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 Forge.

Inspired by the droid factories on Geonosis and the flowing lava rivers of Mustafar, the Forge is a collection of deadly heat and hard-slamming steel. In the center of the arena is a “peak” from which the lava flows downward through rivers and cliff-faces. Radiating outward is a series of tiered rings, each getting lower the further from the center you get.

Along the rivers of lava, various arteries suck out the super heated earth to melt metal. The loud clanking slamming of metal sheets heating and cooling, tempering and forging together ring clearly through the entire arena. Conveyor belts lead the metal sheets away from the arena to be used by ACE in the spaceship yards.

A lone Mandalorian knelt on a small dark platform, waiting for his upcoming match to begin. He took even breaths as he maintained his thoughts, centering himself. He wouldn’t allow any distractions in the coming conflict. He couldn't allow the cheering, stomping audience outside to impede his performance, not with so much at stake.

This would be Aiden Lee Deshra’s second match. Members from all seven Clans would be watching with interest at who would walk away as the strongest fighter. As much as it was important for Aiden to win the fight for the tournament itself, another factor drove his desire for victory today. One of his superiors would be watching. The sitting Fist would observe today's match, a battle between two of his subordinates. Aiden refused to be deemed the weaker one.

The platform began to rise as a circular hatch above slid open. The first thing he felt as the new venue revealed itself was intense heat. Even through his armor, the feverish temperature was discomforting. Once his body rose past the edge of the orifice, the Mandalorian turned his head away, momentarily blinded by the arena’s light. As his eyes quickly adjusted, he saw it. The Forge. A foundry-like creation with cascading rivers of magma and protected, automated conveyor lines. The harsh slamming of steel echoed around him.

“From a hastily built shanty town to this… not cutting any corners, are they?.” Aiden spoke lightly as a loud siren blew, initiating the coming conflict.

Not wanting to waste time, the Arconan moved. His first instinct was to take the high ground. Pressing a few buttons on his vambrace, the Mandalorian activated the thrusters on his boots and rocketed up. He had limited fuel, so he needed to be direct and quick. Upon reaching his intended height, he landed near the top of the structure.

Pulling out his rifle, he waited. Kneeling, Aiden scanned over the arena, looking for his target. His helmet's multi-frequency target acquisition system was operational, providing feedback in his peripherals as he searched.

After several moments, his visor pinged. The MFTAS focused on a target, his quarry. The display confirmed who he knew to be his opponent: Malfrost. As much as the Mandalorian enjoyed a good fight, in this instance, he preferred to end things quickly. He needed to prove his superiority in this match and prove to Rajhin that he was the better subordinate.

Pulling his rifle into position he began to aim at the unaware Sith. His helmet's visor synced with the targeting assistance of his rifle and Aiden’s fingers curled around the trigger. A click against his helmet broke his intense focus.

“Now, partner, that don’t seem very sportin' now does it.”

A synthetic voice drew Aiden’s attention as he realized he’d been set up. A droid stood behind him, a slugthrower pistol pushing against his beskar. He’d been too focused. Too intent on showing off that he’d neglected his surroundings. That was a mark against him, one he knew the Fist wouldn’t look kindly on.

“Now then, how’s about you toss that there rifle aside and place those hands in the air? I’d rather not shoot you now with my Big Iron. Not very lawly of me. But with a history like yours, Mr. Outlaw, I’ll do it if I have to.”

Aiden shook his head, an annoyed smile underneath his helm. The old-time cadence of the droid was both amusing and wildly out of place in this arena setting. He knew that a slug to the helmet wouldn’t kill him. That being said the ringing in his ears he’d deal with afterward would be a pain. Not to mention, this was just a vulnerable position to be in. The Arconan focused again as he tossed the lightsaber rifle backwards and to the side. He raised his hands as he’d been instructed.

“Very good. Now, partner, you just stand there and be good and quiet as I alert my sheriff down there. We’ll keep this a just battle now. No need for such disgraceful tactics.”

