Two towering, tinted, transparisteel doors slide open to grant you access to the central chamber of the Combat Training Halls. The main room is wide and open and as large as as a holoball field. Tall walls stretch towards a domed ceiling that is made up of rows of ambient lights that spread out and fill the room with soft even lighting that eliminates any shades or shadows. Those same walls are lined around the perimeter with racks and stacks of varied weaponry: everything from swords and polearms to rifles and flamethrowers.

There are two signs that hover over each weapon rack to create an alternating motif in the Combat Training Hall: “No Explosions” and “Accorded Neutral Territory”. While the first is fairly obvious, the second speaks to the single law of the Training Halls: all members of the Brotherhood are welcome, and no member is to be killed or maimed without incurring the wrath of the Grand Master and the Inquisitorius.

A trio of training dummies are statically set up and spread out in a line, each made out of a blend of alloys and padding that can withstand blows from any standard weaponry with the exception of lightsaber blades. To the side of the dummies, a large sparring mat has been stretched out to create a larger footprint than the typical shockboxing ring. The padding is good for helping teach new combat students how to take a fall without injury and offers firm footing, but the hard rubber mat is hardly forgiving.

Behind the sparring area is a door that leads to a small archives that combat students can use to view holorecordings of fights and duels from the past as well as relevant information on combat tactics, techniques, and forms. On the opposite side of the archives at the far end of central room is the locker room that members can safely store their equipment.

The final and probably most important element of the Combat Training Hall is the onsite Med Ward. The maglock door is sealed off and can only be opened by an attending Medic. The Medical facilities feature state of the art bacta tanks for recovery and aftercare. A combination of observation and waiting room rests adjacent to the recovery center and features two large monitors that display a live feed of the central room.

The Combat Halls are staffed around the clock, allowing combat students and mentors alike to come and go as they please at odd or regular hours. It also available for members looking to prove their worth to compete in the Antei Combat Center.

[Venue Note: Weapons incorporated into your match are allowed to be used, even if not listed on your Loadout for the match itself. Skill usage and all other ACC rules and guidelines still applies.]

Rasilvenaira returned from her most recent hunting trip with Veritas, her assassin droid, to find her estate in an uproar. The house looked like a hurricane had passed through, many rooms utterly trashed. Nevermind the question of how anyone found her to begin with, she was certainly going to have to see about better security. She let out a low growl under her breath as R5 came racing up to her, beeping rapidly with a datapad in his extendable hand.

“Calm down, R5, let me see that.” She took the datapad and read the short message:

We've got your protocol droid, if you want it back in one piece, meet us at these coordinates before 22:00 tomorrow or the droid is scrap, after we clean his memory out.

The Sith cursed and tossed the datapad to one side. “Hmph, okay, R5, stay here and help the others clean this mess up. Veritas and I will go get Verlassen.”

The assassin droid had just come up behind her, then tilted his head. “Query: Do we really have to?”

Rasilvenaira sighed, “Yes, now come on, we’re going hunting and this time it counts, so don’t miss.”

Once they were back onboard her ship the Caliburnus she sent an encrypted message to Shadow Nighthunter, her most trusted ally in the Dark Brotherhood.

Meet me outside the Arx Training Center, there’s trouble, be ready. ~Ras

With that sent, she leaned back in the pilot’s seat to think while Veritas flew the ship. It would be an uneventful trip to Arx, and she needed time to go through her mental checklists.

Once they arrived at Arx, she headed for the training center, with Veritas in tow. When she reached the center, she took up a secure position where she could watch the entrance until Shadow could join her. She pulled her cloak tight around herself and settled in to wait while the droid stood guard.

The thwacking of a training staff making contact with another filled the air followed by Sanguis’ instructions as the twins engaged in a spar. Shadow stood on the courtyard's edge with little Sorin in her arms, keenly spectating the session and noting needed improvements for her seven-year-old sons. As harsh as her husband’s instruction and discipline were, the half-Sephi knew the Nagai’s training would prepare the boys for the harsh galaxy and the threats that faced the Palatinaen Empire.

The beeping on the datapad clipped to her belt stole her attention away from her family. Balancing the toddler on her left hip with her arm around him, she gripped the datapad with her free hand, quickly accessing the encrypted message demanding her attention. Her right brow cocked up in intrigue, wondering what trouble her old friend was dragging her into. At the same time, she had been eager for some escape ever since the construction of their new estate had begun.

