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.

A short distance away from the place known as 'Shanty Town' on a small hill, knelt Cassandra Oriana Taldrya. She had arrived reasonably early in order to meditate and clear her mind, knowing full well any entry into the town prior to the signal to start was expressly forbidden. The sun was nearly at its peak for the day, the cooler temperatures having faded and given way to the much warmer climate of the summer. Her opponent had arrived only just a short time ago on the opposite side of the town, though she dared not pry too much with her telepathy just yet. Maintaining her full strength was vital, as it was not her opponent she was concerned about but the traps and the droids. But, if all went to plan, she was going to have some fun with this.

Her meditational state was broken as an explosion went off in the sky, the two large screens on each side of the town now having sprung to life. Rising to her feet, she looked at head to the town as she took in a breath before racing down the hill at incredible speeds, having augmented her athletic abilities. The plan was to get inside the town quietly and quickly, without the droids so much as noticing her. She was able to sense dozens of them throughout the buildings, alleys, and various stray containers...but luckily none of the rooftops. As she reached the town's perimeter, she lept up with all of her strength and her augmented movement to land on the corner edge of one of the container buildings with her hands before letting her feet slowly come down onto the plating.

By landing on the corner edge the way she had, any noise she would have made would have been significantly lowered when compared to landing in the middle or on the side of it with just bare feet. For a moment, she was grateful to herself that she had kept up with her Shadow Step training since she expected it might come in handy at some point. She sat there for a moment, reaching out with the Force to see if she had been noticed by anything below her, but sensed nothing changing or any alarm. In a crouched position using the balls of her boots, she slowly made her way along a creaseline where two containers were side by side, using that as a quieter spot to move.

As she got towards the edge of the container she lept over to the next building, somersaulting to once again keep the noises to a minimum. Building after building she did this until she came to a pause. Several buildings ahead, she saw a droid on the roof surveying the area. She made her way to the edge of the building she was on, careful to lean up against a container that made up a higher floor to be able and keep herself out of the droid's sight range.

It was at that point she noticed on the ground below, ever elegant to watch for traps by sweeping her feet in an outward arcing motion with every step she took, was Diyrian. Both Whynnetta and Whynell were in her right and left hands respectively, ready to use at a moment's notice. Cassandra glanced back up at the droid, then down at Diyrian as a small smirk crossed her face.

With but a twitch of her finger, she made Whynell discharge into the air several by depressing the trigger on it with her telekinetic combat mastery. The droid's attention was immediately grabbed and it began firing towards where Diyrian was which forced her back around a corner of one of the containers to keep herself out of the droid's firing line. Several other droids began searching the area, as if trying to determine where the blaster fire had come from. Without being able to see the blasters now, she would not be able to do that a second time. However, she didn't need to.

The rocky ground provided ample ammunition that would be useful, and she proceeded to use it by telekinetically throwing rock after rock at the container. As they struck with loud 'thunks', this proved to draw even more attention to that area as the droids were now in a sprint with blasters raised. She was able to sense that Diyrian was now retreating from her position, and the droid that was on the roof was now gone as it was probably making its way down toward the ground level to go after her.

At this point she continued onward and moved across the tops of the container buildings, ever silent and ever vigilant. If she could stay hidden and keep pressure on Diyrian, she might not have to get in direct combat with her. Maybe even force her to retreat from Shanty Town all together and give a default victory...that would be nice.

“Zuza, your wife is a she-akk!”

Diy swore loudly, not bothering to curb her volume when most of the droids in the immediate area were already coalescing on her arse thanks to that stunt Cassandra pulled. A brilliant, cunning little trick that had her grinning wide as a nexu, even as bolts of plasma whizzed by her head. This was going to be interesting.

Sand and gravel kicked up with each step as she pressed forward. The faux-Zelosian didn’t have the luxury of scrutinizing the narrow corridors for mines, not with a bunch of metallic tin cans marching fast on her tail. Pray and run, and hope to the spirits above her next step isn’t—

A brief glint of silver peeked out from the dull sandy browns of the terrain.

