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 Jungle.

A simple design, hot, humid, muddy, and murky, the imported jungle setting has plenty of dangers to be found within its thick growth of plant life. Quicksand, sticky mud, and entangling vines all wait for the ill-prepared combatant. Yet something more causes a chill down your spine.

Within the shadows even more dangers lurk. Deadly creatures such as the Nexu, Acklay, and Gundar hide away in the lush vegetation waiting for their next meal. And even then the periodic roars and thudding ground hint that maybe something even more deadly waits in the jungle's depth.

Beads of perspiration had quickly formed on the nape of her neck, snaking their way down her back, beneath the under-layer of her armor. Emerald eyes continually scanned the area around her, but all she could see was the endless jungle that had sprouted within the Arx Colosseum. Peering up, Lucine Vasano, once Consul of Arcona, could just make out the crowd that watched them through the canopy of trees. She tried to keep her breathing steady in the moist air, keeping herself calm and centered as she searched for her opponent.

Her thumb gently brushed against the hilt of her lightsaber, its familiar weight comforting in the palm of her hand, although not yet ignited for battle. She had no idea where, let alone who, her opponent was. The brackets had been set, but the combatants had been kept in the dark of any specifics. She instead found herself thrust into the middle of all this greenery, left to fend for herself.

Do not worry, we will meet soon enough.

Lucine stopped, her blade nearly exploding in the response to the words that suddenly shot through her head. Her senses, both physical and mental, scanned the area around her, but all she could feel was the overpowering force of life that inhabited the jungle. The place teemed with a cacophony of different sounds, smells and life force. For a moment she thought she saw a shimmer of something unnatural within the jungle itself, but the movement of the leaves themselves seemed to be playing with her vision.

She knew they were out there, somewhere. The voice was male, but she wasn’t familiar with it enough to pinpoint who it may be. Her fingers tightened around the knurled-circles of her hilt, eyes finding routes through the tree-line for a ‘strategic retreat’, as she would call it. She was being played with, and needed to find a way to take back control.

Running is a good instinct.

She still startled at the voice, but regained her composure quicker this time, knowing she heard an accompanying rustle somewhere to her left. As she made to move to her right instead, and deeper into the jungle, Lucine felt a sudden blunt-force impact slam into her side. Stumbling, she managed to stay on her feet as a familiar snap-hiss cut through the other sounds of the jungle. A blade of similar color to her own came rushing down at her. Her arm came up instinctively, managing to catch the killing blow on her gauntlet as her own blade flared to light and made a hard swipe at the other combatant.

The combatant sidestepped the swing, and as she saw them stretch out a hand she felt herself being propelled backwards, and into the closest tree. Her armor took the brunt of the impact, but she felt the wind leave her for a second. The stifling air didn’t help, as she struggled to take in air, ignoring the signals of pain that were flaring from her back. Expecting a follow-up attack, Lucine peeled herself from the tree, putting her defenses up for an attack that never came. Instead, she finally had a moment of respite to look up and see who her opponent was.

Looking back at her was an older man, one who clearly enjoyed the greener things in life. She had seen him before, generally alongside the Master-at-Arms in some form of official capacity.

“The name is Halcyon,” he said, inclining his head ever so slightly. “I thought it best we at least introduce ourselves, before giving everyone a good show.”

“Lucine Vasano,” she responded, as she slowly began to move towards him. Having composed herself, she was able to imbue her words and movement with a seductiveness and charm that belied the situation. Waves of suggestion cascaded from her, as she locked eyes with her opponent. “We can always work together, and still give everyone what they came for.”

For a moment Halcyon’s eyes grew wider, his jaded façade wilting under the suggestion. A small began to play across his face, before walls of durasteel slammed down around his mind, the suggestions suddenly cut-off from their target.

“Nice try, kid,” Halcyon stated, his face impassive once more.

“You’re too old for me anyway,” Lucine sneered back, re-focusing herself for actual battle. Before Halcyon could make his own retort, both combatants felt the ground around them heave as a primal roar shook the very foundation of the Colosseum.

“Not one of yours?” Halcyon asked, hoping it was another conjuration. Lucine could only shake her head in denial as her head swiveled from side-to-side, looking for whatever monstrosity had made that noise.

Silence fell over the faux jungle, as thick as the humidity that blanketed the area. The two combatants exchanged glances in silent agreement of a temporary truce before they began to scan their surroundings for the greater threat.

