Pirates are a rowdy lot. It is a fact rarely questioned and merely accepted by those who deal with them regularly. While the Herald’s crew is no different, the band's leader has a different approach to facilitating their tendencies. To this end, one of the Matron's smaller hangars — designated Hangar Zerek — has been recommissioned as a combat arena... or execution chamber.

Once a dedicated repair bay, Hangar Zerek is still equipped with fabricator arms and an assortment of Trade Federation droid parts that have fallen into disrepair. A squared off section, including illumination banks at each corner, designates the intended 'arena'. The section is denoted by active shock fences, run by nearby generators. It is here that the crew lets off steam, with the hangar bay sealed.

The hangar itself still has a fully functioning force field that comes into play when matches are meant to become more interesting, or when it comes time to jettison troublesome captives. The hangar bay doors peel open, leaving only the active field to separate the arena from the vacuum of space. The control mechanisms for the hangar doors can be operated manually from the control booth or on a set timer, including the force field's toggle switch.

The control booth is the last segment of Hangar Zerek worth noting. Doubling as an observation deck, it is the only obvious entrance to the hangar. All maintenance hatches and access-ways have been sealed in advance, though the catwalks crisscrossing along the upper layers of the hangar remain. The booth itself is sealed, providing a safe haven for when the force field comes down.

The vastness of space had a feeling to it that was hard to describe. The infinite. An expanse of nothing that meant death for so many species within the galaxy. It was always so close, to those who traveled within its vacuum, yet deceptively far away. That deception fell to the wayside standing within Hangar Zerek. The hangar doors had been fully retracted, leaving only the force field separating the combatants within from being sucked into the void.

"Now now," a voice rang out. The overlay of static was thick, warping the tone of the voice as it echoed within the derelict space. "You're going to be putting on quite the show for us or, well... Would be a shame to have to hit this here button."

The threat was clear. the combatants remained exposed within the hangar proper and the only thing between them and a sudden, violent exit from the Godless Matron was the master control panel.

Silence filled the arena as the announcement faded away, echoing off of the rusting walls until it dimmed into nothingness, leaving only the quiet hum of the force field to fill the void. In contrast to their normally raucous nature, every pirate filling out the seats surrounding the ring was watching and waiting with rapt attention, every eye fixed upon the two figures in the ring. Illuminated only by the faint blue of the force field behind them and spasmodic pulse of electricity through the shock fences, they were little more than silhouettes to the gathered crowd. One, wearing the time-worn uniform of an Imperial flight suit, stood waiting, watching his kneeling opponent clad in the stylized armour of wars long past.

Head bowed, and with one fist placed into the palm of his opposing hand, Tarvitz made peace with himself and prepared for the end. He had always known he would die this way. Given his life it had been inevitable. Not in bed, waiting for ages to claim him, but with one good deed catching up to him, earning him the ire of some backwater warlord or crime boss. In the eyes of whoever commanded the Godless Matron, it had not mattered that he had found her crewmen harassing a passenger preparing to leave the ship, seeking to extort what little cash he had left. It had not mattered that they had started the fight, threatening Tarvitz after he had inquired into the matter. No, all that had mattered was that the Jedi had parted four of her crew from their heads, and ended the lives of others when they had drawn weapons on him.

"Are you finished, or do you really want to give them an excuse to airlock the both of us?" his opponent asked, sounding more irritated than frightened at the prospect.

"Ready when you are," Tarvitz answered, rising to his feet and unhooking the lightsaber from his belt "But might I know your name before we end this?"

"Andrelious Mimosa-Inahj. Aedile of House Dinaari," the pilot said with a curt nod, responding by drawing two of his own weapons in turn.

"Ka Tarvitz," he answered, biting back the urge to ask what had earned another of the Brotherhood this death sentence, and raising the weapon in salute "Well then, let's get on with this."

He thumbed the activation stud as a glowing yellow blade erupted from the tarnished bronze hilt. He barely even heard the hearing the familiar snap-hiss of the weapon before all other sounds were lost as the crowd erupted into a single roaring yell for blood. Activating his own two crimson blades, Andrelious spun the pair several times before charging forwards.

Bracing himself, Tarvitz met the assault head on as the two crashed into one another, blades sparking as he parried the opening strike. No sooner had be blocked it than Andrelious came about again, hammering blow after blow towards the Jedi. While Tarvitz had never been the most skilled Knight to ever wield a lightsaber, it was quickly evident just how outmatched he truly was. It was like trying to fight a storm, barely holding back swipe after stab after slash as Andrelious advanced, driving the Jedi back towards the electrified fences.

Aediles were among the best of a House's warriors, and it was said that even a Consul would give pause before challenging one in an arena. Seeing what Andrelious was capable of, Tarvitz could easily believe it. He was quickly being pushed to his limits, unable to do more than parry one strike after another as he tried to gauge his full capabilities. For a fleeting second an opening emerged in the whirlwind of attacks, and Tarvitz twisted the hilt of his lightsaber in reflex, almost driving the blade point first into his foe, before forcing himself to ignore it. Too easy. Too obvious, and Andrelious' brief flicker of annoyance confirmed it had been a feint.

