The Vertical City. Nar Shaddaa. They call it the Smuggler's Moon—an apt description based on the myriad of sentients shuffling back and forth with their illegal wares and hidden weapons. The narrow streets below you criss-cross endlessly, soaring miles above the planet's surface. Exposed and uncovered, the streets offer a nearly perfect setting for someone with some skills with ranged weapons. Your own vantage point, standing on the ledge of a towering structure of glass and steel, offers you a dizzying view of the cityscape.

Your eyes scan the distance for enemies. Snipers could be set up in almost every building. The streets are plagued with violent gangs and the general riff raff of the poor and destitute. The streets may be an ideal place for blasters, but the winding streets are difficult to disappear from. An opponent would be easily boxed in and simple to finish with a few quick slashes of a lightsaber. The moon is dangerous—even for a Jedi.

With his strong gaze set on the steep landscape and down to the bustling streets of Nar Shaddaa, Lexiconus Qor spread his glare across the broad spectrum. His senses tingled with the essence of a Jedi, but his exact location was not known. Stories told about this Jedi Ranger were strung far and wide, but the Quarren had learnt to filter myth from fact and sought the truth from the source. Kah Manet was a Gungan he knew for sure, but his deadly tactics yet to be seen and Qor wanted to really see them. The Battlemaster made it his life’s work to study the living, practice his skills on their bodies and then when the time came, investigate their corpse.

A slither of those recognisable long ears was all that Qor’s eyes caught before it disappeared into the nearby alley. He leapt from his perch and began to stalk the trail that the Force led him on. It took most of his concentration to follow the Light Side essence, but once he had caught up, he noticed that the Jedi had already turned and was waiting patiently.

“Confident, aren’t yah?” The Gungan smirked softly, his bone daggers firmly gripped in his palms. Qor gave out a low growl as he strode closer, his palms open and jolting with the Dark Side energy he built up. Cerulean sparks danced along his palms and Kah stood firm at the sight, until Qor whipped his arm forward and shot a claw of lightning towards the Gungan. Effortless in his movement, Kah twisted on one foot and almost smoothly evaded the attack, apart from catching the tips of his ears on the blue tendrils. His footing was quick as Kah shot forward with a dashing focus, while the Quarren let out another limb of Dark Side energy at the Gungan. Hitting squarely in the chest, Kah was thrown back against the far wall and collapsed onto the pavement. His Jedi robes were singed. While the scent of burnt cloth filled his nostrils, the burn marks to his wet skin wasn’t permanent.

“That comment will be your undoing, frog.” As swift as his words, Qor began to lift his hands while cargo boxes around the duo rose and flung themselves at the Gungan. Fast enough to catch him off guard, Kah evaded most of the boxes simply because they were too large to easily miss, but a cylinder of gas slammed into his thigh which caused him to tumble into a refusal cannister. The Quarren slowly moved forward as he continued to launch boxes and pieces from the alley, relentless in his attempt to batter his opponent into submission. It was becoming clear that Kah was tiring while Qor hadn’t done much effort, and yet the duo were both harshly gasping for breath.

“Put your fancy tricks away and show me what real Sith fight like,” Kah tried to quirk off some aggression at Qor, who just shrugged it off and launched a roof tile at the acrobatic Gungan.

“Real Sith wouldn’t stand for such a pathetic race holding a lightsaber. You would have been struck down at birth for being so weak,” The Quarren let out a low growl as he threw his harsh words towards Kah, who felt like he had enough evasive exercises. With cat-like reflexes, the Gungan leapt and tumbled his way towards Qor who saw the gap being closed and slowly walked backwards until they finally met at the alley entrance. Kah sent a hard fist into the Quarren’s face that sent him crashing backwards into the floor, blood trickling from a bone dagger wound on the skin.

“Pick up yah lightsaber!” Kah let out some hatred that fuelled the essence of his Dark Side abilities, as cracks of lightning jolted from the bone daggers themselves.

The lightning from the Gungan’s daggers struck the Dark Sider, freezing him in place as the lightning sizzled through his muscles. They began spasming, causing the Quarren to pulsate slightly in his position. The blood from his face dripped and jostled as he spasmed, the wound catching the Gungan’s eye.

Kah continued to stare at his enemy for a moment, the sight of blood causing Kah to smile. Kah knelt down and lurched forward with his powerful legs, closing the small gap between him and the Quarren. The Gungan brought his right leg up and forward, the Dark Sider catching his foot square in the stomach. Lexiconus’s body lurched forward slightly, just enough for Kah to grab a tentacle and pull him closer. The Jedi delivered another punch to the Quarren’s face and then pushed him away, the Gungan breathing heavily as his anger seethed. The Dark Sider had fallen to the ground, spitting blood onto the ground.

There is no emotion, there is peace.

The Jedi Code danced in the Gungan’s head as he gazed upon the Dark Sider, a technique he used to try his best and remain level headed and calm. His anger at the Quarren for calling his people weak lingered and refused to falter, fueling the Jedi with darkness. The Code usually helped Kah, but he could feel the insidious emotions that he felt for those that enslaved his people and viewed them as inferior burning any chance of him calming down. He walked over to the Quarren, who immediately swung a fist upward and almost connected with the Gungan, the Jedi moving his head at the last moment. He kneed the Quarren in the chest lightly, bringing it down and placing his weight on the Quarren.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

The Quarren focused on the Gungan and pushed him off, a wave of energy bursting forth from the Dark Sider and throwing the Jedi up and backward. The Gungan landed practically on his feet, stumbling slightly but regaining his footing. He rushed forward at the Quarren, the Krath bringing his hand up to push him back. The Gungan pivoted on the ball of his foot and delivered a kick to the Quarren’s stomach. The tendrils touched the Jedi’s leg, making Kah give a disgusted face.

There is no passion, there is serenity.

“Say mesa weak again, and mesa will show you why deysa call me Scourge.” said the Gungan, a barrage of aggressive clicks coming from him. He chambered his leg, bringing it down and staring once more at the Quarren.

“You’re weak.” spat the Quarren, grabbing hold of the Gungan’s ankle. The Jedi could feel the darkness seeping into him, the vile swarm of infernal hatred taking shape in the form of lightning that burst all across the Jedi’s leg. Kah howled in agony, the dark energy burning away the cloth that was wrapped around his legs.

There is no chaos, there is harmony.

There is no death, there is the Force.

Kah glared down at the Battlemaster, the pain of the lightning cascading across the body of the Jedi. The Quarren smiled as he saw into the Gungan’s eye, the lingering feelings of his dark impulses storming inside the Odanite.