In the center of the arena, a green mass that Lucine had initially thought to be a plant-covered hill began to move. It slowly shifted to reveal a line of raised dorsal scales that glittered light green in the sun. The creature’s head became visible next, rising ponderously over the tree line. It was crowned with a thick ridge of scales that overshadowed its small eyes, and jade-colored horns that swept up from the back of its head. It opened its mouth, revealing teeth the length of Lucine’s arm, and roared once again.

As the ground beneath them shook with the sheer volume of the creature’s roar, the jungle around them exploded with life. Lizards in a variety of colors skittered past them as they sought to escape the now-awake apex predator. Some undergrowth to Halcyon’s left shivered with movement and a nexu appeared. It studied the Elder appraisingly through obsidian eyes, clearly contemplating making a meal of the man. However, vanished into the jungle, opting instead to avoid the larger creature that was even now shaking off the vines that covered its scaly form.

Lucine stared up at the towering beast, feeling her stomach drop. “Is that a—”

“A krayt dragon,” Halcyon finished. Despite the appearance of the giant lizard, his features remained impassive. His green eyes were narrowed slightly as he studied the new threat intently. “A jungle variant.”

“Well, at least they were kind enough to threaten us with a creature that is adorned in my favorite color. Yours too, apparently. Though dyeing your hair green is… certainly a fashion choice,” Lucine said with a glance at the man’s veridian attire. Her words only garnered a raised eyebrow from Halcyon. If she was bothered by his stoic demeanor, she did not show it. Instead, she continued, “It is not too late to team up, darling. I think the two of us would be able to bring it down.”

High above the treeline, the krayt dragon’s nostrils flared as it caught their scent, and its massive head swiveled in their direction.

Halcyon took a deep breath as his fingers closed around the hilt of his lightsaber. “We don’t have to bring it down,” he said at last.

There was no movement, no warning. An invisible wall of force slammed into Lucine, propelling her backward. Having learned from previous experience, she twisted in the air to avoid having the breath knocked out of her as she slammed into a nearby tree. Despite being relatively unhurt by the attack, she dropped bonelessly to the sandy ground. Her plan in the moment was to feign helplessness, hoping to goad Halcyon into an attack.

That plan quickly changed as her legs began to sink into the sand, the ground quickly beginning to swallow her up. Unwisely, her first impulse was to struggle against the sand that engulfed her Within seconds she was buried to her waist. Quicksand. Lovely.

“I just have to outrun you,” Halcyon said. He did not bother to wait for a reply. Instead, he took off in a run, deeper into the jungle and away from the krayt dragon.

“Charming,” Lucine said with a sigh. Still, she could not blame him. She had been considering a similar tactic, only the Elder had beaten her to it.

The krayt dragon began to move. Trees gave way before it, pushed over by its immense bulk, a cacophony of destruction that accompanied its every step as it lumbered in her direction.

Lucine forced herself to remain calm, to think. She leaned back and spread her arms wide, denying the impulse to struggle against the sand. The suction that was pulling her downward slackened in response to her efforts, causing her to breathe a sigh of relief.

Next, there was the matter of the giant lizard. She drew upon her power as she reached out to touch the krayt dragon’s mind. Weaving the threads of the Force into a simple illusion, she made the pool of quicksand seem flat, placid and utterly unoccupied.

The creature paused and shook its massive head, apparently confused by the disappearance of the easy prey right in front of it. It stared at her for several seconds, but the illusion held under the beast’s scrutiny. With a snort, it turned its attention to the retreating Elder and angled slightly away from her as it began to chase after its new prey.

“Well, that is one problem taken care of,” Lucine murmured. Working with frustrating slowness, she extracted her arm from the quicksand and flicked a hand toward a nearby vine. It shuddered and extended itself downward, allowing her to grab onto it. “Now to get out of this mess.”

Trees, shrubs and vines flashed past as Halcyon ran through the jungle, making for the opposite wall of the arena. His sharp eyes missed none of the dangers around him, allowing him to easily avoid patches of quicksand and sticky mud.

It was a shame. Fighting a krayt dragon of that size would have been a novelty, which was a rare thing for a man as experienced as he was. It would have been an actual challenge. Perhaps he would seek it out after it was done dispatching the former Arconan Consul.

