The Duel
By Setnarto
"Interesting", uttered the robed figure, as he gazed upon the stone floor. Great evenly cut blocks formed a single platform on which countless years ago walked thousands of different feet. Were it not for the grass slowly invading the stone floor and a lonely, frail tree in the corner, he would not have been surprised if someone descended the stairs from the domed structure in front of him walking about cleaning the place. Its simple design betrayed it as some type of school or training facility. Nonetheless, the intricate drawings on its walls and the small statues, which mysteriously still stood after so many years, betrayed it as a some kind of temple. Maybe a training ground for priests, he thought.
"Fitting, I believe would be more adequate", replied a second voice. He was dressed in a simple two-piece outfit with no single color other than black. Although loose to permit freedom of movement, the clothes showed a certain style which could only be acquired through the use of an expensive tailor. A much better fit than the simpler robes of the jedi order, gently swaying as the wind changed directions.
"Don´t you agree, Master Urdoc?", continued the voice. His condescending tone and the eternal smirk on his face were of an arrogance profoundly cultivated among some aristocratic families. Highly irritable, thought the jedi. More irritable, though, was the reasons why the Order's intelligence services did not include any information on this particular aspect of his opponent's background. An aristocratic family is not something you can easily hide. Surely, only an aristocrat would not betray some form of apprehension at the situation. Not even the most insanely delusional crime lord could conjure up an arrogance which irritated even the lowliest of life forms. He would know, since he met a few in his years serving the Republic.
Yujang Klite, the smartly dressed man in front of the jedi, became known by the Order after his more than miraculous rise in the criminal world. What most concerned the Order was his ability to generate chaos wherever he passed, with no apparent logical motive. That and his ability in the force, Master Urdoc reminded himself. Even the most thorough search could not find out how he had acquired such mastery. He seemed to have gained the skills by himself, which was impossible since his continued growth in the ways of the force would have drawn the attention of jedis particularly attuned to its fluctuations. He was certainly not a failed student of the Jedi Order – everyone who dropped out had their life monitored to guarantee they posed no threat to themselves or to others.
Klite was called "The Dark One", for his powers and his preference for black clothing. That ridiculous idea could only have stemmed from some badly paid henchman´s imagination, thought Master Urdoc.
"The magnificent structure you see before you is, or better, was a training ground for priests, well before the appearance of the Republic into this system", continued Klite sounding like a professor teaching a below average student. "The priests were much loved among the locals for their healing powers and often wise councils.
Promising youths were trained from an early age to master healing and meditation techniques. After years of study, prolonged fasting rituals and countless hours of work with the needy and sick, a youth finally attained the priesthood, a great honor for his family. This honor represents much more than you can imagine."
At that moment, Master Urdoc tensed. The implicit insult contained was something which deeply moved the jedi. He had grown in an underprivileged family. Few things mattered more, he remembered his father teaching him, than honoring one's commitment and one's word. Honor was something he understood. Since young, he had sought to regain what once had been lost generations ago. Many years ago, his family had been much sought after for their commercial dealings. Business endeavors could be easily closed on the basis of verbal agreements. This privileged position was maintained until one his ancestors broke various oaths with the family's partners in a desperate scheme to quickly enrich. The fool had sacrificed generations of work for almost nothing. Having failed at the deals he had made without the knowledge of his partners, he succumbed to a most dishonorable position by taking what he could from the family's savings and fleeing the system. That act of cowardice sealed the Urdoc's fate. Now, little better than pariahs, the family survived doing odd jobs almost no one wanted. Becoming a jedi, he believed, was the key to reinstate his family's lost position in society. Years he had spent perfecting his actions, his thoughts and his philosophy in the abstract code of the jedi. His conduct was beyond any possible reproach. He wanted to set the standard for the future of his family.
"You see", continued Klite, "this society was based on a very strict hierarchical code. Everyone was born into a caste and in that caste remained until the end of his lifetime. Those who could not withstand the expectations placed upon them were quickly cast out. The priesthood was the only possible way to overcome one's own birth, but that required immense dedication, something not available for everyone. Were it not for this particular aspect, this society would have been perfect… Pure order… Once born into a position, you would stay there for the rest of your life."
