Deep within the jungles of Karufr lies a massive temple built from stone blocks, hand-carved by the builders of the Massassi. The ancient race made its home on the planet after joining forces with Clan Taldryan, having been freed from stasis years ago. Now, an entire civilization exists, hidden far from the prying eyes of Karufr's citizenry. As a Jedi, you are one of the few to have access to their secret base.

You step onto the temple grounds and watch the fearsome warriors train in small regiments with their crude weapons. The entire temple is in a state of anticipation as the Massassi know they will soon be called on once more to aid the Dark Jedi of Taldryan in battle. The temple is shaped like a giant pyramid, towering into the sky, and serves as a backdrop to the training ground.

The War Chief notices you and gestures you forward. He clears the area around you with a bellowing command, and the Massassi warriors present form a wide circle with you at the center. A moment later, you realize you're not the only Jedi to visit the temple—the crowd parts slightly to allow the newcomer to enter the ring. The gathered Massassi holler in good cheer. They want to see a fight.

The Chief raises his weapon to the sky and barks a command. The Massassi begin to stamp their feet against the ground, creating a loud, steady beat that seems to get your blood pumping. With little choice left, you lock eyes with your opponent and ready yourself for a fight.

Locke smiled slightly as the Massassi warriors stamped their feet. The ground shook with rhythmic thunder. Locke looked around, slightly uncomfortable at the size of the circle. He looked at his opponent, the Zabrak Cethgus Tiberius Entar. Then Locke nodded once and raised his arms, shrugging off his cloak and letting it fall from his shoulders, deeply inhaling the humid air. As the garment touched the hard-packed dirt ground, the stamping stomped, the gathered creatures looking on. Their stone temple stood behind them, mercifully blocking the heat of Karufr's star and casting a long shadow over the circle of warriors and the two Dark Jedi.

Across the open space, Cethgus dropped his hands to his lightsabers, holding a hilt in each one. Locke lowered his own hands and gripped his weapon lightly.

"Must we fight?" he asked.

His only reply was the distinctive snap-hiss of his opponent's lightsabers igniting. Locke ignited his own in response, raising the weapon vertically, but no attack came. He breathed, conducting the standard Makashi salute. He lowered the weapon slowly, anticipating an attack, preparing to respond to it.

It came as soon as Locke's lightsaber settled to his side. Cethgus surged forward, reversing his grip in mid-stride, slicing forward with one weapon and then the other. Locke backpedaled, deflecting them with the tip of his own. Nearing the edge of the circle, he sidestepped, narrowly deflecting two more strikes, parrying them so that they would narrowly miss his body. Then the Krath spun, positioning himself so he could slice his lightsaber toward where Cethgus' head should have been. Instead, Locke's weapon cleared the Obelisk's head and allowed him to attack, nearly cutting Locke in half as he leaped out of range.

Cursing, Locke defended himself again. He had not factored in the difference of heights. His opponent was small, but he was fast. Locke would have to be more careful. Cethgus was a brutal, hell bent attacker. Locke slipped into the oneness, focusing entirely on his weapon and the Force, searching for a way to even the odds, anxiety barely a flitter on the edge of his mind. He needed to escape the circle of Massassi warriors and find ground on which he had more to work with.

Instead of deflecting the next attack from Cethgus, Locke called on the Force to leap over the heads of the collected warriors. He crashed haphazardly into their back ranks, shoulder first, knocking one to the ground. Locke fell on top of him and rolled off onto his back, lightsaber held tightly, another Massassi looming over him. He gritted his teeth and kicked the warrior with both feet, sending the being reeling. Then Locke rolled to his knees, summoning the Force again. The Krath pressed his palm to the ground and released the stored energy, knocking the nearest warriors away. They stumbled, quickly raising arms in defense, as if stunned.