They locked blades again as the Sith tried to force Tarvitz off-balance, but this time he was ready. He folded momentarily, starting to back off before lashing out with one leg, cracking the plasteel against Andrelious' knee. The other man jerked backwards in surprised pain, his blows momentarily faltering, and Tarvitz lunged forwards, releasing one grip on his lightsaber and smashing his gauntlet into the side of the Sith's head. Andrelious stumbled back and they parted.

"A shame this is not to first blood." Tarvitz said, readying himself for the next attack.

No more showing off! Andrelious thought, deactivating his black-hilted lightsaber.

Tarvitz’s rather unusual technique of using his armour to strike blows fascinated the Sith. He hadn’t been expecting the Urrite to be anything like as tough as he had shown so far.

“Do we not have the same goal, Jedi? If you were to abandon your stubborn adherence to your blinkered view of the Force, you and I could find the Herald and take her on, together. You just need to stop denying your emotions,” Andrelious stated.

“You will not trick me. The Force is not my weapon to command. It is my ally!” Tarvitz snapped back.

“I almost feel sorry for you Jedi at times. You refuse so many chances to become far more than what you are,” the Taldryanite hissed.

Without waiting for his opponent’s reply, Andrelious steamed in, immediately forcing another parry from the Jedi.

The Sith decided to try and batter his way past the Urrite’s defences. Each blow of his lightsaber carried every ounce of his strength, but Tarvitz matched every single attack with a fast defensive movement. Andrelious felt more and more frustrated as the Jedi continued to deny him.

“Enough of this!” Mimosa-Inahj roared. He took a step back, taking his left hand off the hilt of his lightsaber. Before Tarvitz had worked out what the Sith was doing, a flash of blue lightning surged from Andrelious’ finger tips.

The power of the lightning knocked the Urrite to the floor, pain coursing through his body. He kept a tight hold on his lightsaber, however. He wasn’t about to give Andrelious an easy kill.

“That is just a taste of what I can do with the dark side at my command, Jedi. If you just let yourself feel, you’ll become what you’re supposed to be,” the Sith taunted.

“You don’t command the dark side. It commands you,” Tarvitz responded.

Andrelious simply shook his head in disgust as the Urrite climbed back to his feet, clearly still hurting. The older Human wasted no time in resuming the duel, smashing his lightsaber into his rival’s stubborn blade.

Appearing to pause for a split second, Tarvitz began to fight with increased vigour. He seemed faster, and even a little stronger, than he had before, and the change in the Jedi’s movement caught Andrelious out enough to allow the Juggernaut a counter-attack. His lightsaber worked its way past the Sith’s defensive lunge, but the slash was poorly aimed and only cut through part of Mimosa-Inahj’s clothing. Knowing that he had made a successful hit, however, gave Tarvitz renewed hope.

Without wasting any time, the Urrite pressed on, far more confident than before.

Tarvitz's heart hammered against his rib-cage as he cautiously advanced, stabbing out with two probing strikes as Andrelious withdrew. Each was more to keep the Sith off-balance than truly hurt him, to prevent him recovering and immediately re-engaging, as the Jedi tried to plan out his next move. For all the damage the lightning had inflicted, for all the spasmodic pain which still arced across his body from the aftermath of each strike, he was doing far better than he ever would have expected. Robbed of his usual advantages at this range and forced to rely upon his limited capabilities with a lightsaber, Tarvitz had not expected to live long past the initial strikes.

Of course, Andrelious was hardly going to offer him time to capitalize on his recovery if he could afford it. Seemingly switching tactics, Tarvitz barely had a moment to react as Andrelious punched out with one open palm. A wall of pure kinetic energy struck Tarvitz in the chest, shunting him backwards across the plasma blackened hanger floor, before a second kicked his legs out from under him. He landed hard, but had the sense to immediately roll to one side as Andrelious launched himself forwards, hacking down towards where the Jedi's head had been moment's before. Still prone, Tarvitz swung upwards in a poorly guided strike which Andrelious almost casually deflected aside.

"Perhaps the Dark Side does command me," Andrelious quietly side, low enough to almost be lost amid the cheering pirates "Believe that old lie if it will help you see reason, but do you know what it's commanding me to do right now? Survive."

He slashed downwards. It was lazily struck, slow enough for even Tarvitz to recover and block before it came home, but that was hardly the point. Andrelious pressed forwards, forcing the Jedi's lightsaber back until he was close enough to quietly speak.

"Would you rather the light side had you die here? For what, so that you can satisfy them," he spat the word, jerking his head towards the crowds "Just what will be accomplished if either of us does kill the other? We wait until the next poor fool to be thrown in against us? Or perhaps we'll be deemed not to have satisfied the crew and be hurled out into space anyway."

Tarvitz paused, and then threw a kick into Andrelious' ribs, light enough to stagger the Sith back rather than truly harm him. Rising to his feet, Tarvitz's scarred features creased in surprise, looking between his opponent and the pirates.

"Are you about to suggest an alliance against them?" he asked. It was hardly the behaviour of the Sith he had so often been told of. Treacherous as they were among their own kind, the closest thing to a true alliance he might have expected would have been to kill him and then steal his weapons.

"Why not," the older man said with a bitter laugh "Dying against them wouldn't be any worse to dying to one another. At least it wouldn't be for their amusement."

Tarvitz stopped for a few moments, and then almost imperceptibly nodded before swinging a few faux blows in Andrelious' direction.

"I'm listening."