Her heart quickened in her chest as Diyrian threw herself forward heartbeats before her heel would have landed on the hidden mine. Chrome pistols and her knuckles planted on the other side of it. She rolled through with her momentum, popping back up on her feet and running. Relief washed over her before her attention turned back to the matters at hand: the droids and her opponent.

Her gaze scoured the tops of the passing rooftops, breaking when she turned a corner or moved to vault over a barricade. She was usually pretty good at tracking an opponent even through the thickest crowds; urban environments, even ramshod ones, were her kingdom. But she tended to get eyes on them first and weren’t already preoccupied! As Diy rounded the corner, a bright crimson flashed in her peripheral vision. Glancing up, she saw the well tailored armor of Cassandra passing from cover to cover. She was left with a decision. Make this everybody’s problem, or level it back down to just the two of them?

Or three.

With the droids’ sightlines broken momentarily, Diy ducked into a crudely-made doorway, her jacket brushing the metal wall while she listened to them march past. Once clear, she holstered Whyell and activated her commlink. An auditory beep was followed immediately by the undeniable metallic greeting of 4R-7H3R like chrono-work.

“Lady Diy! I have been cataloging the number of things that could result in trouble: twenty-four mines, seven B-One model battle droids, three turrets and one transport container with compromised—”

“—that’s not what I meant!” Diyrian pinched a thumb and forefinger to the gold line inked across the bridge of her nose with a muted sigh. The KX-Series security droid was prone to taking her too literally, so she should’ve suspected this. She placed her other heavy blaster pistol on a chair tucked in the corner near the door and unclipped the small stereo hooked to her belt, replacing the gun with it on the seat. “I need your coords, and ya need to listen real closely, m’kay?”

A minute later, the comm cut off and a thud alerted her that it was time to go. Diy reached down to press a button before jogging back out the makeshift shack and off down the street.

Scarlet and gold cloth fluttered behind Cassandra as she dropped in what she believed was a quiet roll onto the next shipping container. Metal plating clanked against durasteel sheeting briefly, nothing her opponent would hear regardless. The Epicanthix was still tracking the Kiffar’s signature through the shanty town and knew she was roughly twenty meters away. Some distance had been put between them. Diyrian had quickly proved to be a nimble adversary, making up ground faster than the Marauder did.

She slowed down to store up some of her haste in preparation of their next encounter. When her target appeared to have halted for a moment, Cassandra knew two things were likely true: the Arconan was losing the battle droids tailing her, and that if she wanted to keep the pressure on her opponent, she needed to act now.

Drawing the Force into her stride, she bounded over one corridor, took two steps and leapt another. As she popped up out of a somersault and came to a stop on the edge of a double-story stack, her quarry knowingly below her, the air erupted with a thick wall of rhythmic hard-pounding industrial clatter. If Cassandra was a music enthusiast, she would recognize it and the harmonic voice that melded with it as a modern sample of Galan-Kalank music. Regardless, there were more pressing matters.

Her target was on the move again and had effectively crafted a distraction that removed one of the tools at her disposal.

Cassandra spent but a moment debating whether or not she should try to get eyes on the stereo and yoink it along with her after Diyrian. Or waste less time to follow the woman and hope a group of droids responding to this racket would cross their path. The likelihood of that seemed strong, so she chose the latter.

The Mandalorian came to a halt when the Kiffar pulled herself up and onto the makeshift structure across the wider main corridor before her. Diyrian paced forward before casually leaning against a container making up a third story while a XO-X droid circled around them.

“I gotta say, it’s a nice change of pace meetin’ ya in these games, Cassie, compared to the Battle of Brimstone. Again, appreciated the help.” A tooth-eating grin danced on Diyrian’s face along with a flicker in her eyes. “I really enjoyed you sickin’ them droids on me.”