Locke took that opportunity to jump to his feet, wincing as his shoulder ached. He flexed the arm. While it felt sore, he could direct it almost as well as before. Locke held his lightsaber with his other hand, hearing words in a language he did not know. As more of the Massassi turned toward him, Locke looked from side to side quickly. He saw the jungle several meters away, only open ground between himself and it. Watching the group of warriors, Locke backpedaled toward the towering trees at it's edge.

Stunned by what had transpired the Iridonian felt his grip tighten on his saber hilts, it was almost an insult to watch the Consul of Naga Sadow turn tail and run as he had. It wasn’t long before the attention of the Massassi turned back to the Zabrak who stood before them. Taking a deep breath Cethgus allowed his knees to slump down to the floor, as if forcing his grudging respect for them as he allowed a moment to pass before speaking.

“You can kill me if you wish, though I would not be as good a sacrifice for your priests as the man who runs, for he is the Consul of Clan Naga Sadow.” Cethgus allowed his hands to show the meaning of his words, deciding to show no aggression as his saber hilts lay on the ground in a state of limbo.

Hearing the footsteps surrounding him the Primarch knew that it was a make or break moment. As he breathed in the Proconsul addressed them as if he was their leader, taking a different approach to try and salvage this mess which could see his life end. Standing up he made eye contact with each of them.

“They went to war against you, taking the side of Darth Ashen over your own Clan’s opinion. Why should they be able to get away with it? We will make them suffer, make them remember what they have done, and by god he will fall by the end of the day.” Cethgus’ voice echoed around the warriors as he activated the lightsabers, letting them hiss into life. The Iridonian knew full well that he had stirred their emotions by their postures, he made sure that he didn’t give them chance to falter in their already set opinion.

“Follow me, I promise you glory. We will see this through together.” his voice harsh and cold as he looked at each of them. “If I fail, I am killed, but if we win you take the Consul’s head back to your overlords and become legends.”

As the Entar watched his potential opponents, it was clear that his words had made some form of sense to these creatures. As they talked to each other, he waited, it could have gone either way. His mind raced, ready to react if things didn’t go his way. Cethgus’ thumbs moved slightly, heading over the saber but the answer he looked for was soon answered with a roar of agreement and the swift movement of the group as they sprinted after the retreating Krath.

A small smile latched onto the lips of the Proconsul as his luck seemed to turn out ok, he allowed himself to stand and admire the sight of the Taldryanite warriors moving forward to the open ground with what was considered an alarming speed. Rolling on the balls of his feet, the Primarch sprinted forward with the others. Even though the Epis had managed to get a head start, it would not be long before they found him and when they did, the suffering for such actions would be long and painful.

Hitting the open ground with amazing speed they knew full well that Locke would be using the terrain to his advantage, it was easy to figure that one out. But what Cethgus knew was he had the element of surprise with his new allies, though how far he could trust them was a different issue entirely. As they reached the outskirts of the jungle it was the chief of the Massassi who entered first, leading his troops with what could be considered ease. The group advanced with a frightening pace as they began to span out to widen the search area, making sure to cover as much ground as possible. One of the warriors instantly sprung off heading out towards something that he found of interest, though in the paradise jungle that covered them it left little room to move with efficiency taking away from the Primarch’s abilities with his lightsabers.

Hearing a clatter in the distance it was clear one of the group had found something, as all of them moved to encircle the Human as if he was nothing more than an animal there to be hunted and killed. Seeing a small opening, Cethgus instantly recognized the figure of the Massassi who had been shoulder barged earlier. It seemed now he had returned the favour as Locke lay slightly stunned up ahead sprawled out on the lush vegetation.

Activating his blade, the Primarch sprinted in, bringing the blades down towards his Consul. Seconds passed as the actions were completed by the two warriors, instantly the Epis activated his own blade and parried the slash, feeling the brute strength of the Iridonian strain his arms slightly. The Krath retaliated with a slash aimed at the shorter warrior’s midriff, forcing the Entar backwards slightly. Cethgus responded with his two lightsabers, but was stopped short as an axe swung towards Locke. As the Marauder stumbled away it spun with ease, slashing out at his throat. The Epis moved quickly to avoid the attack, stepping away from the strike.

