Begeren. Once a prosperous Sith world, it has been the site of numerous battles throughout the millennia. Grand halls and monuments were torn down and re-purposed by looting Republic forces thousands of years ago, before they were driven from the planet. Isolated settlements still dot the planet's surface, but the inhospitable, craggy, and desert-like terrain, along with the beasts common to many desert and Sith worlds, have kept most humanoids from colonizing. The One Sith’s hold on Begeren is all but broken, though a few small pockets of resistance remain. The Clans and Houses of the Brotherhood now swarm the planet to defeat them, but attention has returned to plunder. Roaming bands of Jedi, adherents to light and dark alike, claim—or destroy—priceless artifacts at every turn. One of the few remaining untouched areas on the entire planet is the Valley of Monuments, so named for its glorious architecture.

The area is impossibly quiet, the air itself seemingly dead. Your perilous trek has lead you to the heart of the Valley of Monuments and to the foot of a massive obsidian obelisk, rising maybe a hundred meters into the sky, each side perhaps ten meters wide. The obelisk is bound by ancient Sith symbols rising more than half way up the ancient monument. Not too far in the distance sits an ancient palace, impressive towers and terraces rising high into the sky. Weapons bristle from the superstructure of the palace far in the distance, large turbolaser batteries easily visible. Yet here, in the courtyard at the foot of this massive monument, the One Sith are nowhere to be seen. To either side of you, a ways in the distance, are impressive cliff walls, faces of long-gone Sith warlords and heretics alike etched into the canyon, preserved in near-pristine condition.

Beneath your feet, the ever-present sands have gradually given way to fine polished granite blocks, some up to a meter in length and width. These blocks form a large pathway leading towards and around the obelisk, then to the palace proper. You are drawn towards the obelisk, your gaze briefly locked on the monument.

The symbols on the obelisk periodically pulse a faint red, all but invisible against the obsidian stone. As they do, power washes out from the obelisk, bathing any nearby with the dark side. You know that on the other side of the obelisk in front of you is a small chamber holding an impressive six inch red crystal, and if intelligence reports are correct, that crystal is likely the source of the energy bound within the obelisk. Some within the Dark Council are desperate for the artifact. It was once a prized possession of Lord Tytonus, though what purpose the crystal held to her is unknown; it was recovered from her fallen corpse after the Sith Empire put her rebellion to rest ages ago.

Before you can even reach the crystal, footsteps upon granite stone tell you that you are not alone, and you realize that whatever you were going to ultimately do with the crystal, it would have to wait. Someone else has come for the precious artifact.

Calvo approached the Obelisk slowly. He had been tasked with hunting a Jedi in the area, and didn't want to be uncovered before he was ready. He had researched this jedi intently, and felt confident in being able to take this jedi one soldier to another. Taking another step, he moved with the caution of a soldier in an unfamiliar area. The area was unfamiliar to him, and Calvo knew this could play to the Jedi's advantage.

"Going somewhere?" asked a voice from behind.

Calvo turned, looking at a well muscled human with a lightsaber hanging from his belt. Calvo steped away from the human, his amber eyes sizing the human up. This must be the Jedi, Calvo thought. "More like looking for someone." Calvo replied. "Am I correct in assuming you are a Jedi?"

"Yes, you are. My name is Zednich. Am I correct in assuming you are a Dark Jedi?" the human replied.

"You are correct. I am Calvo. I have been tasked with hunting you." Calvo replied. "I assume you will resist."

"You would not be wrong, but you can come toward the light. I offer this to you before you get yourself killed. Its the easier way." Zednich replied.

"I would take you up on the offer, but I have someone to protect. And to protect her I must remain in my shadows." Calvo said, falling easily into a Teras Kasi stance, his soldier forward, with his feet slightly behind him.

Zednich shook his head. "It could have been over now." Zednich kicked out at Calvo, hoping to end the fight quickly.

Calvo reacted quickly moving under the kick, and sending a punch towards Zednich's head, attempting to disorient his foe. At the same time he put up a force barrier around his chest. Zednich blocked the strike, and calvo followed by two more testing out his foes defenses. Zednich blocked both attacks, his attention up protecting his head. Calvo, having distracted Zednich, dropped low spinning his foot under the well muscled human and tripping him.

Zednich fell to the ground rolling, getting back up a few meters from Calvo.

"You are good," said Calvo. "I can see why you had a good career a a soldier. If things were different either of us could be in the others military unit. It would have been an honor to serve by your side."