“Sanguis, a moment please.”

Her husband turned to look at her before ordering the twins to take a breather much to the twins’ relief. When he joined Shadow’s side, she showed him the message. “It seems Ras needs me. I’m not sure what the deal is, but I better leave immediately.”

“I take it I’m to stay here with the kids, then?”

The Blade Mistress nodded. “If you don’t mind. I’ll be taking Eqkaesyr with me. If there’s blood to be spilled, he’ll enjoy the hunt.”

“The lucky beast,” Sanguis muttered. “Alright. Best you be off. I’ll hold the fort while you’re gone.”

Shadow offered a grateful smile, handing Sorin to his father’s care. “Right. Take care of them, Sanguis. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Saying her goodbyes, Shadow fetched her Tuk’ata from his new lair outside the estate before taking the family shuttle to the intended destination. A hundred thoughts swam around in her mind, wondering what trouble required her assistance at the Arx Training Center. It was something serious, the encrypted message was enough to tell her that along with the fellow’s Sith not asking her to be there but outright expecting her to answer the summons.

What have you gotten yourself into, Ras?

The flight to Arx gave her ample time to theorize and simulate scenarios. However, the truth would soon be revealed as Shadow finally reached the facility. With her Sith hound in tow, Shadow descended the ramp and made her way inside to find her fellow assassin.

Rasilvenaira seemed to materialize from the shadows as she slid inside beside Shadow. She offered a small smile of greeting then motioned Shadow down into a crouch. The Sith pulled out a datapad with a map of the training center lit up.

“Glad you could make it.” She whispered. “They trashed my sanctuary and took Verlassen. I know the main one is a Zabrak named Agarvus, but I don’t know how many others he brought with him. Veritas said his sensors are being jammed. We think they’re in the medical ward but they’ve had time to plan so there’s probably traps or other unwelcome surprises around.”

She reached out to pet the Sith Hound when he pushed his muzzle into her shoulder. “I see you, you’ll get to play too, I promise. I don’t plan on letting any of them out alive.”

She went on to outline her plan with her companions; “I’ll take Veritas with me, this way. You and the pup go that way. We’ll meet at the medical ward since that’s the most likely place for them to hole up.”

Shadow nodded her agreement. “Alright, let’s get your droid back. Come, Eqkaesyr.”

The younger Sith headed off to the left with her Tuk’ata and Rasilvenaira headed off to the right with the assassin droid. Rasilvenaira stayed low, trusting the droid to watch her back as they moved forward. As she neared the weapon racks, she spotted the body of one of the center staff. Another reason to eliminate the scum. She thought to herself. Then she spotted a guard coming out of the locker room on patrol. She grinned and her eyes gleamed dangerously as she drew on the Force. She motioned for Veritas to remain still, then wrapped the darkness around herself like a blanket, melting into the shadows.

She moved closer, the guard giving a low grunt of surprise when the darkness engulfed him and he could no longer see even his own hands in front of him. She struck quickly, drawing her double-bladed dagger, the favored Arashi-Kumori, and slicing across one hip. The guard cried out and tried to fight her, even as the darkness finally fell away and he could see her, the angry Sith was formidable at close quarters. He fired off a shot with his blaster but the agile female dodged and used the Force to hurl several random weapons at him from the nearby weapon rack. Closing in, she wanted to end it before he made too much more noise. Rasilvenaira drove the dark point of Arashi-Kumori between the guard’s ribs, then sliced his throat as she withdrew. She stepped back, then motioned for Veritas to rejoin her.

“Statement: Very well done, master.”

“Thanks, Veritas, do you sense anything else yet?”

“Negative.”

Rasilvenaira nodded and slid into the locker room. There she found two more. She let the droid go after one while she took the other. Twisting mid-step to dodge another blaster bolt, she closed the distance. She switched weapons, pulling out her lightsaber as she sheathed the Arashi-Kumori. The guard started to back away, but then froze as terror gripped his mind and darkness crept in around him. Rasilvenaira slipped in closer and swept the silver blade of her saber through the guard’s torso ending his life.

