Swordmanship Tournament:

Fight I:

Darth Bane vs Darth Vader

(Before orbalisks) (Before suit)

BEGIN!

Darth Bane scowled as he surveyed the room. Six meters by six meters, was his guess. It was devoid of any furnishings, save a tapestry hanging from a large window on his right. The walls were metal, with small lights buried a foot in to keep them protected from any strikes. The walls curved to make the chamber circular, the better for the coming fight.

He glanced across the room towards the door. It slid open then, revealing a figure dressed in all black, his brown hair hanging down to his shoulders. His eyes were yellow, signs that he was an apprentice of the Dark Side. A scar started just over his right eye and came down to the top of his cheekbone, giving his boyish features an only slightly more mature look.

"I'm assuming you are the one who challenged me?" the man said, pulling his lightsaber from his belt.

"Yes," Bane replied, igniting his own weapon.

Curiously enough, the other Sith's weapon was still blue, showing that he hadn't changed his crystal yet. Either he was too weak to wholly give up his former life, or he was a new apprentice of the Dark Side. In either case, it would be a quick fight.

"Do you really expect to walk out of here alive?"

The man smirked. "Don't underestimate the power of the Dark Side. Of me. Darth Vader."

Bane cocked his head to the side, saying nothing. The youth had a smug, arrogant look plastered to his face. It was immensely annoying. Then he tensed, crouching almost imperceptibly. There was a slight tension in the air and a feeling of the air being drawn to a single location – the young man was gathering his power.

Bane jumped forward, bringing his weapon down in a powerful overhead strike, hoping to end the battle quickly. But his opponent stepped to the side and deflected the blow, slanting his saber so that his opponent's strike wasn't wholly absorbed – just redirected. As soon as he landed, Vader struck, lightsaber slicing for Bane's chest. The older Sith jumped back a few feet, smiling to himself.

Bane noticed the man's style and almost smirked. The boy was using Djem So. The thing was, Bane used the same form. This was going to be fun. He pressed the attack, slowly gathering the Force to him.

Anakin had to fight to keep a small surge of panic from overwhelming him as a few strikes nearly got through his defenses. He could feel the Dark Side pouring off of his opponent in droves, sapping his morale despite his connection to it. And he was already getting tired from the fight. That just made him angrier, and by so doing, fueled his own power.

A quick side-step and backhand gave him a few moments' reprieve. But before he could come up with a strategy, he was falling back again, barely slapping the strikes away when he could, and moving to the side or back when he couldn't block.

Why am I being pushed back? He thought, scowling at his opponent. I was one of the best lightsaber combatants in the Order. My midichlorians are the highest anyone's ever seen. How is he besting me?

The thoughts propelled him forward, his gathered Force lashing out in a brute strike that slammed into his opponent. It didn't have the desired effect. Bane grunted as he was shoved across the floor, legs out behind him as he leaned into the hit. He stopped a few feet away, smirking slightly.

"More power than that will be needed to get through my shields. Try again."

Skywalker's eyes went wide, fear and anger rising in a tide. He drew more power to him, sliding into a defensive stance. Bane rolled his neck, causing it to make loud popping sounds. He smirked.

"Bring it." The sheer arrogance of the words sent another spark of anger through the new Sith.

Anakin took in a deep breath as he focused the Force and let out a shout, sending the power flooding into a wall of energy. Bane wrapped himself in a thin layer of his will and sent the rest into a similar wall, though a much smaller one that was shaped to just over Bane's form and was thick.

The two Force energies collided, and younger man's wall was broken upon the shield. But he immediately followed up with a physical attack, leaping the distance between the two and swinging for Bane's legs. The older Sith jumped above the strike and kicked out, sending Anakin sprawling backwards.

Bane followed, swinging for his chest. Vader leaned back and brought his weapon up under the crimson blade, pushing into the air. He shoved his hand out straight under their upraised arms and let a sudden ball of Force send his opponent hurtling into the wall.

Laughter echoed through the chamber as the man stood back up. Not sure why Bane was laughing, Vader took a step and raised his saber above his head. His arms were halfway down when he felt the Force wrapping around his body, like a gigantic fist. He knew it meant bad news.

Suddenly he was flying backwards into the wall. The fist was still around his body as he struggled to free himself, pushing outward with his own wall of Force energy. But he realized that it wasn't enough, and that this would be his end, most likely.

Again, Vader was lifted into the air and held up against the ceiling, staring down at the red tip of Bane's lightsaber.

Bane cursed inwardly. He should have finished this arrogant punk off long before now. He'd need to remedy that. Using the Force, he slowly squeezed his opponent.

"I'm sorry, Darth Vader, but it seems your time has come to an end."

He let go of Vader and watched the younger man fall down, chest perfectly aligned with Bane's lightsaber. The Sith smiled as the body dropped onto the weapon, lightsaber slipping in easily and sticking out Vader's back.

A sudden surge of power slapped Bane across the face and sent him flying into the wall. Again. Rage, uncontrollable fury, gripped the Darth and held him firmly in its grasp. He lurched to his feet and glared at his opponent.

Vader gave a wheezing cough and began gathering his power, and his weapon. If he was going out, then his enemy was going to go with him.

"You insufferable little-" Bane's anger choked him and he took a few steps forward.

"Come on, Bane, and feel my wrath," Vader growled, holding one hand to his wound, using a bit of the Force to begin healing it. But he wasn't attuned to the Light Side anymore, and his strength had never lain with healing. All he was really accomplishing was to keep his heart beating a while longer.

"Gladly."

Bane let out a scream as he unleashed his power, raising one hand, fingers splayed. Arcs of indigo leapt from the digits, crackling as they did. A stray bolt slammed into the floor, putting the smallest of cracks in it and burning the area. The rest flew for the Sith, all forming a line.

Anakin let out a shout of surprise and interposed his lightsaber with the first one, catching it as the rest dove around it. He staggered left and another bolt hit the wall, but the rest slammed home.

Violent screams of pain filled the chamber as the young man was thrown back and to the floor. He was convulsing, legs beating a staccato on the ground as his fingers clenched, curling like claws. His voice quickly faded to a dry rasp, his lungs being burned from within. Skin burnt where the lightning struck. Bane scowled furiously as he poured more power into the strike, until Vader's convulsions turned more into twitches.

His arm lowered as weariness took over. He had taxed himself pulling from the Force that much. But it wasn't a crippling fatigue. Stalking closer, the Sith flicked his saber around, before holding it over the prostate form's head. No response came from the close proximity to the blade, so Bane shoved down, pushing his lightsaber through the head and into the floor below.

Shrugging in indifference, Darth Bane left the room.