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. Occasional skirmishes have left debris scattered throughout the desert, and battles were fought here as recently as the Galactic Civil War. The planet is now under the control of the One Sith and is rumored to be full of all manner of priceless, ancient Sith artifacts.

The Dark Council has pushed forth to Begeren and the Grand Master, on his quest for ever more powerful items, has decreed the Clans and Houses seize anything of value. The unity shown by the Brotherhood during the beginning of this Crusade is fracturing, with the Clans and Houses growing tired and frustrated with the seemingly endless succession of battles. Tempers are flaring between former allies, with outright aggression no longer uncommon. Despite this, you have responded to the Grand Master's call—though whether it's to actually seize the items for the Brotherhood, destroy them, or use them for your own purposes, only you know. One such item, a Sith talisman, said to be inlaid with a dark side-infused gemstone, was lost in the quarries of Begeren during the liberation of the planet from Old Republic looters thousands of years ago.

The Force has drawn you here, to an abandoned quarry, in a mountainous region west of an expansive desert. Any mining equipment once used here is long gone, but the landscape itself remains surprisingly preserved from the days of the Old Republic's strip mining. Scrub brush, the only foliage present on this part of the planet, has taken root all along the sides of the quarry. The ledge overlooks a one-hundred meter drop into a crystal-clear basin of water; opposite the ledge is a more gradual, step-wise decline. The basin itself is peculiar, as no plants are growing in or around it, despite being one of the few bodies of liquid you have seen in the nearby area. A long, snaking ramp meanders down through the steps of the quarry towards the water below, beginning at the northward edge of the cliff you now find yourself on. You notice shards of gemstones crunch underfoot as you move, a hint as to the use of this quarry in ages past.

The noise of the wind covered the sound of soft footsteps entering the quarry. Gravel shifted underfoot as Vorsa traversed the arid basin, finally arriving at her destination. Dressed in simple robes, and with only her trusty lightsaber at her hip, cleverly concealed under layers of cloth - along with a simple waterskin for sustenance - she could hardly be recognized as a Jedi on any other world.

Removing the simple cloth from her mouth as she approached the edge of the chasm, she concentrated on the feeling she felt before - the call of the Force. A multitude of bright lines converged in her mind, forming a simple yet clear image of the entrance she was looking for. She could feel another presence in the quarry, but it was unclear who, or what, it was. Her feelings led her towards a crude opening, unused in millennia. As she approached, however, a tall and well-built human stepped out of the darkness of the entrance. Was he waiting for her? He just stood in front of the mineshaft, blocking entry. His ominous visage suggested he wasn't there by chance. Dressed in simple traveling robes and with his face covered as it was, Vorsa could not determine who it was exactly. She doubted she would recognize him even if she saw his face. It mattered little in the end. He was in the way.

"And who are you," Vorsa spoke over the wind, "and why do you block my path, stranger?" She could just vaguely hear a chuckle before a brilliant red saber flashed into existence from under the man's robes. The Dark Side seeped from his aura, and Vorsa could almost taste the young man's malice as he charged straight at her. Vorsa's orange blade sprang to life before the Sith could cut her in half. His attack was precise and merciless, but Vorsa followed every step and swing. Each blow was met with a effective counter, never harming but always deflecting her opponents blade and trying to find a loophole in his defense. She wanted to disable him as soon as possible. Who knew how many more of them there were.

Their blades locked and she could finally see her opponent's face clearly. A mask of metal, leather and ceramic covered his unseen eyes and face. He remained deathly silent as he pushed her, with relative ease, towards the sheer drop. Vorsa pushed back in vain, for the strength of her opponent was overwhelming.

"Now you die," he said in a cold voice as he pushed her several more feet towards the cliff's edge. The matter-of-fact statement sent chills down her spine. Before he could push her off of the edge, however, Vorsa concentrated on the Living Force around her. Her brow furrowed as a telekinetic wave emanated from her in the Sith's direction. Before he could balance himself out, he was sent flying back into the quarry wall behind him. The force of the wave shattered his helmet on the rock, his body falling into the dirt. The young man stood up, rage billowing in his eyes. That wave might have hurt him, but he would expect it a second time. She noticed the scratches on his head begin to heal as he stood there, seemingly at rest.

"I am not so easily killed, child. If it were so, I would not have lived three hundred years," Vorsa said as she lifted several loose rocks and sent them flying at the Sith. Meleu charged forward, using his own telekinetic abilities to push the rocks back. He managed to slow them down enough for them to become a nuisance rather than a problem. His blade flew from his outstretched hand directly at Vorsa's relatively exposed chest. It was only through the will of the Force that she sensed the strike, giving her time enough to step aside and dodge the incoming blade.

Meleu's saber flew back to its owner's hand, just as he was about to strike at the Jedi. As their blades connected again, the true battle began. Relentlessly the Sith pounded the Neti's defenses, a true mark of Ataru. Though he was well trained in the athletic form, Meleu was far from agile. His strikes were true, but sluggish compared to some of the Ataru users Vorsa had trained with.

