was puzzled.

“Ellac…” The voice had returned over the wind. A storm within a storm. “Ellac…” It was getting nearer. “You can’t call upon the Light Ellac. I’ve robbed you of that serenity. As I will soon rob you of your life,” the voice chilled Ellac’s blood. Was Kamjin right? Was Ellac losing his ability to walk the path of the Bendu? Had he somewhere along the way truly become a Sith? Had he become like Kamjin? Ellac stopped. His ankle throbbed. He lifted his head and looked down and saw he could flex his ankle through the pain. It was an uncomfortable angle with only one eye. An eye Kamjin had taken. An arm Kamjin had taken. Kamjin would not take any more from him. Ellac pushed himself off the ground with a grunt of effort. His face contorted as deep raging lines creased his once handsome face. He reached out again with his trembling human hand. The hilt scooted. It bounced. Then it flew into his hand.

Ellac spun around, activating the blade, in time to parry Kamjin’s slash. “Good,” Kamjin said, his own yellow-red Sith eyes staring into Ellac’s own matching eye. Kamjin pulled back his blade as he unleashed a flurry of blows. Ellac parried, though he kept two hands on his hilt to Kamjin’s single handed thrusts. “I’ll kill you!” Ellac screamed, as he spun around and lunged at Kamjin. Ellac’s two handed thrust narrowly missed the Emperor, striking under his left arm and searing a hole in his cloak. Kamjin twirled, his cloak torn by the crimson blade of the Knight. Kamjin brought his own blade up and severed the cybernetic arm, the tip etching a burn across Ellac’s remaining human forearm. As Kamjin finished his spin, he planted his feet and stretched out his other hand, sending Ellac flying back into the boney spinal column of a deceased Rancor. Ellac’s saber landed at Kamjin’s feet.

As Ellac slid down to the ground, his own spin bruised from the force of the throw, Kamjin extinguished his blade. Reaching down he scooped up the hilt and walked over to Ellac. Ellac looked up upon his death. “Do it,” Ellac spat up blood. “Finish me.” Kamjin knelt down and clipped the hilt back to Ellac’s belt.

“Today you’re a Warrior so that tomorrow you aren’t one of these,” Kamjin said, gesturing towards the bones. Without another word, he stood up and left Ellac to find his own way back.

The Knight's heart dropped as he stared into Kamjin’s eyes. He had seen that look before… That seething gaze of fury and bloodlust… It was the very same one he had seen as a child the night his mother died… Now Ellac understood why he had faltered earlier: Something deep inside of him was terrified of Kamjin the same way he was of his father. The young Sith opened his mouth to speak, but his voice failed him as he realized nothing he could say could stay Kamjin’s hand now.

Swallowing hard, Ellac gripped his lightsaber tightly. He knew the only way he came out of this alive was if he fought harder than he ever had before… He had to fall even further, letting the Dark Side consume his very being. The rocks and bones around the two men’s feet began to rattle and shake, and Ellac realized he didn’t have time for fancy feats of agility or risky offensive tactics. It was now or never.

Closing his eye, the Knight gave every part of himself away to his fear and hatred. Every emotion and feeling he could identify he channeled into his connection with the Dark Side of the Force. His body coursed with unnatural strength, and his mind dialed in as he opened his lone eye, now mirroring Kamjin’s yellow-red coloration.

Kamjin raised his hands, casting the bones into the air all around them. With a flick of his wrists, the floating debris shot at the younger Sith who whipped and twirled in a blur of red plasma as he cut through the projectiles. As scorched chunks of stone and bone fell to the ground, the hair on Ellac’s neck stood tall, warning him of another attack.

The Knight spun on his heel, quickly raising his blade as he noticed Kamjin’s red and blue lightsabers crossing over each other before spinning past him through the air. He watched as the blades boomeranged around, spiraling down at his head unison. Ellac leapt into the air over the lightsabers as they returned to their master, but as he rose to the sky, his eye went wide as he saw the arcs of lightning burst out from Kamjin’s hands. A violent surge of energy blasted him in his chest, causing his body to seize as he careened to the ground below, a plume of dust rising to the air on impact.

Ellac coughed as his vision went white with pain and the metallic taste of blood coated his mouth. One of his legs was twisted to the side, clearly broken by his fall, and a jagged piece bone stuck up through his side. His robes were torn to ribbons, with several small lacerations covering his chest and upper waist. His whole body convulsed as he tried to push himself up, but a boot on his good shoulder pinned him to the ground. Kamjin’s burning eyes stared down at him as he drove his blood red blade through the man’s shoulder beside his foot.

Ellac howled in agony, struggling to move his cybernetic arm, but the electricity had locked its servos into place. His eyes filled with terror as he watched Kamjin extend a hand over his face, forcing his way into Ellac’s mind.

“No!” His rage and strength were fading from him, and he could feel the power ebbing away..

“Your mind is mine.”, he heard Kamjin’s voice in his head.

Against his will, Ellac’s good hand involuntarily reached for the vibrodagger in his belt. The Elder lifted his boot from the young Sith’s shoulder as Ellac’s arm lifted the blade to his chest, twisting the dagger over his heart.

Ellac screamed against the intrusion, fighting with everything inside of him to regain control. His hand stopped moving, having already broken the skin, the blade vibrating wildly in the shallow depth of his pectoral muscle.

“You will yield!” Kamjin’s voice boomed within him.

“I… yield…” Ellac struggled to speak in reply as he concentrated on forcing Kamjin out of his head. “…to no one.”

The Sith Master stumbled back as Ellac severed his connection with his mind, a look of surprise flashing across his face. The lightsaber in the Knight’s shoulder slipped out when Kamjin stepped back, leaving a hole burned into his flesh.

Ellac gasped as he pulled the tip of the blade from his chest, tossing the weapon aside. The last of his energy exhausted, his eye drifted shut as he tried to slow his breathing. He had nothing left in him, and he knew that if Kamjin decided to end him he would be helpless to defend himself, but he didn’t care. He was at death’s door as it was anyway, and he’d be lucky if he managed to survive.

Kamjin stared thoughtfully at his hand for a moment before looking down at his surrogate apprentice. How many times had they been in this exact situation: Kamjin standing unscathed above Ellac’s nearly unconscious body as the boy clung desperately to what little life he had left in him. The Elder couldn’t help but chuckle, remembering the first time he had met the then Acolyte. He had had two eyes then. It was also the last time he had both of them too, but that never seemed to bother the young Sith…

“You’ve come a long way,” he muttered under his breath so the Knight wouldn’t hear him, rubbing the bruise on his lower back. “Well done, Ellac.”