Forced on the backfoot by the number of warriors surrounding him, it became clear to Locke they had come to hunt him. Caught off guard, he felt the blunt end of the Axe shaft slam into his spine, eliciting a grunt of pain as he was forced forward once more. As more and more of them continued to appear from the trees, the anger and rage that came from them was undeniable as they swung towards the Krath. Fighting back with the skill expected of a Epis, the display could almost be considered something of great precision and knowledge of fighting.

It seemed that Locke could actually be able to hold his own from years of experience fighting large groups of opponents. Apart from the early strike, Locke had quickly adjusted to having to fight a larger group than just the Iridonian. Watching the Consul dodging and striking out at his opponents, the group continued to move back and forth with no end in sight. On the outskirts of the fight, the Primarch circled around, waiting for an opening that would see this duel come to an abrupt end.

Locke knew that he had no chance to win this fight as it was. There were too many enemies. When he slew one, another took it's place. Occasionally, Locke could see Cethgus between them, looking for an opening.

He had to retreat, spread them out, and fight them on his own terms. Cethgus would have to wait. Locke doubted that the Obelisk would lead the attack. So far, he had waited for an opening to strike, letting the Massassi strike first.

As three more of the creatures attacked, one made a strike at Locke's head. The Krath sidestepped, sweeping his lightsaber out to the side, cutting the wrist off another. A third howled with triumph, stabbing at Locke's exposed midsection, but the Krath's sweep turned into a spin and he avoided the lunge, completing the spin with his weapon outstretched, removing the warrior's head.

That done, Locke risked a glance behind him. This clearing seemed to be an anomaly. The jungle was dense behind him, and there were no clear trails into it. He assumed the Massassi had thinned the jungle around their temple, using the wood for various tasks. The further they got away, the more dense it should be.

Seeing no obvious path to continue, Locke breathed deeply, trusting his Force-honed instincts to guide him. He dived into the jungle, hitting the wide leaves of low-growing bushes and ferns. He dived through vines, dodging what he could, slicing others apart with his lightsaber.

Behind, he heard beastial shouts as the Masassi attempted to follow. They charged into the dense forest, loudly crashing through smaller plants and pushing aside thick undergrowth. Despite their familiarity with this world, they were wider than Locke and less acrobatic. The jungle slowed them significantly, allowing Locke a lead. The Massassi began to string themselves out as they relentlessly hunted their quarry.

The first that reached him brought his axe down toward Locke's shoulder. The Krath pivoted, stepping around a thick, low-growing bush as he retreated. The Massassi slowly stumbled through it. Locke used the opportunity to cut the warrior's weapon in half. Then he spun, sliced once across the Massassi's chest, and continued on his way through the forest.

He heard more shouts in the distance; loud commands, howling, and wordless shouts of rage. Something akin to a horn blew, a long note that loudly pierced the jungle. Locke knew he was being hunted, but he was dangerous prey. He would not fall easily. Sweat beaded on his forehead and his chest. The air here was thick. It was almost like swimming. Running in it was truly a relief.

Locke charged through the jungle. He didn't take a straight path. Instead, he zig-zagged wildly, using the thick forestation to string out the Massassi warriors. They could have devastated an army in this tangle, but Locke was not an army. He was one man, and hunting one man in such an environment was a difficult task. Locke began encountering the warriors in little bunches. Sometimes there were two or three, sometimes only one. Each time, he quickly dispatched them and continued on his way. He didn't need to deliver a killing blow, as long as they were out of the fight.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Locke stopped. He panted, wiping his arm across his brow. Even a soldier's body could not continue forever as he had been moving. He reached out with the Force, searching for more pursuers nearby, letting his Force connection wash across the wilderness around him in a gentle wave. The jungle teemed with life, the trees seeming to glow in the Force. Larger creatures that had retreated from the loud fighting now crept closer, probably curious about the beings who had invaded their realm. Locke searched for the more complex signatures, the ones of those who hunted him. He found only a few nearby. One seemed different somehow, but Locke could not place why.