Now that she knew what kind of opponent she was facing, Vorsa used every trick she knew to keep herself at saber length, away from his powerful kicks and jabs. A time to strike back would come soon, but right now defense was all that mattered. Snapping her saber from one defensive position to another like a well-tuned clock, she would conserve her own energy and outlast her opponent. At least that was the plan.

Eagerly, the Sith leaped towards the Neti. Executing a violent flurry of lightsaber strikes on his opponent, Meleu found that the Neti would ward off each strike with a simple parry, seemingly growing an advantage after every attack she defended. She began to be able to read every one of the Sith's attacks and her defenses became impenetrable. From out of the blue, Meleu detected a few signs of worry on the face of the Neti. He smirked at the understanding as to why, as the sky began to darken and the day came to an end. Having worked with a Neti in the past on Lyspair, Meleu had basic understanding of how easily fatigued they became without sunlight, however he overestimated the advantage that he would have over the Neti.

"Looks like this will be a fair fight after all," the Sith pointed out, trying to hide his smirk.

Vorsa smiled, knowing that she could tempt the Sith to try and strike her down once again, catching him off guard. The Neti's wish came true as the Sith returned to his Ataru-style stance. Once more, the Sith laid out a barrage of attacks against the Neti, but seemed to be more enhanced than before, the Jedi sensing an increase of intensity of the Force aura surrounding the man. The Neti seemingly started to struggle, each parry was less precise and less powerful. To Meleu, it seemed that Vorsa was becoming fatigued with the intensity of the fight. The Sith powered on, with his lightsaber strikes fuelled by the Force, his swings were becoming more frequent and accurate, making it harder for the Neti to parry.

Momentarily however, the Sith was caught off-guard. With his almost non-existent ability to sense the presence of the Force, he had missed the strong pulse of something. Originally having been sent by his master, Kz'set to intercept the Jedi, Meleu came to understand the true intentions of his visit to Begeren. He had heard whispers around Plagueis of a hidden One Sith artefact that the Grand Master was interested on getting his hands on. Sensing a lapse of concentration, the Neti began an offensive sequence of Vapaad strikes against her opponent in an almost staccato fashion, snapping into place after every strike. She slowly forced Meleu away from the edge of the cliff. The Sith snapped back to reality, finding himself on the defensive in the few milliseconds that he had been distracted for. Parrying each of the Neti's strong blows, he was able to lock sabers with his opponent. Subsequently, Vorsa had to push back as Meleu overwhelmed her with his strength.

All of a sudden Meleu realised where the artefact was located. The glint of an object was visible in the clear basin of water below. He pushed on for a final few seconds, with only enough energy to keep up this calibre of duelling for a small period of time. Yet it was not only Meleu who was struggling, night time had arrived on Begeren and though Vorsa could easily survive without sunlight for long periods of time, she was becoming more lethargic as time passed by. The two were showing signs of apathy, with no end to the duel in sight.

Meleu pushed himself into a frenzy, leaping towards his Neti opponent, jumping into the air, twisting his body as he came closer to Vorsa. With his strong grip and strength behind him, he struck a large two-handed blow towards the direction of the Neti's body as he landed. His saber collided with nothing, and as a result of his erratic movement and the wind, a large amount of dust hit his face. Temporarily blinded, the Sith held up his lightsaber in front of him, unable to sense his opponent through the Force. The Neti cracked a smile, having pre-empted the attack, she had rolled to the side of the Sith, with Meleu now near the edge of the cliff.

The Knight wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his robe, just in time to see the Neti directing her fists towards him. Instantly the Sith was knocked off his feet, flung into the air and disorientated, he plummeted down towards large basin of water. Though disorientated, Meleu managed to turn his body in the air, with his head above his feet. Though he strengthened himself through the Force, Meleu suffered harsh bruising on his body as well as a few cracked ribs.

Vorsa looked down towards her opponent, and instead of following his route, she descended down the pathway, using her glowing orange blade to guide the way. Meleu, still submerged in the water swam his down towards the shining object. The Neti suddenly understood the mistake she had made in knocking the Sith off the cliff, having sensed the object herself. She rushed down towards the body of water, but through the dark she could not see through the clear liquid. Seeking out her opponent through the Force, she gripped her hilt in a more combat-styled fashion now, rather than using it as a source of light. Meleu limped out of the body of water clutching his chest, with a glistening talisman around his neck.

For a few moments, the Sith used his depleted energy to attempt to partially heal his newfound wounds.

"Looking for this?" Meleu asked, referring to the talisman around his neck, trying to contain his smile.

Vorsa stopped herself from rushing headfirst into the situation, in mere seconds, she assessed the situation and all possible outcomes. Slightly bending her knee, the Neti waited for the Sith, who sluggishly ignited his hilt and prepared himself.

Meleu had only three options, either he could die, escape, or kill his opponent. However in order to kill his opponent, he had to get near to her. Unlikely to be able to withstand another strong bolt of Force energy from the Neti, Meleu touched the talisman around his neck, contemplating escape.