Hidden in Felucia’s jungle lies a two hundred meter expanse marking the ancient burial site of this world’s deadliest creatures and the location of innumerable remnants of hundreds, if not thousands of rancors. A circular enclosure of sun-bleached bones are arranged in the center of the cemetery—no doubt the former dwelling of a powerful practitioner of the Force. Cobwebs cling to the fallen beasts, a testament to the primordial age of some of the creatures.

Somewhat obscured by surrounding cliffs and the luminescent jungle, the dusted bones and carcasses are cast in a faint shadow, leaving just enough light to see by. The atmosphere is thick and stifling, with a strong overtone of dust and bone suspended in the still air. The taint of the Dark Side's influence has polluted the landmark over time, giving form to a dreadful aura that has scared off scavengers determined to sell off a rancor tusk or two. Unlike most of Felucia, the area is nearly devoid of life aside from ravenous predators dwelling within the hollowed-out husks of dead rancors.

Brilliant blue eyes flashed in the darkness of the encroaching night, gleaming with a feline-like sheen. A slim form, crimson skin dappled with shadows, crouched in the empty eye socket of a rancor's skull so big she'd had to pull from the Force for a little aid.

"You in, lass?"

The voice held a hint of an accent even the metallic twang of an earpiece couldn't hide. Her mentor, the esteemed Arconan Kordath Bleu, sounded more slurred than usual, and his student rolled her eyes.

"Of course," came the low reply. "And if you're going to drink, Kord, at least save some for me," she murmured in reply. His disgruntled grumbling would have made her laugh if she hadn't been focused on the task at hand. Never one to take a fight too seriously, the watcher nonetheless gave this one more respect than she would have under normal circumstances.

"Good luck, lass."

A smirk quirked up her full lips. "I'll regain you of my victory later," she purred. Switching off the ear piece, she stood and stretched, making a face as her joints cracked. So far there had been no hint of her quarry and she tired of waiting. Anxious as she was to get this fight going, she had been willing to sit, cramped and increasingly irritated, for the advantage of getting a glimpse at her opponent before he saw her. Her quarry now was a Sith (well...Sith-in-training, anyway) and a Knight, for what that was worth. Treat this battle as lightly as any other she had been in over the years and she may well lose.

Aryelline of the Sargon family had never lost--not yet, anyway, though she knew that could change at any time. Once upon a time, before her adventure into Brotherhood space on behalf of her long-time friend, she hadn't believed in chance. Nor fate, for that matter. Discovery of the Force had changed all that, as had her realization that the mysterious energy field had been helping her all along. Not for the first time she wished she had the ability to search the Force for her opponent's energy signature.

I'll give him a few more minutes...only a few. Then it's Epicanthix season, and I'm hunting.

Solas Night-Thorn sat cross-legged in the bay of Raven Squad’s mobile command center the Leopard. The Leopard had been orbiting Felucia for several rotations. Why had he, the Supreme Commander of the Nekros Syndicate taken his personal squad to this humid rock? This planet seemed to be a nexus of the Living Force, unlike any other in the galaxy. Solas had come here to determine if this was a natural phenomenon or a manufactured effect.

How long had he been sitting there? Even he did not know, for time had lost it’s meaning for him. His meditation was finally broken when he felt a strange warping of the energy that surrounded the planet. A moment later the still air around him was fractured by the sound of the ship’s on-board comm clicking on. And the raspy voice of the Leopard’s grizzled captain filled the ship.

“Solas, we’ve got something on the scope. Thanks to all that life down there, it’s hard to determine what it is. But it’s definitely not like anything we’ve picked up since we’ve been here. Should we send Cross to scout it out?” Solas stood and stretched upward and tapped his comm-link.

“Don’t bother, it’s a Force user. Take us down, bring me as close as possible.”

“Understood Sir!” The comm clicked off and the starship descended into the atmosphere. Soon the ship hovered in the air over a two hundred meter clearing that served as a graveyard for the mighty rancor. Solas stood in the open door of the ship’s bay. He tapped the comm mounted to his wrist.

“North, soften the place up. Let’s see if we can’t draw out our visitor.”

“Understood.” A moment later the Leopard’s cannons roared to life, raining heavy artillery fire onto the area.

Aryelline watched as a large starship descended over the boneyard. However she had little time to ponder its arrival as the ship began bombarding the area with heavy fire, forcing her to flee from her hiding place. Weaving in and out the massive bones, she spotted an area untouched by the bombardment. Rushing to this spot she was surprised when the artillery fire stopped. The Force tickled the back of her mind which led her to leap back just in time to avoid the impact of Solas’ falling blade. He had leapt from bay of the ship, igniting his lightsaber as he fell.

The Epicanthix stood from his crouched posture. As he straightened his posture he rose to his full height of over two meters. The Sith slowly rocked his neck from side to side and filled the air with dull wet popping sound. Narrowing his sickly sulphuric yellow eyes he turned his gaze to the Zeltron.

“Greetings young one.” Solas said with a cold hollow voice. “Why have you come here?” the Sith asked as he pointed his saber at the woman.