Surely that is not Cethgus, he thought. It was not the strong, dark side-infused essence he would have expected of the other Dark Jedi. As it came closer, he sensed a small group following it, though he could not say how many. It was not the army he had faced before, nor the small groups he had been fighting, but instead something in between.

Turning, Locke jogged further into the wilderness, letting his Force sense of the followers fade away. He began to hear sounds as they crashed through the forest, encouraging Locke to pick up speed.

Suddenly, the jungle ended in a steep cliff wall. Locke turned, following it, and it looped around in a wide half circle. He froze, turning toward the approaching beings. Somehow, a few of them had cornered him. He was tired, but he told himself he could deal with this.

Five Massassi lumbered out of the jungle, approaching cautiously. They formed a semicircle around Locke, one particular warrior at their head. This one was adorned in unique war paint, and Locke recognized him as the War Chief from the temple grounds at the beginning of the battle. He carried an axe with a large, long handle. The Chief stepped forward and spoke quickly to the others, apparently intending to fight Locke by himself.

The Krath stopped, lightsaber angled to face the approaching Massassi. He could probably fight them, but decided to try something different, first. The presence of the Chief afforded Locke an opportunity.

Calling on the Force, Locke amplified his voice, speaking much more loudly than he normally could. Words erupted from his throat, deafening to his own ears.

"Stop!" he bellowed, "you hunt the wrong prey. I am merely a test. The other wishes to manipulate you and use you! He is your true quarry! Your masters would be very angry to learn that you killed the Consul of another Clan. We are allies, and I possess much knowledge they would be interested in!" In truth, Locke had not spoken to anyone from Taldryan in years, and they were enemies on the battlefields of Korriban, during the Great Jedi War. Locke breathed, waiting. His throat ached, not used to such force pushing through it, but that was a minor concern.

The Chief stopped for a moment, before letting out what might have been a chuckle, in a deep voice, rumbling like the sound of boulders rushing down a mountain side. Then he hefted his axe and moved forward, showing no indication that he had understood or intended to listen.

Very well, the Krath thought. It seemed this Chief had a death wish. Locke waited for his attack, circling slowly, lightsaber ready at his side.

"Come at me," he growled, voice cold. The Chief's response was some taunt in his own language. He charged forward, and Locke prepared to sidestep and cut him in two. At the last moment, the Chief leaped to the side and aimed a wide sweep at Locke's legs. Unable to cut the weapon apart, Locke jumped back himself. He heard a growl behind him, and abruptly, pain enveloped his head and everything went black.

---

Locke awoke sometime later, though he could not say how long. There was a pounding pain in his head, pulsing with each breath. Two warriors were holding him by his arms, and his feet were dragging along the ground. Distantly, Locke wondered why the Massassi had not just killed him. He breathed slowly, blinking to clear his eyes, seeing that only a few additional warriors had joined the Chief and his minions. One, a few meters away, held his lightsaber.

Then Locke saw a familiar face. Cethgus stepped out of the trees, lightsabers in hand. It seemed the Massassi had been waiting to present Locke to their new master. He breathed deeply and calmed his mind. The Krath cycled ideas through it. He was an Epis, not some flighty Novice. He had been in worse positions before and would not give up now. His anxiety and his fear seemed to dissipate, and Locke prepared himself, drawing on the Force, not only from himself, but from the world around him. It pulsed along Locke's muscles, filling him and seeming to ripple along his skin. He raised his head and smiled at Cethgus.

Light exploded from Locke's body. The brief flash caused the warriors holding him to let go, and Locke rolled forward, seizing his lightsaber from the one who held it. He ignited the weapon, surged to his feet, and charged at Cethgus.

The Obelisk recovered, blocking with his own weapons. Locke felt his tiredness melt away as he pressed the attack. The Krath angled his lightsaber toward Cethgus' head, expecting his strike to be deflected. As it was, Locke spun away, deflecting one of the Obelisk's lightsabers and summoning the Force to his free hand. Electricity discharged from Locke's fingertips in a brief, crackling flash, targeting where Cethgus' second weapon should have been, but the Obelisk was not there. Instead the burst harmlessly evaporated.