After running a sufficient distance, he allowed himself to pause. The ground continued to tremble under his feet, a sheer testament to the krayt dragon’s sheer size and bulk. After a moment, he realized that the footsteps seemed to be increasing in rhythm. Halcyon glanced over his shoulder to see the apex predator tearing through the jungle growth, its beady eyes focused entirely on him.

“Looks like things are about to get interesting,” the Elder said with a wan smile as he turned to fully face the predator. Force energy already thrummed through his muscles, granting him speed. He drew on even more of that energy, allowing it to form in his hand as a ball of crackling electricity.

He waited as the beast bore down on him until he could feel the ground bucking beneath his feet and see the color of its beady eyes. He then extended his hand toward it, palm outward in a gesture to stop. Forked tongues of electricity shot toward the krayt dragon, crackling as it lashed against the beast’s scales and leaving blackened scorch marks in their wake.

The beast screamed in pain, so loudly that it caused even the stoic Elder to wince at the assault on his ears. It skidded to a halt, causing furrows of dirt and rock to rise around its feet. But it did not call. Instead, it twisted its body, bringing its spiked tail around to slam into him. Halcyon was already on the move, and the beast’s tail caught only air.

He ran along the giant lizard’s side, Force energy lashing the scales along its ribs. The fresh assault drew another roar as the krayt dragon whipped its head around to look at him.

Halcyon could see that the scales around the creature’s eyes were scorched and smoking, but we were otherwise undamaged. He did not think that krayt dragons were impervious to lightning, which meant this one had undergone some form of genetic engineering. It seems that Idris is getting creative.

Before he could pursue that line of thought any further, the giant lizard opened its mouth, as if yawning. The Force whispered to him, prompting him to dive behind an outcropping of rock. A moment later, a gout of viscous green liquid shot from the creature’s maw, spraying the ground and several trees in a wide arc.

Halcyon suppressed a groan as the organic matter that had been touched by the liquid began to dissolve. “And it spits acid. Wonderful.”

Still mumbling to himself regarding the multitude of benefits this krayt dragon had, Halcyon moved with alacrity to sidestep another spew of viscous acid. He used his momentum to carry himself closer to the beast, slashing at it with his emerald blade. The only element that did seem to faze the creature was a lightsaber, as it bellowed in pain, its massive head swinging with a speed that belied its size. Halcyon was only able to twist away partially, feeling himself propelled backwards into some nearby foliage, slamming hard into the jungle ground.

Groaning in pain, Halcyon forced himself up as he heard, more than felt, his cloak beginning to disintegrate. Yanking it off his back, he threw it in the ground in front of him, watching as a portion of it dissolved from part of the acid that had hit him in the back.

“I really am too old for this,” he groaned, staring at the gigantic beast across from him. Hot air blasted from the creature’s nostrils in response, as it unleashed another gout of acid at his current opponent. “Don’t you have another move?” Halcyon cried out, as he moved away from the attack, but kept the same distance. He also responded with a series of telekinetic haymakers, hammering each blow into the side of the creature’s head.

The krayt dragon roared in defiance, pushing its body forward in retaliation, but Halcyon kept himself moving, refreshing himself with the Force as he continued to rain down blow-after-blow onto the beasts head. The creature could only stomp in anger and frustration, the ground around them almost rippling from its power. Halcyon’s focus slipped for an instant, as he fought to keep his balance, wary of what else may come.

He did not have to wait long, as the jungle around him seemed to answer to whatever call the krayt dragon had made. The green-colored leaves of the tree surrounding him began to glow, their light similar to Halcyon’s own blade. The glow soon turned into a pulse, an array of staccato-lights now surrounding the Elder. The hairs on the back of Halcyon’s neck rose in response, his senses screaming at the wrongness of what it felt, before being silenced.

The Force was gone.

“Fark me.”

Lucine greedily took in lungful’s of air as she fought through the thick humidity. The remains of a vine still clung to her hand, as she took her breaths while on her back, looking up at the canopy of leaves above her.

“I wouldn’t have heard the end of it,” she told herself, knowing what her Clan would say had she been defeated by quicksand. Instead, she had overcome, giving herself time to gain her breath and think.

There is always running, she thought, knowing a straight-up battle with either an Elder or a krayt dragon was not in her favor. The canopy seemed to open in response, allowing her a brief glimpse at the actual Colosseum with the multitude of attendees watching this very match.

