Built from the shell of an ancient foundation, the Arx Colosseum has undergone renovations to allow multiple new configurations for battle. Its spectator setup remains largely the same, with high walls, tall enough for even the most savvy Jedi to find unscalable that lead up to spectator chairs which are divided into nearly organized sections to accommodate several thousand people. At the center, an elongated platform “box” contains a central throne of stone with various seats of smaller scale lined beside it in both directions. Two large holo-projection screens are set up on each side of the Colosseum, offering different angles of the match bia holocam drones.

Today’s setup is known as The Shanty Town.

Hundreds of shipping containers line the arena floor, some stacked tall, others singular obstacles forming the walls of a complex maze. Each has been converted to function as housing, windows, doors, even furnishments added to further sell the illusion of it being a living town.

While the only real life contained within is today’s combatants, that is far from the only level of danger found within.

Dozens of armed and battle-ready droids hide in wait. Turrets and barricades line the narrow passageways of the town. Expertly hidden mines wait to trigger with every step. Make no mistake, the Shanty Town is ready to kill all who enter it. Embracing its chaos, and surviving is no easy feat.

There was a stillness in the air like a held breath. Each combatant prepared their gear inside their respective buildings set on opposite sides of the Shantytown. The clock ticked down the time remaining before the doors would open and the match would begin. A holoprojector displayed a slowly rotating image of their opponent and any rank and title the combatant held. Luka kept it in the corner of their vision as they adjusted their gear for the third time. The remaining seconds only added to their suffocating doubt. What were they thinking, joining a tournament so soon? Of course, it would be their luck to be up against an Elder in the first match. They clenched and unclenched their cybernetic left arm. It felt clumsy and itchy, but it would have to do. They tightened their black-and-gold digits into a tight fist.

Their nexu, Bico, plodded back and forth despite the cramped quarters, sensing her master’s anxiety and a hunt ahead. Her twin tails lashed back and forth, thumping against the metal gate. Five seconds. Four seconds. A growl rumbled in her throat.

“No point backing out now,” the Human muttered.

Bico yowled in response, agitated by her master’s rising fear.

Luka’s body tensed as a horn sounded over the arena, and the gate to their enclosure opened with a hydraulic hiss. They darted from the safety of the cubicle to the unknown dangers outside, taking to the shadows offered by the shipping crates.

Vynn Salm was nowhere near as nervous. He strode from his enclosure with confidence as his yellow eyes scanned the paths around the makeshift buildings for any sign of movement. He would have his foe come to him, rather than risk the traps within the buildings. Both lightsabers were drawn and at his sides, which illuminated the pale Feeorin like a beacon as he passed through the alleys.

Some droids were floating by, but their sensors had not yet alerted them to his presence. Vynn kept his distance and instead chose another path that led to what seemed to be an open market. False fruits and vegetables were stacked in colorful displays. No droids or traps as far as he could see.

He blinked. At the center of the market stood his quarry.

Vynn’s eyes narrowed as they stood in silence, each staring the other down from across the market square. The Human did not appear to have a weapon in hand, though that did not discount the chance that a weapon could be hidden. They did not move, did not speak. Odd.

As the Feeorin scrutinized the figure, it faded and flickered from his vision. It was gone with a blink, and Vynn’s expression hardened into a scowl. It was a trick. He spun around quickly, just in time to catch movement in the alley behind him. Claws and teeth extended toward Vynn’s leg as a nexu sprung from the shadows, and the Feeorin recoiled and brought his saber around to slash along her flank. The creature rounded and yowled at him as she crouched back on her haunches, a burning graze on her back leg. Vynn grounded his stance and held his sabers in a defensive grip for the creature to attack again, but he knew the nexu had to be a distraction. Where was the master?

A sharp pain bit into his side, and he instinctively countered with a reverse uppercut with his saber. The Human stumbled back to get out of the range of his swing, but the blade attached to their wrist gauntlet came away dripping with the Feeorin’s blood. Pins and needles prickled along Vynn’s side from where the blade had punctured the jumpsuit between his beskar plates.

“Just to even the odds,” Luka said with a smirk.

The cut had been painful but not deep enough to cause serious damage. If anything the attack from behind just fueled Vynn’s anger. He was between the two combatants, small Nexu and a slim looking human. Not one foreign to the cuts and scrapes of fighting the Feeorin pushed the pain from mind as the adrenaline kicked in. The action in the arena had kicked started the protocols for combat. Turrets and droids could be seen coming to life as their systems powered up.