Instead, the Obelisk had spun. Grip inverted, Cethgus sweeped each lightsaber toward Locke in an x-shape. He leaped back and danced around one of the watching Massassi, too fast for the warrior to follow. Surprisingly, Cethgus cut straight through the warrior, barely slowing in his assault.

It seemed the charade was over. The remaining warriors howled in rage, but the two Dark Jedi had already moved into the forest. Locke sidestepped in front of a tree, Cethgus' weapons cutting deep furrows in it. Locke used the brief slowing of Cethgus' attack to spin and strike toward the Obelisk's head again, but his opponent ducked and rolled beneath a low-hanging vine..

He came up much faster this time, attacking with a blindingly-fast flurry of blows, pushing Locke deeper into the wilderness. While the Krath desperately defended himself, he called the Force once more, willing the essence of it to gravitate from the air around Cethgus and envelope him. The shroud of dark side energy countermanded his enhanced motions, causing the Obelisk to slow. He tripped over a root that he otherwise would have easily cleared, giving Locke an opening.

The Krath retaliated immediately, stabbing through the Obelisk's shoulder. Cethgus continued forward, one lightsaber shutting down as it fell from his grip. Locke turned quickly and slammed the butt of his lightsaber into the Obelisk's head, sending him to the ground, Cethgus' other lightsaber shutting off.

As Locke approached the fallen Obelisk, the world seemed to slow around him, reverting to it's natural order. His breathing seemed louder and more labored as he stood over Cethgus, who had rolled onto his back. The Krath had not realized that battle had taken so much out of him.

"Well?" Cethgus croaked.

"I would kill you," Locke said, "but the Brotherhood needs you, and so do I."

Crouching next to the Obelisk, Locke retrieved his dual lightsabers and clipped them to his belt, doing the same with his own weapon. Instead, the Krath readied his blaster pistol. Then he hefted the Obelisk, struggling to get Cethgus over his shoulder.

"Fortunately, you are not too heavy," Locke grumbled, stumbling into the wilderness, away from the shouting calls of the nearby Massassi, blaster ready to defend them. Their battle done, he now had to find a way to escape this world with both of them alive.

As the Primarch stalked his opponent, it was similar to a wolf looking for the final strike against its wounded prey. His blades held firmly in his grip as Cethgus watched the scene unfold, the flashing aureolin blade slashing out with precision against the horde of Massassi. Suddenly a high pitched howl ripped through the forest, echoing around the trees as one of the warriors was slain by Locke. Falling into the weeds and soft moss that covered the ground the warrior came to rest, it was the opening that the Iridonian had been waiting for.

Summoning the Force, the Iridonian burst forward, sweeping his blades upwards with precision, his experience in combat apparent with the fluid motions his body made. Seconds later, the Consul was drawn to the immediate danger, reacting with his own speed he parried the attack, turning the Obelisk’s blades away from their intended target. Swiftly using the split second available, Locke's saber came out as he watched the reactions of the shorter combatant forcing him out of danger. Hearing the hiss of pain that found its way through the lips of the Zabrak, the Human became more determined to carry on. The feeling of pain informed the Krath that he managed to hit his mark, as well as the light burn that laced the side of Cethgus.

Unable to take full advantage of the inflicted injury, Locke was forced back by the Massassi once more. It was hard enough to keep the group at bay, yet the sudden attacks made from the Iridonian lingered at the back of his mind, keeping him alert at all times. Spinning his hilt he bent his shoulder out of the way of an axe, letting his body move as one with his weapon and bringing it down against the warrior's chest. Locke's nose wrinkled at the smell of burning flesh stagnating in his nose, his attention instantly turned to the remaining warriors. Axes flurried out towards him with well trained men swinging each one of them, aiming to claim the kill on the Consul with a drive and ambition that could be considered scary.