Aiden couldn’t help but chuckle as he stood, hands intertwined behind his head. He heard the droid's machinery as it moved slightly. The slugthrower against his head pressed harder.

“What's so funny, partner? You ain't in an advantageous position here.”

“Oh, just thinking,” Aiden’s modulated voice replied. “I didn’t hear my weapon land, did you?”

Behind Aiden and the droid, the rifle floated midair. After throwing it away, the Mandalorian had never truly ‘let go’ of his property. He grinned as he flexed his trigger finger and a blast erupted from the barrel. Blue lightsaber plasma collided with the droid's chassis with a sharp penetrative echo. The droid's eyes dimmed as it clattered to the Forge’s floor, and Aiden called the rifle back to him. Quickly regaining his aim, the Mandalorian stared down the rifle's scope. A Sith helm from dark ages past stared right back at him.

“Well frack…there goes that idea.”

Quickly firing off two shots, he watched as Malfrost activated two crimson-red lightsabers, deflecting the shots with ease. Aiden had only two shots remaining before his rifle melted the lightsaber within, so as Malfrost rushed up the side of the structure, the Mandalorian put his weapon away. He brought out his own dual sabers, one silvery white and the other black as night. The hum of the blades was an eerie sound against the loud clanging of metal from the assembly lines.

Soon enough two opposing figures stared off at each other. Eyes narrowed as each readied themselves for what would be a duel for their Fist.

“Sorry about your friend there, but in all fairness… he did point a pistol at me.”

“And I’m sure you had no other choice but to break my things.”

Their rivalry, almost like children fighting for attention, was unmistakable in their voices.

“The real question, Malfrost, is whether or not I break you.”

“You can try.”

Almost in perfect synchrony, the two Magistrates surged forward, clashing blades as they fought for the approval of their Fist. For Rajhin, their duel would only end with one of them walking away.

Malfrost had been anticipating this match ever since he had learned who his opponent would be. Having worked alongside Aiden in their roles as Magistrates to the Fist, he had seen Aiden's jovial and free-spirited side on their downtime and during low stakes missions as well as the consummate and cold professional on tasks that demanded their attention. He had heard the stories though of how Aiden could be on the battlefield, of the Mandalorian that he kept buried deep inside and that only rose to the surface during intense combat.

That was the Aiden he wanted to see today.

His heavy Sith armor didn’t have any sort of cooling so Malfrost could feel every bit of the intense heat that soaked the air around them. His skin was glistening in sweat as his messy brown hair clung to his forehead beneath his helm but none of that mattered right now. The thrill of combat against such a strong foe chased away any discomfort the heat might have stirred up within him as their lightsabers clashed and sparked against each other.

It was quite a spectacle for the crowd, which let out a cheer as they took in the sight of two skilled fighters clashing. Aiden’s movements were elegant and refined with absolutely zero wasted motion or energy, his sabers clashing with Malfrost’s only when it was necessary to block a strike. While he wielded his black lightsaber with masterful precision, the white lightsaber floated in the air around them, controlled effortlessly by the armored Elder and would attempt to strike Malfrost when he appeared vulnerable.

Malfrost on the other hand was like a wild river unleashed. A ferocious and overwhelming tide of strikes and blows that was slowly but surely forcing Aiden back inch by inch as the cheers of the crowd grew louder.

“Come on, Aiden. You’re making this so boring! Is this really the type of show you wanted to put on for the Boss!?” Malfrost laughed as Aiden scoffed at his junior’s attempt to rile him up.

“And you think that flailing around is a good show?” Aiden reposted both verbally and with a flourish of his sabers as he parried one of the Marauder’s powerful overhead blows and managed a quick thrust towards Malfrost’s chest with his floating saber. Malfrost narrowly managed to avoid the strike, the Force warning him of it a split second before it occurred. The white blade glanced across one of Malfrost’s arms, but the Sith alchemy that enhanced the armor ensured that no damage befell its wearer.

