The Godless Matron was once a Trade Federation battleship, crewed by countless droid workers. Since then, many sections of the ship have fallen into disrepair due to the sheer amount of manpower involved in its maintenance. As a result, parts of the central sphere of the Lucrehulk-class battleship has been left to the ravages of time and the scars of the Clone War itself.

The crew has come to refer to this section of the Matron as The Gauntlet, largely due to the danger it represents. Located in the lower regions of the command sphere, it is a crosshatched network of ruined and damaged hallways, repair bays, and even crew quarters. While most power has been shut off to this section — save for critical systems such as life support — the systems and circuitry still require occasional maintenance in order to keep the entire framework operational. Such tech runs have become a matter of betting amongst the crew, earning it the nickname: running the gauntlet.

A heavy layer of dust sits mostly undisturbed along the debris of the halls, save for the footprints of the few crew that have tread the path before. These previously walked paths are a safety net for those who venture into The Gauntlet unknowingly. It is also thought that the remaining Separatist forces staged a last ditch defense within this area of the ship, and did so by any means necessary. Many traps, ranging from explosives to spring-loaded mechanisms, are littered throughout the untravelled pathways — or even still undisturbed within the known sections. Further still, malfunctioning B1 droids and even semi-active Spy Drones remain, ready to ambush the unsuspecting observer and adding to the dangers of the dark, debris filled tomb The Gauntlet has become.

Countless perils awaited those who ventured into the furthest depths of the Gauntlet. This fact was known to the crew of the Godless Matron better than most. There was opportunity, however, when the right circumstances presented themselves. The Herald had offered safe passage and not an entirely small sum of credits to whomsoever managed to 'run the Gauntlet' successfully. The proof of such a feat lay deep within the labyrinthine halls themselves, with a banner bearing the Herald's crest waiting to be claimed.

The risks of the Gauntlet alone were enough to dissuade most, but the crew of the Godless Matron had insured that the ante, so to speak, was to be raised. Those who entered the Gauntlet would do so from varying access points, and all would gain entry at the same designated intervals until the prize was claimed.

Inyri’s eyes fluttered as she awoke, her vision swimming back into focus. The last thing she had remembered was limping her way to a clinic in Chute Town, but past that, nothing else came to mind. The corridor she had woken up in was poorly lit, and in a state of disarray with missing chunks of bulkhead, support beams having crashed down at different points, and no sign of having been repaired at all or even attempted as such. Her right shoulder was still throbbing in pain, but far less and after unzipping her jumpsuit enough to get a look, the wound appeared to have been repaired. She zipped up her suit and drew her pistol, advancing down the corridor. Wherever she had been dumped, she needed to get out of here.

As she traversed the ruined corridor, the sound of something clanking and clicking grew louder, approaching her. Inyri tucked herself behind a pile of debris and peeked out. An old battle droid, rusted and missing its left arm, was marching towards her. The right arm held an old blaster rifle, held across the chest as if it was supposed to be on patrol. The droid got closer and closer, and Inyri debated either shooting it now or just waiting for it to pass before there was a new clicking sound. Suddenly, a door slammed shut with alarming speed, the two halves coming from the left and right, and crushed the droid between them before they slid back to their open position.

Inyri moved from her cover up closer to where the droid had been reduced to pieces, and saw a pressure plate that the droid had stepped on. Stepping around it, Inyri continued, now mindful that the corridor likely could have further traps. It was also entirely likely that there would be more droids along the way, and likely not as ready to blunder into a trap.

She continued down the path before her, which seemed to stretch forever, when she heard the sounds of blaster fire and the crashes of a lightsaber smashing into something. Several somethings, from the sounds of it. Inyri took a breath and advanced forward, raising her pistol as she did. The corridor ended in a round nexus area, likely a hub of some sort, where she saw a red skinned Togruta male finish off the last of the battle droids with a pair of purple bladed lightsabers.

He turned to face her, his blades at the ready. Inyri kept her distance and her pistol up, but did not slip her index finger into the trigger guard.