“There is a method to utilizing what the battle provides you,” Cassandra responded, somewhat meeting the cheeky energy she felt from the Kiffar. However she couldn’t help but feel like the other woman was delaying, attempting to lower her guard.

“I couldn’t agree more.”

The Mandolorian’s caution paid off, a warning flaring across her mind as the two shiny blaster pistols whipped from their holsters and shot off a barrage of bolts from hip level. Cassandra’s gloved hands clasped the two white-encased lightsabers from her belt, orange and blue blades humming to life. The plasma blurred like liquid light as she swiftly deflected the projectiles with control, even expertly redirecting a couple to force Diyrian back behind that container she had leaned on previously.

But the urban gunslinger didn’t let up.

She kept mobile, ducking in and out of cover, crossing the ‘rooftop’ and not staying in one spot long enough for Cassandra to try and strike her with her fire. The Marauder's brow furrowed behind her visor, finding herself furiously rushing to redirect the salvo — not because Diyrian’s shots were rapid-fire in particular, but because the Kiffar was aiming for vastly differing parts with the double barrels’ twin bolts. The Epicanthix was forced to take a step back as a shot came low, cerulean blade knocking the crimson plasma away from her calf. And then another, as two whizzed toward her right shoulder. A third step and—

—the metal sheeting beneath her gave out, dropping Cassandra abruptly into darkness.

Her armored knees hit the floor of the container below with a hollow thud, her breath hissing through her gritted teeth at the jolt of adrenaline. As her eyes adjusted quickly to the dim light, the high sun illuminating the jagged hole above with a piece of sheeting peeled back like a tin can from her fall, she noticed metal shavings littering the floor. Then, standing wide beyond that, a pair of silver and gold accented metal legs. Cassandra stiffened before rising to her feet, her grips on her now-deactivated lightsabers tightening as she became face to face with a hunched over KX-series Security Droid holding a Royal Guard force pike that she did not sense present.

“Greetings, ma’Lady. I declare according to the Galactic Law rulings of Chivalry, a duel! Prepare your defense, sapient!”

"Chivalry this. To me, my champion!" Cassandra called out as she lept from the container back to the ground above. The security droid tried to catch her with the pike, however found it quickly parried by an ichor green blade. The droid turned its head to see another droid standing next to it, an HK "Forty Seven Edition" Droid.

"Emboldened statement: At your side, m'lady. I will handle this meatba--error, this is not a meatbag. Query: What would I refer to you as?" the droid asked as it immediately pulled the sword away and began wildly striking at the security droid with attacks. It shifted to a defensive stance and twirled the pike responsively to parry each strike almost surgically.

"How is that relevant?" the security droid asked in a puzzled response. The two continued to exchange blows, with neither gaining ground. "So I may fulfill my master's request, we need a fast way to settle this."

"Brilliant concept: I have an idea if you would be interested." the HK droid asked while still relentlessly keeping up its barrage.

The KX-series Security Droid took a few steps back and paused for a moment, then responded. "What would that be?"

"Informative response: Rock, paper, scissors."

Well, that backfired. Diyrian thought to herself as she retreated to another container, this one significantly larger as the interior had been cut out to create a makeshift warehouse. There were a couple of droids here, though they did not last long as several shots rang out and into their heads. Cassandra as well was not far behind, and the few shots that Diyrian was able to direct toward her were sent toward other droids and back to herself.

Cassandra's lightsabers werent even ignited at this point, using just her telekinetic mastery to deflect the shots with small twitches of her finger. After the blaster fire stopped and all was quiet, she began to step forward. "Come now Diyrian, you can always just surrender and we go for a nice drink."

There was only silence. As she continued to step forward, she rounded the edge of a container and her eyes widened as a small detonation device that was attached to the container was suddenly in her face. She managed to telekinetically throw it away as it went off, just as quickly finding herself under blaster fire from behind by several droids. Several more flew far above her head, which Cassandra had interpreted as just stray fire, but it was a cocky thought as several chains could be heard snapping. She glanced up and saw a massive platform with barrels, the closest two sides to her that had been held up with chains, now severed. The barrels flew toward her and as she reached up to stop them with several being directed at the droids, she felt numerous blaster bolts strike her back armor plate.