“I remember when Beskar used to be special.” Aiden joked but he could feel his heart rate growing faster. It had been quite some time since he had a fight that got him even slightly worked up. For now, the Seeker maintained his control and focus.

Using this brief lull, Aiden shifted one of his knees so it was facing his foe and the kneepad swiftly opened and shot out an explosive tipped dart. Using the Force to guide the rocket towards Malfrost, Aiden followed swiftly behind it to press home the attack.

Malfrost jumped just in time to avoid being caught in the epicenter of the blast but the explosion still rattled him a bit. The anti-glare coating in of his visor insured he could see still Aiden charging at him following the explosion. Malfrost landed on the ring of stone below them, next to a waterfall of bubbling lava and just as he got his foot, Aiden was upon him. Two quick flicks of his wrists managed to block Aiden’s first blow as well as the strike of the floating saber but now the Marauder was on the defensive, a situation he was very much not used to being in.

Even with the Force helping him, Malfrost had a hard time predicting Aiden’s attacks. He switched effortlessly between precise thrusts and more agile and sweeping cuts. Aiden’s stance and even grip on the hilt seemed to be in flux and when combined with the floating lightsaber that swooped on his sides or even behind him on occasion it made for a chaotic clash that Malfrost just couldn’t quite get the tempo down for. He had to find a way to take care of that other lightsaber, and the waterfall of lava just off to their side might provide the key.

He flicked a switch on each of his lightsabers and the maglocks activated as his two sabers attached to each other to form a saberstaff. He spun the saberstaff overhead just as the floating saber moved to try and strike at him from above. His crimson blade connected with the Beskar hilt, altering its trajectory and sending it towards the lava river.

Normally Aiden would have just effortlessly pulled the saber back towards him but for a split second his connection to the Force was severed, his control of his floating lightsaber was lost and the blade fell into the lava and sank beneath its bubbling surface. It was made of Beskar so it would likely be fine in the long run but it was not lost in the lava that flowed down into the waterfall nearby.

“Consider that payback for breaking my droid. He’s really expensive to repair, in case you didn’t know.” Malfrost spoke with a teasing tone as he took a step back; with that other saber out of the way he felt like he would be on more even footing with Aiden now. His knees were bent slightly and his waist was partly twisted to the side as he held his saberstaff above his head, a high guard ready to defend or attack at a moment’s notice.

He felt a pit form in his stomach as the torrent of the Force that normally rushed through his body vanished in an instant. Like a giant boulder suddenly blocking a river, the torrent had become little more than drops that he could barely feel or register in his mind.

“You gave me a handicap so I gave you one. Only seems fair, right?” Aiden spoke, the slightly playful tone from before now completely gone, replaced with a cold and stern one as he pointed the tip of his black saber towards his fellow Magistrate, the rest of the blade perfectly parallel to the floor. Quite the clear indication that the Elder was about to go on the offensive.

Malfrost was slowly getting what he wanted; the Mandalorian was starting to come to the fore. If he wanted to see more, he would now have to find a way to survive against Aiden while his access to the Force was nearly completely cut off. His grip on his saberstaff tightened as he felt his heart pounding in his chest; if the Force had abandoned him then he would have to just trust his instincts for now and they had yet to let him down so far.

Holocam droids circled the two combatants as the audience cheered for their favorite to win. These two, however, cared only for the amber, cat-like eyes that followed their every move. For Rajhin, these two were willing to kill to prove themselves.

Aiden silently prepared to end the fight right here and now. Losing his fallen saber was like losing a part of himself. He felt a hollow realization that he might not be able to recover the beskar from the lava river, a piece of his family that this Vizlan had taken away from him. Still, his will remained in full effect, not allowing his enemy to access the Force. The other Magistrate was unworthy of his power and Aiden intended to prove so.