Without even uttering a reply the Mandalorian reached out with force grasping the Nexus and hurtled it through the air towards the human. Deftly, the Arcona dodged it and the creature slammed hard into the durasteel container. It fell hard into the ground it's only sign of life it's breathing. Moving towards the creature the silver blades of his lightsaber began a large overhead sweep intended to cleave the beast in half.

They were intercepted by a single light blue lightsaber blade. Luka had managed to regain his footing in time to save his companion. He had thrust himself into the air spinning as he leapt. The blocked attack had echoed through the arena as the lightsabers made contact. Automated turrets spun into action taking aim at the two opponents locked in a fevered battle. Crimson bolts spewed out of them with an all to familiar sound. The first ricocheting off of Vynn’s shoulder pauldron. The Beskar did its job with no more than a scorch mark to his armor.

He split his time between pressing Luka into submission with powerful blows and intercepting the red bolts that came his way. He shuffled his feet firmly on the ground to keep his balance. More turrets came to bear on the pair obviously tracking them with motion sensors as they moved through the open market space.

A slow beeping sound could be heard as Luka landed on the ground from another leaping attack. It took half a second for Vynn to realize it was a pressure mine in the ground. His human opponent must have recognized the sound as well as he looked down just in time to see the ground explode under his feet. Vynn shielded himself from the blast with the force. The shrapnel moving around the barrier he created. His opponent hadn't reacted quite as fast and was thrown into the nearby alley way from the blast.

Luka hit the wall and crumpled to the ground. Their tattered robes tangled about their bruised and bloodied body. Still, they wheezed air back into their lungs. They weren’t out of the fight yet. The Human untangled their robes and scuffed their feet against the dusty ground as they pushed themself back up on two legs.

They backed into the alley using the wall as support and reached out with the Force -- both to locate their enemy through the cloud of dust and, more importantly, sense if Bico was still alive. An aura full of anger and hatred flared in their vision, advancing on their location. Bico’s signature was faint, but much further away from harm than Luka was at the pressing moment.

A yellow glow emerged from the dust, illuminating the pale mask of Vynn Salm. Luka turned their heel to run, one hand clenched to their bruised side. Though their ribs ached and their blistered skin seared with pain as they ran, they had no other choice. The Feeorin was faster and stronger, and Luka was greatly outmatched without numbers on their side.

Luka activated their magna-gloves and quickly scrambled up the side of the patchwork metal siding of a nearby tower. Vynn paused as they watched the Human scale up the containers, then turned to climb the rusty scaffolding clinging to the side. Taking two makeshift stairs at a time and amplifying his speed, he would likely reach the top at the same moment as the Human.

As Vynn reached the top, movement caused him to instinctively recoil and raise his lightsaber. A cloud of dust engulfed him and stung his eyes, but he did not need to see to find his target. Trusting his connection with the Force, the Feeorin thrust his saber forward forward the center of his opponent’s signature.

“Stop!”

Vynn Salm felt his limbs involuntarily stiffen, his saber inches from his target. Luka took a step back, their chest rising and falling in quickened breaths. They pressed a hand to a charred mark on the center of their chest, shock evident in their features. They had not expected that to work.

The killing blow stopped just short of its target hovering barely an inch from its mark. Not sure if the force, or the shock of his opponent screaming for him to stop, caused Vynn to lower the blade slightly. His awareness through the force let him know that the Nexu was still knocked out cold. Battle droids were searching the ground below them seeking to end their lives as well. No doubt they would take care of the beast when they found it. His opponent facing him was battered, burned, and blistered in many areas. His robes were tattered and torn, and singe marks were found all over it whisps of smoke rising from his hair.

“You seek the coward's way out? To be left alive on the field of battle?” The Right Hand of Justice asked through the vocoder in his helmet.

“I would like to keep living, yes.” the human before him said somewhat shakingly. His breath was still ragged as he clutched his wounded chest. He had hoped the Mandalorian would show mercy and turn around and leave. He would be wrong, this time the lightsaber did not stop as it penetrated Luka’s side. The human looked at him in shock his eyes wide and dilated. Not looking to prolong the man's pain the second lightsaber swung swiftly and true, removing the human's head from his body. His corpse crumpled to the ground as his decapitated head landed with a thud. At least the death was an honorable one and quick.

“Just to even the odds.”