Zednich narrowed his eyes, plotting his next move.

Zednich lunged forward throwing his shoulder into Calvo’s chest driving him into one of the column monuments in the Sith obelisk. The Jedi Hunter’s back hit the stone with a thud as sand and dust fell on combatants. Zed squared his shoulders and started throwing quick short punches into the body finishing with an upper-cut that connected directly on the chin. Calvo quickly rolled off the monument causing the Jedi to land a wild strike against the stone. Zed let out a grunt of pain and shook his hand before clenching it back into a fist. Calvo shook his head as his eyes refocused. His eyes cleared up just in time to see a shadow coming at him out of his peripheral vision. The Jedi tackled him to the ground.

The two warriors battled for superior position on the stone floor. Zednich spoke “I feel your doubt in the path you have chosen. I was once conflicted as you are. Stop fighting me and join me.”

“Never!” Calvo snapped back. “The Jedi are as corrupt and foolish as the Sith.”

Calvo reached to the side grabbing a loose rock on the ground and swung connecting with the Jedi’s head knocking him on his back. The Jedi Hunter pounced on top and began punching as hard and as fast as he could. Zednich guarded his face with his forearms and used the Force to harden his skin in defense of the onslaught. Calvo being trained as a Juggernaut too knew his fists wouldn’t be enough to cause any more damage, so he reached for his lightsaber. The Jedi Hunter hissed the green blade on and stretched out with both hands on the hilt above his head before slamming the blade down. Zednich rolled onto his side as the green blade imbedded into the stony ground. As the Jedi rolled back, he struck the Jedi Hunter with an elbow to the jaw and knocked him off. Calvo lost his grip on his lightsaber and the weapon snapped off lying on the ground next to the molten rock.

Zednich wiped the blood from his eyes and prepared for his next move. Calvo stared back and forth at his lightsaber on the ground and the Jedi. Should he make a move for his weapon or his enemy? The Jedi Hunter reached out his arm to pull his lightsaber back to him with the Force. Zednich shot forward grabbing Calvo’s arm and with a twisting motion rolled his enemy over his back slamming him into the ground. The Jedi placed his foot on Calvo’s ribs and pulled the extended the arm even farther.

“Give up.” Zed demanded

With his face against the stone Calvo replied “I’m really going to enjoy killing you.”

Zednich fully torqued the Jedi Hunter’s arm dislocating the shoulder with a loud pop and crack. Calvo hollered in pain and his arm fell limp to the ground. The Jedi backed up thinking the fight was over. What Zednich didn’t know was that this Elomin was ambidextrous.

Calvo slowly got up off the ground with his shoulders looking lopsided and picked up his lightsaber with his left hand. With a defiant smirk he said “Who said I was a righty?”

Calvo faced his enemy, his body completely visible. "It truly would have been an honor to serve along side such a skilled fighter. It's a pity you have to die like this. I will enjoy killing you only because I gave you a warriors death." He said.

Calvo looked at the Jedi once more. Both of them were beaten and injured. If they walked away now no one would have to die. Calvo shook his head at that thought. There was no way to leave without presenting an opportunity to the Jedi. Calvo charged at the Jedi, swinging his saber in an upward strike. Zednich, bloody and starting to tire jumped out of the way of the strike, kicking the elomin in the back as he passed.

Calvo dropped the saber, and spun around slowly. Zednich shook his head seeing the elomin getting ready to charge. "I have given you chance," the human stated. "Here is your last chance. You can stop fighting, join the light. You do not have to stay in the shadows."

Calvo smirked at the comment. "The shadows are where I thrive," he said. "Would you ask me to leave every friend, every person I know. Would you ask me to leave the place where I can protect the one I love? I respect you as a soldier and a warrior Jedi. There are not many soldiers I have served with who could put up a fight such as this. A warriors death is all I can offer you. As for joining the light. I am not a hero as you are. I am simply a warrior. Thank you for the chances, but this is how it must end." With that Calvo charged, not even bothering to protect himself with the Force.

The two soldiers met each other head on, each throwing a punch to the others face. Just before the impact, Calvo hardened his skin with the Force, taking the blow like it was just a poke. Zednich, however did not, and once they were past each other, he spit out blood.

Calvo fell to his knees, exhausted. Zednich stood for a few seconds longer, before needing to catch his breath. After a few seconds both of them got up. Zed looked at the elomin, and saw conflict in his foes eyes. He turned away and walked toward Calvo's saber, picking it up. Calvo hesitated to take the time to attack his opponent, not wanting to kill a soldier with his back turned.