Veritas fired off a blaster shot at the target he’d been sent after and hit the guard in the shoulder. Letting out a frustrated, mechanical growl, he closed in. The guard fired off a shot and got lucky enough to hit the droid’s left knee, damaging the servos and joint. He managed to blast the guard dead with his next shot, but stood unsteadily when Rasilvenaira joined him.

“Think you can keep going? I can’t fix you right now, Veritas.”

“Assessment: I will only slow you down, master. Go without me.”

Rasilvenaira nodded. “Get to the medical ward if you can, and I’ll fix you when we get home.”

With that, she strode out of the locker room and began moving toward the rows of sparring dummies.

A low, deep rumble from Eqkaesyr’s throat alerted Shadow to the unfortunate soul just stepping out of the archive room. The half-Sephi raised her hand before the beast, signaling the Tuk’ata to hang back like they had practiced. She slid the Inquisitorious dagger out of the hidden sheath within her boot as she crouched, ready to quench the blade’s prolonged thirst for blood. The tips of her ears twitched slightly with anticipation as she hid herself with the Force, becoming invisible to all except Eqkaesyr’s keen sense of smell. The minute the human turned his back, Shadow lunged, her left arm wrapping around the fiend’s head to cover his mouth before her blade severed the flesh of his throat. Blood spurted forth like a weak fountain accompanied by the man’s muffled, gurgling death throes as Shadow dragged him away from the archive door. She had barely managed to let go of him before Eqkaesyr sank his fangs into the man’s neck, the sickening sound of vertebrae being crushed signaling the man’s merciful end.

With a nod of approval, the Sith quickly opened the doors to the archive room. One of the guards closest to the door spotted the no-longer-concealed Sith and didn’t have a chance to get out a call for help as Shadow quickly sprang for him, her dagger already singing through the air for the goon’s heart. His companion raised their blaster to defend the doomed guard, but instead found themselves fending off the black Sith hound lunging for him.

As Eqkaesyr mauled the screaming guard’s face, Shadow’s dagger sheathed itself into the other guard’s chest cavity with a sickening schunk followed by a vain gasp for air from her prey. She kicked the guard away, her dagger coming free from its mark as her kill fell to the floor. She looked over to the right and saw the other victim’s face demolished to a bloody pulp of bone and flesh.

Shadow didn’t get a chance to enjoy the gruesome sight, her body quickly twisting out of the way as a blaster bolt meant for her cranium shot through the air from a Duros situated at one of the consoles. She stepped out of the twist, her dagger dropped as her hands gripped both lightsaber hilts clipped to her belt. Both blades came to life, the scorching, red blade flashing white as it deflected the second bolt. She twisted again, her white blade arching through the air before slicing through the perpetrator’s midsection before another shot could be fired. The Duros’ upper body fell back against the console with a thud before joining the lower half on the floor.

A smirk of satisfaction crossed her lips as she extinguished her blades. The deep huff from behind her drew her attention back to Eqkaesyr, the mammal still standing over his kill with a hint of bestial pride in its gaze. She could sense the Tuk’ata’s satisfaction from the hunt complimenting hers, and she nodded to the fellow hunter in understanding as she retrieved her dagger.

“Come. There’s more prey to hunt, Eqkaesyr. I bet Ras is already waiting for us at the medical ward.”

Rasilvenaira pressed herself flat against the wall just outside the medical ward doors as she waited for Shadow. She could hear the blaster shots and the Tuk’ata’s growls. She smirked knowing full well Shadow and her hound could handle whatever they found. When they finally joined her, she offered Shadow a small smile. “Let’s finish this. Can you ask Eqkaesyr to find Verlassen and protect him? Veritas is down, goon got a lucky shot at his knee, but the two of us shouldn’t have any trouble finishing things up.”

Shadow returned the grin and nodded. “Of course, shall we?”

Rasilvenaira nodded. “We shall.” Spinning around, she stepped through the door and glanced around before heading for the nearest cover amidst a rain of blaster fire. She saw her companion take cover on the other side. Rasilvenaira drew both sabers and jumped up on top of the desk she’d hidden behind.

“Come on you backwater, sithspit scum! I’m right here, you wanted me, you got me. If you can take me down, but I don’t think you can.”

