Chapter 16: Challenge
A small group of sith soldiers manages to board the mandalorian ship. During the fight Mission gets thrown into a wall and her arm breaks. Dustil kills the dark Jedi responsible and rushes to her side, using the force to fix her arm. Zalbaar sees a sith assassin going to attack Dustil and shots him. Suddenly another assassin jumps onto Zalbaars back, pulling chunks of fur out of him. Zalbaar backs up to the wall and starts slamming into it until the assassin is unconscious.
As quickly as it started, the battle is over. Awhile later, the people who went to the planet to fight start arriving back to the ship. Bastila and Disciple see Mauve and Mira returning without the other Jedi who went with them. They can see that Mauve has been crying and immediately sense her grief over the loss of Atton. Disciple goes and takes Mauve to the med bay to see to her injuries and to try to comfort her.
Mira walks over to Bastila and Jahani. She tells them of the battle and confirms that Atton did not survive. "What of Jolee and Bao Dur"? Jahani asks her. Mira looks at them surprised, "We assumed they were back already". Bastila and Jahani look worried.
Half and hour later Mandalore, Carth, Bastila, and Jahani were sitting in Mandalores office trying to figure out what they would do next. They had tried over and over again to try to contact Jolee and Bao Dur but they were not answering on their communicators. They had even tried to use the force to contact them.
Suddenly Mandalores comm. started to beep, indicating he had a incoming message. He pressed the button to answer, "yes" he said. "Well, it appears that the mandalorians are not as weak as I had thought", Nelian said. "What do you want"? Mandalore demands. Nelian laughs, "I want a lot of things but for now I'll settle for your head. I issue you a challenge Mandalore. Meet me in the fields west of the temple in one hour. I will be bringing my wife. Your two friends, however, will not be joining us. Unless you want there heads", Nelian laughs as he ends the communication. Carth looks over at Mandalore. "I'm coming with you", Carth says. Mandalore nods.
An hour later Carth and Mandalore were standing in the fields waiting, when they suddenly saw Nelian approaching holding Revans hand. As they got closer Carth noticed that Revans eyes were swollen from crying. Mandalore took off his helmet and armor, and looked at Nelian. "My conditions are no armor and you cannot use the force. You may choose the weapon". Nelian tossed a vibroblade at Mandalores feet. "I choose vibroblades only", Nelian said. Mandalore picked up the vibroblade and looked at it, nodding his head.
Mandalore and Nelian began circling each other. Then Nelian attacked Mandalore, cutting his arm. Mandalore responded by hitting Nelian in the leg. After five minutes of fighting, both men were panting, and bleeding heavily. Finally Mandalore got the winning hit. When Nelian charged at Mandalore again, Mandalore took his vibroblade and ran it straight through Nelians chest.
Nelian fell to the ground, staring at the wound in shock. He looked at Mandalore. "You may have won the battle, but you will not win the war. The sith will return. And I will live on through mine and Revans child". Then Nelian, Lord of the Sith, died.