“Fine,” she answered to no one in particular, as she rose to her feet and dusted herself off as best she could, “I did sign up for this damn thing after all.”

There was no need for the Force to aid Lucine in finding her direction, as she easily oriented herself to the direction of the constant roars. She could however sense a great many other creatures lurking in the shadows of the forest, but none seemed to want to intrude on the battle noises they heard, electing instead to watch the red-haired woman walk towards the danger herself.

Lucine nearly fell to the ground as the entire ground seemed to convulse under her feet, the last roar nearly deafening in its closeness. Fighting to maintain balance, she pushed through a set of bushes just as everything around her began to flow and then pulsate in a green light. Her head on a swivel, she swallowed a gasp as she felt the Force suddenly leave her. She stumbled into the clearing, bereft of much of her strength, to see the krayt dragon looming over the hunched form the older man.

The former Consul wrestled with her breathing, trying to keep it under control as she fought the rest of her muscles to keep perfectly still. Unnoticed, she was a spectator to what appeared to be the final moments of her opponent. She watched as Halcyon’s head finally rose to look at the creature. Without any fanfare, he suddenly broke into a run, heading straight for the beasts head. Although clearly in shape for a man his age, Halcyon was not young, and without the aid of the Force was painful slow in what appeared to be a suicidal run.

For a moment there was almost a smile playing on the krayt dragon’s reptilian features, before it opened its maw and unleashed a torrent of acid. Just as it reached its target, a shell of energy exploded to life to surrounding the running man. Halcyon never slowed, his shield fighting the onslaught as he barreled into the mouth of the beast.

Lucine thought she saw an emerald blade flare to life, just as the maw shut itself, with her opponent inside. Not sure what to expect, Lucine found herself watching as the krayt dragon seemed to give itself a couple of hard shakes before suddenly going still, followed by the once pulsating leaves bursting into flames and the Force rushing back into her.

“What the fark now?”

The krayt dragon remained still in the center of a rough semi-circle of burning plants. It had a look of confusion on its reptilian face. A moment later, its features twisted into an expression of agony. It gave a keening roar as it collapsed to the ground and began to writhe. Its tail lashed out, tearing burning trees from the ground and sending them toppling over as its claws dug deep furrows in the dirt. Even from where she was standing, Lucine could feel the earth buck and tremble from the force of the krayt dragon’s movements.

She glanced upward, through the hole in the treeline that had been created by Halcyon’s battle with the giant lizard. She could just make out one of the massive screens designed to give the gathered crowd a better view of the fight. Usually, the screen would light up brightly when the victor was declared, but it continued to broadcast footage of the fight. It seemed that Halcyon was not dead yet.

Out of curiosity, she drew her datapad from its case on her belt and looked up the pH level of krayt dragon stomach acid. Her eyebrows raised when she noted the number of the screen. “That low? Ouch.” She shook her head. “Well. If he makes it out of there, I suspect he will not have to buy green hair dye for a while.”

But she had little doubt that Halcyon would be able to somehow cut his way out of the krayt dragon’s stomach. And she intended to be there when he did.

The great beast continued to writhe, but its movements were becoming weaker. It would not be long now. Lucine unclipped her lightsaber from her belt and began to close the distance between them.

She had only gone a few steps when the Force screamed a warning of danger coming from above. Lucine ducked and rolled, narrowly avoiding a set of razor-sharp claws that swiped at her from the branch above her head. As she came to her feet, a nexu dropped fluidly from its hiding place, muscles tensed to pounce.

Lucine touched the Force, hastily weaving it into an illusion. Four more identical versions of herself appeared in a tight formation around her, close enough that her scent would not give away which one was real. Five emerald lightsabers flared to life as she and her doppelgangers fell into a defensive stance.

The nexu hesitated for only a moment before surging forward, claws extended to cut flesh. They found only air as the illusion winked out of existence. Lucine’s blade thrummed as it seared through its front paws, causing the smoking limbs to fall to the ground. She spun and lashed out once more, bringing her sword around to cleave the nexu’s head from its shoulders.

That was when the second nexu struck.

It exploded from the foliage to her left, leaping upon her with its full weight and bringing her to the ground, sending her lightsaber skittering away. She instinctively sent Force energy surging into her muscles, lending her strength as she twisted to bring her arm up to prevent the nexu from clamping its jaws around her neck. Its teeth closed around her bracer, so close that she could feel its hot breath on her face.