At that precise moment, Master Urdoc switched on his lightsaber and lunged at his opponent who quickly drew a lightsaber of his own. Red and yellow danced through the air as Klite parried two high blows aimed at both his shoulders. Master Urdoc pressed his attacks, pivoting on his right foot it in a leg strike aimed at his opponent´s legs. Klite quickly withdrew his front foot and once again face to face, both combatants lashed out with their free hands summoning their mastery of the force. Both flew in opposite directions, crashing noisily on the floor.
"I failed to mention something", said Klite as he slowly regained his feet. "You probably were rather too awestruck at the beauty of this place to apprehend its peculiar nature. This arena reverberates with the remnants of the spirits of countless sacrifice."
Master Urdoc regained his composure and slowly drew in his breaths letting the gentle flow of the force sooth his being. The force was, in fact, very present in the arena. But, it was somewhat different from what he experienced before. Various points in the arena pulsated with what felt like a very profound conflict of emotions. Pain, cruelty intermingled with serenity and care. All seemed to tell a story, but somehow were connected in a very unsettling matter. In the corner, opposite where stood the frail tree, Urdoc felt the strongest point of the pulsating waves. It seemed to connect all the other points but carried a strong sense of unease, a deceitful air of a deeply malign nature. Death… It caressed the other points, as if reminding them of what once was.
"For centuries, the temple remained the bastion of hope and peace. The sick were healed, the dead were mourned. The children played in its surroundings fearing naught. That continued until the corruption took over. Interestingly enough, the corruption came from within, not from an external force. It seemed one of the acolytes, not satisfied with his position in this strict hierarchal structure decided to overturn the tables…. On about everyone. He betrayed the ones who depended on him and turned the temple into a killing ground where helpless victims were killed only to satiate his taste for blood."
Master Urdoc decided to switch tactics. Klite had maintained his distance for the whole encounter and this seemed to betray an opening which could be exploited. A master in strategy, Master Urdoc could outmaneuver most opponents in battle through quick and unexpected maneuvers based on his perception of their weaknesses. Klite had been uncomfortable with the first melee, analyzed Master Urdoc. And he finally understood out why. His shorter blade, when compared to the standard one used by his enemy, needed closer contact to be effective, something highly unsettling for those not accustomed to the restrictions in their mobility.
Klite, a smirk slowly gaining his face, continued with his lecture.
"The Master of the Temple, as he himself proclaimed, had a most interesting connection to the force. He literally drank the blood of his victims through a cup located in that corner." Klite pointed to the same corner which Master Urdoc had found so unsettling.
"Reminds you of old Corellian tales, doesn´t it? Among the questions, one stands out for it is the key to understanding the power which corrupted the young apprentice. What happened to the "Master"?", Klite spitted the title with disdain. "That is a question…"
Master Urdoc launched himself for a new assault. This time, he assured himself, his opponent would fall. Starting with a force push, he spread his opponent's arms apart in just a sufficient amount of space to be able to go under his guard. Once in his comfortable zone of attack, he lashed out striking on both sides of his opponent's neck. With both attacks clumsily defended, Master Urdoc pressed on with a lunge aimed at his opponent's midsection. Klite, astonished with so bold a move sidestepped in such a way as to have Master Urdoc's back towards him.
Master Urdoc knew exactly how his opponent would react and barely having started his strike, he swung his lightsaber in a wide arc hoping to strike his opponent's neck. Sensing the danger, Klite ducked under the blade and used his momentum to jump away from his opponent's next swing aimed at his legs.
Barely touching the ground, Klite felt the heavy force of his opponent's force push sending him again to the air. Hitting the ground clumsily, Klite managed a small smirk as his opponent pressed the attack. The blade lashed straight in a perfectly executed movement aimed at Klite's heart. Klite spinned on his left foot. Back to back, he sent his blade through his opponent. Master Urdoc slumped to the ground.
"Fascinatingly entertaining", said Klite as he gradually made his way out of the arena.