Malfrost was at a major disadvantage without a connection to his power. Aiden would surely best him as the situation currently stood. He now needed to stack the deck in his favor, and sometimes a strategic retreat was the way to go. He would use the terrain to gain the edge, and this arena held all sorts of fiery impediments he could utilize against the Arconan. He just needed to find the right spot to bring this fight.

Seeing a potential play to make, Malfrost jumped over the nearby lava river, running back toward the Forge. Aiden gave pursuit, following right on his heels. The Mandalorian was able to catch up, the two Magistrates racing towards a conveyor belt, maneuvering around the fiery obstacles in their path.

The Arconan coiled the Force in his left hand as he dropped towards the conveyor belt. Malfrost landed first, and when Aiden hit the metal plates of the assembly line he thrust his hand down. The shockwave that emanated from his palm crashed into Malfrost, sending the Vizlan sprawling onto his back. Malfrost’s lightsaber fell from his grasp, clattering down the conveyor belt as Aiden brought his lightsaber down, the black blade glancing off of his enemy's armor.

Narrowly avoiding death at his opponent's blade, Malfrost rolled to his feet and dashed towards his dropped weapon. Grasping the mag-locked saber staff, he activated the red blades in time to catch Aiden's calculated strike. With a renewed vigor, the Vizlan pushed back against the Mandalorian. Crimson clashed with black as Malfrost began an unrelenting, chaotic assault on the other Magistrate. He had led Aiden to this point, and now he just needed to bide his time as the conveyor belt escorted the pair into the heart of the arena. The Forge would do the rest.

Aiden was not hindered by the loss of his weapon. His movements embodied his well-practiced control, proving he was just as deadly with one lightsaber as he was with two. While his strikes and ripostes seemed almost effortless, Malfrost knew this was the result of years of training and hard-earned experience. This was the fight he wanted. A battle to the death with a Makashi master.

But he was no slouch either. Even without the Force at his beck and call, Malfrost was a Master in his own right. His extensive training in Juyo was keeping Aiden on his toes, and Malfrost just needed to wear his opponent out to win. Each block and blow with his balanced and twisted form held the full weight of his body in them. He was still fast, and his unrelenting tactics were known to overwhelm and exhaust those who held the misfortune of fighting against him.

The sounds of sharp blades slamming against solid durasteel rang out as they inched closer to the assembly area of the Forge. The conveyor moved into the arena’s inner realm, and to the combatants’ surprise, it was quite similar to the droid factories of Geonosis. Machines lined the area with intersecting conveyor belts dedicated to crafting intricate tools, vehicle fragments, and droid parts for the Iron Legion. One such conveyor belt dropped metal chunks from above, crashing into the durasteel plates on the belt they stood on. The two warriors leapt aside, barely avoiding being flattened.

Aiden landed on another assembly line, narrowly missing a mechanical arm fusing two metal slabs together. He felt the heat through his armor, and he had to look away before the intense welding flame blinded him. A tug in his gut made him drop down before a spinning blade nearly took off his head. The grinding of steel against steel filled his senses as the saw blade carved into the fused metal slab. Looking up, he saw another welding arm preparing to do its work, and he was forced again to find a position of new footing.

Leaping to another high platform, Aiden breathed a sigh of relief. The Forge was even more dangerous on the inside than it was on the outside. Taking this brief calm moment, Aiden recentered himself. His senses flared and the Mandalorian spun around to catch Malfrost’s lightsaber against his own, not allowing himself to be caught off guard.

“Looks like you’re slipping, Aiden. Lost your concentration, did ya? My power is mine again, and you’re going to regret allowing that to happen.” Malfrost taunted with a shit-eating grin behind his ancient Sith mask.

Aiden could feel it. An intense anger building inside of his enemy. The Force bent around Malfrost, invigorating his body and staining his mind in darkness. Beneath his helmet, the Vizlan’s eyes glowed amber-yellow as the Dark Side of the Force took over. With a feral roar and enhanced ferocity, he charged forward, his saber-staff spinning wildly. His body twisted and bent as each blow that he rained down on Aiden held the full might of his body. Malfrost’s attack was an intense wave of hatred and wrath-filled fury. Twisted by the Dark Side as he was though, he never lost control over himself. He maintained discipline and focus.