Lucine was pinned under the nexu’s full weight. She could feel its claws tearing at her armor, rending it in some places. It jerked its head back and forth, trying to rip her arm off. Her shoulder and muscles groaned with every movement of its head, even as she fumbled for any of the weapons on her belt.

Her hand closed around the grip of her blaster pistol and she tore it free from its holster. The nexu jerked its head once again, nearly tearing her shoulder from its socket as she jammed the muzzle into its neck and fired three times in rapid succession. The nexu shuddered as the blaster bolts tore through its neck and head. It collapsed on top of her, its jaw going slack.

Groaning with effort, she pushed the nexu’s dead weight off of her and got slowly to her feet before retrieving her lightsaber. Her armor was slashed in several places, her skin cut and bleeding where the nexu’s claws had torn through. Her shoulder burned with pain from the effort of keeping the predator from biting into her neck.

But she still was not done. She still had an opponent to deal with.

As she turned toward the krayt dragon, she saw that it had stopped writhing. It was still alive, though. As she limped closer, it lifted its head to look at her, though it did not have the strength to do anything more than make quiet, keening noises.

“Poor creature,” she murmured, reaching out to rest her hand on the creature’s veridian scales. Now that she was closer, she could see movement coming from the krayt dragon’s midsection. Halcyon was still alive, and presumably trying to cut his way out. It was anyone’s guess what shape he would be in when he finally emerged. She doubted it would be pretty.

Lucine glanced down at her shredded armor, blood flowing freely from the cuts on her legs and abdomen. In her current shape, fighting a protracted battle against an Elder would be less than ideal. Better to end it quickly, then.

The krayt dragon gave another whine of pain, and Lucine patted it. “What a terrible waste.” She did not feel any sympathy for the creature. It was an alien emotion for her, and the creature had considered eating her only a few minutes before. But she did have an inkling of how much agony it was in. That, at least, she could do something about.

She closed her eyes and touched the krayt dragon’s mind as she weaved another illusion. The burning trees shifted, becoming a cavernous lair shrouded in silken and emerald shadows. The cramping, burning pain in its belly faded, replaced with the satisfying soreness of a successful hunt and the comforting fullness of a large meal.

The krayt dragon heaved a heavy sigh, embracing the relief and sense of safety that the illusion offered. It closed its amber eyes as its breathing slowed and became more even.

Lucine kept the illusion going as she limped slowly along its side to where she saw the movement. She could see green light glowing beneath its scales, a sure sign that Halcyon was nearly free. Pressing her lips together, Lucine retrieved a spherical object from her belt, armed it, and rested it on top of one of the creature’s extended claws. She then backed away slowly, retreating to stand next to the krayt dragon’s head.

Not long after she assumed her position, an emerald blade punched through the flesh of the krayt dragon’s belly. It cut a long slit, allowing Halcyon to come pitching out amid a gush of the creature’s blood. He landed on his hands and knees, gasping for breath. The man was a horrifying sight. The giant lizard’s stomach acid had eaten through armor and flesh. Bright red muscle and bone lay exposed to air, crimson blood oozing sluggishly to drip on the ground. She suspected that it was only his connection to the Force and his sheer determination that had saved him. A lesser man would have given up the fight.

“I am never doing that again,” he wheezed, his voice gravelly from exposure to the acid.

Lucine did not bother to reply to Halcyon’s statement. She ignited her lightsaber, drawing the Elder’s attention toward her. He tensed, his fingers instinctively tightening around his lightsaber as he prepared to defend himself.

But she did not attack him. Instead, she whirled her blade once before slamming it through the krayt dragon’s skull and into its brain. Still in the thrall of her illusion, the great beast shuddered. But it did not open its eyes. Instead, it gave a final sigh as its life energy returned to the Force.

Loosened by the creature’s death throes, the stun grenade rolled free from its resting place to drop onto the ground near him. A ring of blue energy exploded from the grenade on impact, striking the man full-on. Halcyon dropped with a heavy thud as unconsciousness claimed him.

Lucine breathed a sigh of relief as the man fell to the ground, glad that the ploy had worked. She patted the dead krayt dragon once more, before turning her attention back to her fallen opponent. She winced at the sight of him as she took in his injuries. “Well. I was going to recommend a chemical peel for those wrinkles, but that was not quite what I had in mind.”