She drew on the Force, sending the next wave of blaster bolts back to the thugs shooting at her. Then diving toward them, she gathered the darkness to herself. Deep within the group of thugs, mere feet from the target of her hatred, she reveled in the flood of panic that emanated from them. Suddenly deprived of their main sense, they cowered and clumped together. Rasilvenaira’s silver sabers came to life with an angry snap-hiss. She lunged forward, sinking her blade through two of the thugs.

The screams escalated the panic and they all started running, tripping over one another. Rasilvenaira hooked one arm around Agarvus’ neck, whispering into his ear as the darkness faded.

“Tell them to stand down or they get to watch me flay the hide off your sorry corpse.”

Agarvus stammered and whined, “Stand down, you idiots!”

Rasilvenaira grinned and her eyes met Shadow’s amber gaze. “The rest are all yours, have fun. Agarvus and I have some unfinished business to take care of.”

She shoved Agarvus to the far side of the room where she could enjoy the pleasure of killing him herself. The rest she would leave to Shadow’s capable hands.

“Stop, we can talk about this…” Agarvus pleaded.

“Nope, nothing to talk about. You trespassed on my property, you trashed my home, and you took something that belongs to me. I have nothing more to discuss with you. You should have known better, Agarvus. When have I ever been forgiving?”

“But…”

The Sith shook her head and backed him up against the wall. With a vicious cross cut, she severed his head and torso simultaneously.

“Yeah, I’m done with talking to trash like you.”

While Rasilvenaira dealt with her quarry, Shadow took the liberty of finishing the hunt while Eqkaesyr stood guard over Verlassen as ordered. Only when one of the scum got too close in the ensuing chaos did the beast have his share of violence, the Tuk’ata leaping onto the distracted Twi’lek’s back before crushing his neck with ease. Only five of Agarvus’ fiends were left, their fates already decided.

Shadow’s gaze locked onto the group before her, her aura stretching out as dark tendrils in the Force towards her prey. Their eyes glazed over with hesitancy, some of the goons began to tremble as they froze. The fear that radiated from them brought a wicked smirk to Shadow’s lips, and before anyone could react, the Sith was upon them.

With her lightsabers already ignited, Shadow lunged and decapitated the nearest Devaronian guard with both blades before twisting and slicing a Rodian in half. The third guard, another Twi’lek, gathered enough nerve to raise his blaster rifle and fire, only to get a bolt deflected by the Sith’s white blade back into his chest. The other two, a Zabrak and a human, had already begun to come out of their paralysis and charged at the half-Sephi with vibroswords out of desperation.

Shadow ducked as the Zabrak swung recklessly for her neck, only to plunge her sizzling, white blade into his abdomen. She shoved him off her blade before standing up and raising her off-hand blade to stop the human’s overhead strike meant for her head. He tried to swing for her midsection, but the Blade Mistress quickly parried with an underhand swing with her strong-hand blade against his sword. Realization of his folly painted his face before he felt the assassin’s red blade plunge into his chest.

Satisfied with her final kill, Shadow extinguished her lightsabers, her victim falling to the ground as the plasma freed itself from his corpse. She turned to look at Rasilvenaira, noting the pieces of Agarvus’ corpse on the floor. “Well, this was a nice little exercise.”

The Sith shifted her gaze towards Eqkaesyr and the droid he guarded. “All for a rust bucket.”

“A very important one,” StormRaven quickly corrected just as Veritas rejoined them. “And why are you complaining? You enjoyed yourself, didn’t you?”

The younger Sith rolled her eyes, unable to deny the truth of her great-grandmaster’s words. “Yes, yes. I did. It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a good hunt. Still, I hope the droid is worth it.”

“More than you know.” Rasilvenaira studied the protocol droid and checked for any damage. “He seems alright.”

“I am far from alright,” Verlassen piped up insistently. “Those brutes handled me rather roughly.”

“Oh, you’ll live,” Shadow remarked indifferently, the Sith reaching out and scratching Eqkaesyr’s head as he joined her side. “If I had my way, I’d scrap you for parts.”

“Oh! How rude! Mistress-”

“Verlassen.” Rasilvenaira turned her attention back to Shadow. “All the same, thank you for coming.”

“Don’t mention it.” The Shadow smiled. “It’s always a pleasure hunting with you, Ras.”