Aiden was pushed to the limits of his defense. The blood-red blade hammered against him, he could feel the strain in his muscles as Malfrost's intensity grew. His arms shook under the pressure, blocking each strike but his guard nearly broke under the relentless onslaught. He wouldn’t allow himself to end like this. He could not die on holocam as the Fist and all of Arcona watched.

Aiden willed the Light Side to assist him. The Force filled the Mandalorian, strengthening his arms, the shaking of his limbs lessening as he was empowered. It wasn’t enough to overwhelm his enemy, but he kept himself on his toes against the hatred-fueled attacks of his fellow Magistrate. The question now was, what would win out; Aiden’s desire to win, or Malfrost’s ambition to be better than his opponent?

The hissing clash of lightsabers filled the factory as the battle continued. As the cheering audience took in the intensity of the passion-filled duel, Aiden could feel his strength waning under the ferocity of Malfrost’s rage. He needed to end this fight soon before it turned out badly for him. The Arconan took in his surroundings, looking for an opening anywhere he could find one. He noticed through the grated holes of the platform, that the lava river flowed beneath them through the Forge’s inner factory. The Vizlan seized the moment of distraction with a swiftness his opponent couldn’t counter and swept Aiden off of his feet. Aiden toppled to the ground, dropping his lightsaber in the process. Before he could get up off his back, the fiery-bladed saber staff drilled into his chest. Only his Beskar stopped his otherwise inevitable death, the silvered metal glowing orange.

He wouldn’t hesitate. Aiden kicked his legs up, catching Malfrost in his chest, the stumble giving room for Aiden to roll backward, landing in a kneeling position. He thrust his left arm forward. A grappling whipcord launched out of his vambrace and wrapped around the other Magistrate's chest, locking his arms in place. This wasn't going to hold him for long, so Aiden reached out, willing the Force to obey his command. With a level of control only a Master could hope to achieve, the very fabric of matter obeyed Aiden’s command. The grating beneath Malfrost’s feet de-solidified and became sand-like grains of durasteel.

The Arconan watched as his enemy dropped through the newly made hole, calling his lightsaber back to his hand as he stood once more.

As Malfrost fell through the hole he managed to break the binding that Aiden had caught him in. He landed on an outcrop of stones below as he gazed up from where he had just fallen. Aiden held his saber in his hand once more and jumped through the hole to land a few yards away from him. Their lightsabers hummed as their armored visages gazed silently as the holocam droids circled around them. The Marauder’s heart was pounding in his chest, the thrill and high of combat continued to chase away any discomfort the intense heat of the Forge may have caused. He could tell that he had managed to coax the Mandalorian out of Aiden and while they could continue to fight with their sabers, there was only one-way Malfrost wanted this fight to end.

Malfrost turned off his saberstaff, coaxing some confusion from his opponent as he used his other hand to undo the latch of his Sith helmet. He removed the helm and let out fall to the ground, revealing his sweat covered face as his brown hair clung to his forehead. He had a large grin on his face, a sign that he was reveling in combat and his hazel irises glistened with excitement.

“It wouldn’t do for either or both of us do die here. Plus…I’m sure there is a part of you that wants to settle it this way too.” Malfrost chuckled, his tone just as excited as his expression as he dropped his saberstaff to the ground next to him and raised his fists up to chin level as he tucked his elbow in to cover his ribs.

It was a stance Aiden knew well, all who trained with Mandalorians learned Mandalorian Core and had the tenets of the style drilled into them. There was no tactical reason for Aiden to accept this challenge; he was sure he could outduel Malfrost in a saber fight and he was certainly more potent in the Force. Yet the Mandalorian had come out and that side of him was thrilled at the prospect of going blow for blow with someone like he had done in the combat circles so many years ago.