This was starting to get annoying.

The droids were in front of each other, weapons put away as each of them brought up an arm. Simultaneously they repeated the phrase.

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot." they said as the security droid had paper, and the HK had rock. The security droid was elated.

"Query: Best of three?" the HK droid asked. The security droid gave an affirmative and they repeated the process.

"Rock, paper, scissors-"

Bang. A blaster rifle flew over the shoulder of the HK droid and stopped while pointed directly at the security droid. A shot was sent straight through the head of it, sparks flying as it fell to the ground. "Finality: ...shoot."

It made several laughing type noises as it kicked the droid repeatedly and began to disassemble it for parts.

Cassandra threw the barrels at Diyrian one after the other, now frustrated. No matter how close she seemed to get, Diyrian was always one step further. Either that, or explosives and droids were standing in her way. She had planned to be nice, but at this stage, she just wanted to telekinetically have fun with her like a ragdoll. And as soon as she was able to get a lock on her, that's exactly what she was going to do. One hand to throw her around, the other to deal with the pesky blaster fire.

Her breath became more shallow with every passing second, yet she pressed forward. In a fit of ire, Cassandra flourished her hand and sent one of her holstered lightsabers spiraling through the air. The emboldened orange blaze sliced clean through the remaining nuisance droids, narrowly missing the XO-X droid desperately trying to record the fight for the audience.

Only her and the Kiffar were left to face off.

Her lock on Diyrian’s signature as it darted around the makeshift warehouse, keeping on the move, was starting to waver with her exertion from throwing projectiles at the woman and deflecting fire. She pressed on through, eagerly looking for her opportunity. The flap of a leather jacket drew her attention during one momentary connection loss, and she spun around in time to catch the lithe Kiffar sprinting between stacks of crates. Cassandra quickly threw her hand out with the Force as an extension of her arm and will.

“I got you in my grasp now, Diyrian.”

And with a powerful yank, she threw the other woman by the leg into the ramshod siding of the wall, collapsing it with the force of the impact into the corridor outside. A cloud of dust and sunlight poured in from the hole it made.

Diyrian sputtered and rolled onto her side on top of the corroded metal, curling into herself as her lungs fought for air. Her body screamed from the impact. Pain flared up her arm like a motherbantha from the bashing her elbow took into the durasteel, and a sharp stinging of her left calf held the telltale sensation of blood pearling from a gash. She was aware she dropped one of her guns at some point, though where, when and which one she wasn’t sure. Another coughing fit was interrupted by approaching footsteps. New weight shifted the entire sheet beneath her and a shadow fell over her, blocking out Arx Primus shining above. The faux-Zelosian unfurled from her recovery position and twisted to look up, wiping dirt and dust from her lips with the back of her hand.

“Y’know, yer a beautiful woman with dangerous hands. Startin’ to appreciate that about you,” the gunslinger half-heartedly purred. That grin of hers wavered with the onset of exhaustion and a fresh odd feeling tickling her conscience.

Cassandra’s deep teal eyes met the paler gaze of Diy’s with a burning stare, her brow furrowed in clear annoyance. The towering Epicanthix tossed her crimson helmet to the side, the blond hair framing her rounded jaw doing little to soften her demeanor. Her hand outstretched towards the former scoundrel, and Diy felt an invisible pressure tighten around her chest. She was instantly lifted up into the air, her feet dangling centimeters above the collapsed sheet metal. Her jaw clenched at the pressure with a grunt, but she wasn’t the only one straining. Diy caught the quiver in Cassandra’s arm as if the toll of using the Force heedlessly in the warehouse was starting to build up. If she could goad her into talking instead of flinging her, maybe she could catch her off guard and turn the tables one more time. To pull the victory here.