Cethgus spun his blades as he came in again, supporting his untrusted allies. He slammed them down against Locke’s own blade, stopping him from cleaving the head of a Massassi warrior. Using his ice white blade to slash out, he took this opportunity to dart back from the reach of taller warrior. Seeing the Krath’s poor footing he allowed his hand to come out, lifting a root from the moss floor of the forest. Cethgus grinned, watching his opponent stumble from the unexpected change to his footing, unprepared for such tricks from the Obelisk. The Consul refused to allow his anger to build at such a trick, he found himself diving back into the brutal close quarters combat that surrounded him.

Ducking under an incoming axe, Locke had a split second before the butt of one of them tried to hammer down into his skull. Bringing his hand up, the attack fell short of its mark, absorbed within the Force giving Locke a small bit of time.

Of course, luck would be against the Human as the Iridonian's blades once more caught his attention. Flicking his wrist up, he blocked the attack, only to see his barrier smashed by the brutal strength of the Massassi. The axe hilt slammed into the Consul’s skull, pain shooting around his nerve system as blood spilt free from his mouth, staining the green moss as it dripped from his face. Brutality was the key to winning against the Krath, experience had taught the Obelisk that. As Locke slumped forward from the hit, the Iridonian was instantly upon him, his knee crashing upwards into the already damaged head of the Consul. Feeling bone break from the impact of the knee, the Krath fell to the ground in a clatter, his nose fractured and broken beyond repair.

Instantly Locke was pinned down by the group. It seemed that the fight was over, though it could have easily gone either way this was the final fate of the old Consul of Naga Sadow. Doomed to this sad and lonely death in the middle of the forest, the Massassi pinned Locke down. Smirking slightly, the Entar swung his pure white blade, severing the saber hand of the beaten Krath. The shrill of pain echoed up into the sky, eliciting a sense of pleasure to the Primarch.

“Fate brought us to this situation, Locke. You failed in your duty to the Clan, you only hold us back and for that I am taking charge. Remember my face, for your choice was where you would die. My choice is what your eyes will see before they are forever dark.” Cethgus' voice was cold and harsh as he addressed the Krath.

“You betrayed my trust….” Locke’s words were cut short as the axe blade came down, shearing his head from torso. The moss turned deep red as blood spilled from the body, the cries of the Massassi echoed clearly around the forest as their victory was clear.

Cethgus focused on controlling his breathing, the fight had been tiring on everyone involved. The blade wound stung in the back of his mind, reminding him of his failed attempt at an attack. Suppressing the annoyance that raced through his body, he watched the Massassi passing around the head of his opponent. Such disrespect brought a swell of anger to him but he knew that taking action would break his whole plan. The Obelisk addressed the group, knowing it was time now to put the last bits into play.

“I will take my leave, take the head as your trophy, do what you want with it.” Cethgus addressed the group before walking off, clipping his sabers back to his belt he headed onto the shuttle. As he landed in the hangar of the Imperial Star Destroyer Harbringer he watched the awaiting command crew.

“My Lord, what of the Consul?” the Commander's voice was accusatory, the pair had gone down to the Temple to see the warriors that had trained there, only the Proconsul returned.

“Taldryan troops killed him, they took his head. I want a summoning of the War Council immediately." His voice all business, as the Iridonian barked his orders, knowing that this was his time to put his plan into effect. As he stepped into the holo-room of the ship he was met with the projections of the most important members of Clan Naga Sadow, bowing his head slightly Cethgus looked at each of them.

“My dear brethren, I bring news that is troubling. Locke Sonjie was killed by Taldryan troops, as such I assume the mantle of Consul of Naga Sadow. As my first action we will have retribution on our enemies. Prepare the Houses, the fleets and army for war…...It’s time to show dominance once more and eradicate Taldryan for their crimes.” Hearing the chants of acceptance, Cethgus allowed a small smirk to creep across his lips. War was coming, and he would bathe once more in glory as he led Naga Sadow into the light.