The Valley of the Jedi. The legendary location of the final battle under the surface of Ruusan, between the Army of Light and the Brotherhood of Darkness. The battle ended in an instant when Lord Kaan’s followers detonated the thought bomb in a reckless move to with the campaign, proving the catalyst for the Ruusan Reformation. Joining within the cavern that would be the site of a dangerous ritual, the Dark Lords were vanquished along with Hoth’s followers; the resulting vacuum consuming the souls of Sith and Jedi alike to be tormented for an eternity.

Standing near the edge of that cave, the tiered stone steps that circle the valley greet intruders with an otherwise unremarkable passage into its depths. The ground is rocky and uneven, sloping downwards towards the center. Stalagmites litter the floor, small outcroppings of rock thrust out from the ground like huge stone blades. However, those formations pale in size compared to the chiselled stone statues encircling the Valley in perfectly concentric circles. The sculptures seem almost alive, as if the faces of the dead had been perfectly captured in the carvings, still holding traces of the doomed souls they represented.

Inside the cavern lies the echoes of those who perished in the thought bomb’s detonation. Within its deepest recesses rests an oblong orb that floats just above the ground. Encased within the dreadful relict are the souls of those who were consumed at the ritual’s epicenter. Uneasiness radiates from the artifact as the helpless cries and echoes enter the minds of all those who enter the cave, driving most to madness before meeting death on the surface of Ruusan.

Ruusan, a planet rumoured to have witnessed many battles between Sith and Jedi. Whatever the truth of these rumours, it was going to see a Dark Jedi and her most frequent opponent write the next chapter in their seemingly never-ending rivalry. The Valley of the Jedi would prove to be the battleground for a dark side civil war. These things and so much more ran through the mind of Kelly Mendes. Still, she wasn’t entirely the same person Kul had come across in their previous meetings. Her fighting style, in particular, had been the subject of reform over the months. How would Kul fare against this varied approach?

The Zabrak was calm as he approached the valley. He had pursued Mendes here upon orders from the Voice himself. She used the shuttle provided to her as a result of her Quaestorship. Luckily, that made it easy to follow. Kul wasn’t entirely sure why Marick had ordered he hunt down his long-time foe, but he was more than happy to do so. He had never beaten her in a straight up confrontation he always retreated, but this time would be different. He would triumph and force her to bend the knee. She would have to acknowledge his strength.

Kelly looked up to the sky. It was peaceful at first until the ship came into sight, much like the one she had used to get here. Had her Aedile followed her here? No that wouldn’t make sense, he was supposed to be holding down the fort while she investigated the rumblings that she was seen as a threat by someone. And that there was at least one person eager to gain favour by removing her. There were a number of people Mendes suspected, Drol had been known to have affiliations with the Inquisitorius. Why would the Grand Master, or his Voice for that matter, want her out of the way? Kul did own a ship matching the description of the one that had since landed and appeared as if it were waiting to finish a dramatic pause before revealing its owner.

Kul felt his ship land, but hesitated for just a moment. He wouldn’t come out all aggressive, he’d give it a moment, to allow the Aedile to speculate before no doubt disappointing her. He’d be sick of the whole thing if he was in the Quaestor’s position, but Kul had a need for redemption and orders. He walked down the recently lowered ramp and out onto the surface of Ruusan. He could feel the energy around him, it felt like Jedi, but he knew his target was around here somewhere. Then his eyes caught sight of the mark, she was stood out in the open, no doubt impatient as usual. She would be the one to make the first move.

“Drol, what is the meaning of this? I’ll have Morega keep you confined to your pen if you think about trying anything,” Kelly called out. She lacked the patience to take a more cautious approach to the situation. Lightsaber in hand, she marched forward furiously, throwing her weapon forward . The Zabrak would suffer for his treachery and the Zabrak’s pets would be on the menu upon her return. Finding her strike blocked, Kelly was forced back as one of the known Inquisitors’ Rykk Blades came within a hair’s width of slicing her open, managing a slight cut to her outfit, just above the waist.

Kul felt the momentum was on his side and decided to press the attack. The native of Iridonia moved forward slashing first with his lightsaber then following up with the sword in his left hand. The human had certainly not lost a step, even if it had been months since their last encounter on Jakku. She would hold Kul’s saber blade pressed against her own, watching as the sparks caused by the collision flew by. Then when the slash came Kelly would already by at least two steps back. The desire to win was pushing him forward, edging ever closer to his inevitable victory. Each parried strike, every evaded slash,was only furthering his belief that he would emerge victorious.