“Easy. I’m not here to kill you, but I’ll defend myself.” Inyri said. The Togruta stared at her, studying her, from her stance, her choice in weapons and equipment, all the way to the bruises and recently healed cuts on her face.

“And you expect me to just let you pass? To claim the Herald’s banner for yourself while I stand idly by?” The Togruta asked, sneering.

“Banner? What? I was just dumped here after I was getting treated at the clinic in Chute Town. I already got rid of the ID Chit, I’m not playing this stupid game.” Inyri protested.

“Identify yourself.” The Togruta demanded.

“Knight Ginovef of Naga Sadow.” Inyri replied, “You?”

The Togruta merely laughed as he extinguished his lightsabers, and there was no mirth in his laugh, it was condescending arrogance. He then drew back and unleashed a powerful blast of blue lightning, sending Inyri to the deck in a smoking heap.

“Your Clan is pathetic, and you’re the most pathetic example I’ve seen of their ranks. You’re not worth my time. Run and hide, child. You’re no match for a Warrior of my caliber.” He said, and walked away, “Perhaps the droids here will save me the wasted time of killing you.”

Inyri coughed and wheezed as smoke rose off of her body.

“...I am getting seriously sick and tired of you people always electrocuting me.” Inyri said, more to herself as she stood up.

“Fine, I’ll play along. I’ll take that stupid banner for myself, get it, make it into a sheet, and sleep in it every night so you can’t have it.” Inyri muttered as she looked around, looking for her next option.

Abadeer looked on in shock as the red headed woman rose to her feet. He’d never seen anyone take a bolt of lightning to the chest like that, and just shake it off. He nearly let himself get killed as Inyri raised her pistol into position and took aim. With not a moment to spare, Taasii activated his lightsabers again, deflecting the now incoming torrent of bolts. Deflecting incoming fire was never one of the Togruta’s strong suits, so he dove around a corner as soon as possible.

“Maybe you’re not as useless as I thought, Inyri of Clan Naga Sadow. Not many can take a bolt of lightning like that and keep on going.” Abadeer taunted from behind his cover.

“Well I guess I’m not like most people than am I?” Inyri shouted back, followed by another volley of bolts colliding with the wall.

Abadeer couldn’t see where the woman was, but relying on his connection to the Force and his own natural echolocation he knew almost precisely where she was. He could sense the woman from Naga Sadow slowly advancing up the hallway. Allowing himself a moment, Taasii focused on the Force around him, and manipulated it into a cloak. His body slowly disappeared into nothingness, before Abadeer opened his eyes. Taasii slowly started to stalk around the woman, picking his way through the winding labyrinth until he finally came back to where the two had first come face to face.

Inyri stood close to the corner where he’d first hid, checking her pistol which seemed to have overheated. Taasii continued to creep closer and closer, he could smell the nervous sweat coming from the opposing Jedi, watching her retrieve her saber.

“I didn’t realize you were such a coward!” Inyri shouted, trying to bate the Togruta.

“I’m not, I just enjoy the hunt!” Abadeer let the cloak fall from around him as he revealed himself behind the startled woman, lightsabers both extended as he plunged into combat. Taasii began with a simple Jar’Kai combat routine, testing his opponent. He attacked relatively slowly, testing angles and reaction time. Abadeer enjoyed combat, he craved it, but he could tell that the Jedi before him was no match at all for his finely honed prowess.

After only a few moments, Inyri was barely able to only desperately deflect Abadeer’s incoming blows. Taasii knew where this encounter would lead, and he already was beginning to get bored. He lazily swiped with his right saber, which was deflected by Inyri’s. Abadeer watched her eyes suddenly light up for just a moment as she saw a feint glimmer of false hope. Inyri counter attacked high, which was predictable. Taasii flicked his left saber up easily, deflecting the incoming blow to the side. While blocking the incoming blow, the Togruta deactivated his right saber and pushed out with his hand. Inyri was sent flying down the hallway by a wave of energy, sending her flying into a pile of debri. This would all be over too quickly.