“Fine. As servants of the Fist, I suppose it only makes sense that we settle this with our fists.” Aiden chuckled in response as he removed his helmet as well, letting it drop to the side along with his lightsaber. His black and sliver hair was also clinging to his skin but his blue-green eyes caught Malfrost’s own and the two silently acknowledged each other. Their stances and postures mirrored each other’s perfectly and it was clear that both combatants were well trained in this style of martial arts. The yards between them had shortened to just a few feet as their gazes remained locked, their feet shuffling as they both seemed ready to pounce at any moment.

Malfrost struck first, surging forward as he attempted to deliver two swift strikes to Aiden’s chest. His fellow Magistrate swiftly parried the blows and attempted to deliver a powerful counterattack as he launched a jab at Malfrost’s throat, attempting to knock the wind out of him.

The Marauder's mastery of the style allowed him to quickly parry the jab out of the way before shifting out of striking distance as the two circled each other again, their expressions intense and yet joyful all at once. This sort of exchange repeated itself again and again. One of them would move in to strike, the other would parry and attempt to counter only to be foiled as well.

Malfrost had honed his craft a bit more than Aiden which allowed him to get some glancing blows in here and there, bruising Aiden’s chest a few times in the process but as the two continued to exchange blows, Aiden’s athleticism and stamina was slowly backing him into a corner. The two had been battling intensely in their heavy armor for some time now and it was impossible for either of them to not be worn down by the heat and exertion and even though Aiden’s swings were more forceful, he also seemed to have more energy in reserve to keep the fight going for longer.

After a few more minutes of exchanged blows and attempted grapples, the two were a panting and sweaty mess. Both managed to maintain their stances but it was clear that Malfrost’s counters and jabs were becoming less forceful with each passing moment. By this point, Aiden had connected a few jabs into his sides and even with the adrenaline coursing through his veins he could feel the throbbing pain from those blows.

He wasn’t going to let himself be defeated slowly with a thousand little blows though. If he was going to go out, he wanted to give everything he had for his last attack.

“I must say, Aiden…it’s truly been an honor to fight you like this. I hope we can do this again sometime.” Malfrost managed to pant out with a grin as he bent his knees, clearly ready to spring forward for an attack.

Aiden couldn’t remember the last time he had been tested like this; the last time fighting had felt enjoyable rather than just a job he needed to get done. While he was in this state of combat, he could simply forget his duties as a member of the Inquisitorious and Clan Arcona, forget his duties as Magistrate to the Fist and simply exist in the moment. It was a sort of liberating freedom that only combat against another skilled warrior could truly offer.

“Yes, we should do this more often.” Aiden offered in reply with a smirk as he too bent his knees made ready to attack. The two surged forward at the same time as they both put everything they had into the offense as they both sought a decisive blow with powerful right crosses directed at their faces.

Both blows connected as the sound of bones shattering was captured by the holocam droids and echoed around the area. Both warriors collapsed to the stone beneath them with Malfrost landing on his back and Aiden on his chest.

A thick silence hung over the arena as the crowd waited to see if either of them would get up. Had it been a simultaneous knock out? After a few moments passed, Aiden slowly began to rise, his body quivering from the blow and his ears ringing, he was almost certainly concussed after that and in the haze of pain he believed he could feel that he was missing a few teeth. His gaze turned to Malfrost who was still laying on his back. The Marauder managed to raise his right arm up ever so slightly before it collapsed back down to his side. With a bloody smile and a swollen jaw, he managed to mouth out, “You win this round” before passing out.

Aiden thrust his fist in the air in a silent proclamation of victory as the crowd let out a roar as he was announced the winner. He had done it. He had proven that he was the stronger Magistrate and he knew somewhere in that crowd, the Fist had taken note. That was all he could manage though before he too collapsed back onto the stone. As his thoughts began to fade, the last thing the Mandalorian thought before everything went black was, he would have to thank Malfrost later for such a good fight.