Zednich tossed Calvo his saber. "You offered me a warriors death. We can fight all day. Unlike you I have two hands. I will win in the end. Why not join the light? "

Calvo looked at the Jedi, and refused to turn on the saber. "I'm going to leave." He said bluntly. "I can not win, but if we keep fighting you may just die of your injuries. You do not deserve a death like that. I walk away and will consider your offer. Know this, I am not of the sith, nor am I truly of the Dark side." Calvo turned away from his opponent expecting a quick end. It did not come.

"You can go for now," Zednich said. "But If you fall into the dark like most do, I will find you and I will defeat you."

Calvo with his back turned nodded, and slowly ambled away from the jedi.

Zednich’s eyebrows rose with astonishment. He might have been locked in a deadly battle with this Jedi Hunter, but he was impressed with his level of resolve. “Is that honor, courage, or stupidity I see?” Zed asked.

Calvo wanted nothing to do with the Jedi’s banter, his face snarled with anger. Calvo let out a yell and charged at the Jedi swinging his lightsaber wildly. Zed began to backpedal dodging the blade as it arced in the air in every direction. Zednich waited for the perfect moment to counter; with his shoulder dislocated Calvo wouldn’t be able to guard his right side. Suddenly the Jedi Hunter stopped and raised his hand in the air, as if reaching for something. Zednich looked up only to see falling stone from the ceiling crashing on top of him. Calvo’s wild attacks drove the Jedi backwards under a section of cracked ceiling, and Jedi Hunter used the Force to bring it down on Zednich's head.

The Elomin angrily clipped his lightsaber back on his belt and let out a sigh of relief. Closing his eyes he focused his attention on the healing power of the Force. Calvo visualized his shoulder in his mind and took a deep breath. The cracking sound of the bone popping back into placed echoed in the obelisk. Calvo kept his eyes closed and let the mixer of pain and relief process. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the distinctive sound of rocks sliding against each other and hitting the floor. Calvo wiped his head around to see the pile of rock but no Jedi. Where was his enemy?

All of a sudden Calvo felt a blow to the back of his head that sent him to the ground. Calvo looked up to see a bruised and bloody Jedi with a crazed look in his eye.

“I’m going to beat the life out of you” Zed said.

“That’s doesn’t sound like the Light Side.” Calvo responded as he stood up.

A sort of twisted smile appeared on Zed’s face. It was like he run into an old friend he hadn’t see in a long time. “I told you, I haven’t always been a Jedi” Zed told him.

The Jedi raised his hands and Force shocked Calvo. As the Jedi Hunter’s body clinched in pain from and shock attack Zednich connected with a haymaker that rang Calvo’s ears. Zednich unleashed a lightning quick combination of hooks, jabs, and elbow strikes finishing with a stomp to the side of Calvo’s knee breaking it. The Jedi Hunter fell to the ground grasping his knee in agony. Zednich reached down and picked his enemy up by the throat propping him against a pillar.

Zed took a deep breath, stretched his arms out, and began pacing “Thank you for reminding me where my true power comes from. I’ve been trying to repent and make amends for sins I should never have felt sorry for in the first place! You have angered me in a way I haven't felt in a long time.“

Calvo tuned Zed’s demented ramblings about how he had missed the power of the Dark Side out and waited for him to turn his back again. With only one good leg Calvo had to make his attack count, and that required him to catch the corrupted Jedi off guard. The Jedi Hunter saw his moment. Calvo jumped as high as he could powering on his lightsaber mid-air with the blade pointed down to drive into his enemy. Suddenly Zed spun around with his blue blade waiting for Calvo spearing him in the chest. Calvo’s body hit the stone ground as dust wafted over him.

He smirked with a chuckle and said “I forgot you even had a lightsaber.” Calvo’s eye closed as the last breath escaped his lungs still smiling.

Zednich was flushed with feelings of remorse. He remembered why he left the Dark Side. The Dark Side had given him such power, but the weight on his conscience was equally powerful. The Jedi leaned down and grabbed the comlink off Calvo’s belt. Zed sent a quick message out to Clan Plagueis so they could retrieve his body. Calvo was a brave fighter and deserved to rest honorably. Zednich ran to his ship, there was no telling how far away the Sith were. As he blasted off into space Zed contemplated his place in the Force and thought about what he would do next.