“Not how I imagine, gettin’ picked up…by a taller lady,” Diyrian chuffed amidst her labored gasps, her words broken up under the telekinetic pressure and encroaching shadows at the edge of her sight. “You..offered drinks earlier…if I surrendered. Not much, a drinker but…I like dancin’—”

She froze.

Her jaw stuck open as a wave of uneasiness washed over her and then immediately was chased by an intense sense of fear. Her gaze locked on Cassandra, her light amber skin breaking out in jagged, sprawling and pulsing molten lines. Dark blood crystals punctured the surface and grew out in clusters. They encrusted up the Taldrya’s neck and down over her shoulder and arm, bursting through the well-fashioned beskar armor. The infection crept closer and closer, her heart racing as she knew — she knew — that it would leap across the gap between them and get her.

Time slowed as Diyrian dangled and squirmed there. Her eyes transfixed on the approaching Ascension Crystals, watching as they circled the woman’s wrist and traversed down a long and nimble hand. The ethereal sanguine gems elongated and stretched, threatening to spear her through her gut. Diy’s hand flew to her belt and abruptly yanked a pouch free with a snapping break of its fastenings— and threw it.

A cloud of pink dust exploded in Cassandra’s face, causing her to cry out in shock and her eyes to burn with pain. The faux-Zelosian felt herself jolt before being flung down the main corridor, landing roughly on her shoulder and tumbling twice over to a stop. She sucked in a ragged breath, forced herself to roll over and sit up, gritting her teeth against the pain. Not even thinking about the likely dislocation, her eyes bleary with terror-stricken tears, Diy whipped her remaining pistol back towards where the crystal aberrant had been and started shooting haphazardly.

Pew, pew, pew—

The bolts peppered down the roadway, spraying sand and pebbles in their wake. The ground abruptly erupted in explosions! Hidden mines detonated from the barrage and blasted debris up high in the air. The violent fiery smoke clouded the throughway, obscuring where Ascendant Cassandra had been. Diy clutched her ringing ear, pressing her gun hand to her face despite the searing and overheated metal. She looked up to spot a crimson shape approaching through the haze, and she quickly and shakily dropped her arm to level her blaster once again.

Out stepped Cassandra from the dust, void of crystals and still several meters away. Her right hand pulled a different cylinder from behind her back. A black core blade erupted fiercely from it, and the Epicanthix stepped closer. She paused. Her gaze darted up to the mock city’s skyline. A furrowed hint of confusion followed by defiance flashed across her features briefly before she sighed and deactivated her quantum saber.

“It’s over. Time has run out, Diyrian,” Cassandra announced, directing their attention toward the three crimson clouds that curled up above the stands in the distance. “I was hoping to have forced you to forfeit, but our judgment is up to the Voice now. You were…a challenge.”

With the distance still between them and the startle from the explosions, the fear Diy had felt faded fast. Her grasp on reality returned in time for her to scramble and process what was happening. She dropped her pistol arm in numb relief, letting it rest draped over her knee.

“Yeah, same to you, Cassie,” Diy smiled lightly after a moment to just breathe. “Good game. Should do this again sometime…or…maybe not, heh.”

Cassandra waved her off. She seemed to take a moment to recoup herself before she nodded to Diyrian and turned to leave. The faux-Zelosian watched the Epicanthix for a moment, knowing she should probably get up herself or risk getting scored against for resting — kark that! But she pulled herself up onto her feet anyways and went to retrieve her missing blaster twin. The unmistakable sound of an approaching droid gave her pause, and she looked up after holstering Whynnetta to see a HK Gladiator Droid passing by. It took her two seconds to notice the silver and gold trim plating and limbs draped over it.

Unmistakably, the bits and pieces of 4R-7H3R.

Diy shook her head and sighed.

“Artie does not look good on you.”

“Counter Argument: I disagree.”