There was no Knight to call out, nor bell to ring, nor whistle to blow to initiate their match, nor was there need for one. As soon as Kai and Revan had fallen into their battle stances, they had become the most vicious of enemies, consumed by their wills to conquer each other.

This was no training exercise, every watching student realized. This was true combat in every sense of the word: two individuals enveloped by their instinctual natures that have been formed, toned, and hardened by such training grounds like the one they now stood in, and perhaps by so much more.

Their eyes bared no uncertainty, their grips and stances did not twinge or shake. They were two warriors that knew themselves and were not afraid.

And yet neither of them charged forward in a rush in the hopes of overpowering the other in one quick and reckless attempt. They were both too well in control of themselves for that, and knew the other would be able to counter any such foolhardy attack.

Rather they did as the most cunning of beasts, and waited unflinching for the moment to come: the moment when their quarries would stumble in their defense, would shuffle their feet, would twist their stiffening wrist, or would blink for just a moment too long. And in this, they both knew that Kai had the advantage.

Despite Bandon's rather juvenile, if not pitiful attempt to win over the auburn-haired Padawan, Revan could not deny that the match had left its mark, by more than simple exhaustion. Bandon's attacks, having been made of strength and anger and nothing more, had caused a numbness within his right arm, one that still lingered ever slightly. He had managed to hide it up to this point and hoped that the effect would wear off before this match would begin. Unfortunately for him, the lack of feeling caused him to inadvertently lower his blade, no more than an inch.

It was more than enough for Kai to see, and immediately he recognized it for what it was and acted upon it not a second later.

To the crowd of students, one moment the raven-haired Padawan was on the far side of the arena, the next he was right in front of his opponent, spinning about as he brought his vibrostaff to bare.

Revan was admittedly as amazed by the young Guardian's speed and agility as all the other onlookers, abilities that made it impossible for him to dodge or parry the accompanying attack, leaving him only able to counter.

The ringing of metal on metal poured outward like the crack of thunder as Revan used both his swords against Kai's attack on his right side, only just managing to prevent the oncoming blade from reaching him.

A short pause in their movements occurred then as the opponents eyed each other. This time, the snide smile was upon Kai's lips.

Revan realized that this was going to be much harder than he had anticipated…

The first assault was quickly followed by a barrage of others, with both Revan and Kai attacking and countering with incredible speed and efficiency. The young Guardian's attacks came in rapid successions as he continually spun about without pause or, more surprisingly, lack of control.

However Revan was none the lesser in his assaults, his blades seeming to dance with one another as they cut through the air, one always meeting the incoming attack, the other returning an attack of its own.

It did not take long for the auburn-haired Protégé to realize that his opponent was used to fighting an enemy that wielded dual blades, as he countered Revan's assault too efficiently for one of inexperience. Even more alarming was the fact that his opponent was deliberately assaulting his right side with more aggression than his left, causing the numbness in his arm to increase rather than dissipate as he had hoped it would. Realizing that if this continued his grip on his sword would become compromised, Revan acted upon an advantage of his own.

As Kai made his next attempt, which his opponent countered efficiently with his left blade, he quickly found the other sword thrusting at him dead-center from below. Caught a bit off guard by the change in tactic, and unable to directly counter due to the nature of his own weapon, the quick footed Padawan responded in the only way he could, by jumping straight back.

In that first pause since their fight had begun, both the combatants were now so immersed in their match to even notice the awed silence of the students that surrounded them.

It was a match unlike anything any that the gazing Padawans had seen before. They had watched the combat exercises of fumbling students. They had seen Bandon overpower all his opponents with his raw strength and intimidating persona. But they had never seen anything like this…

This was a true clashing of warriors…

As both Kai and Revan rushed to catch their breaths, calling upon their strength of will to rejuvenate their energy as fast as they could, both also spent the moment thinking upon their tactics.

For Kai, he found himself contemplating much as he did when having trained with Kavar. Like the Jedi Master, this dual-blade wielder was efficient in using both his weapons, countering Lugo's assaults and retaliating with the fast precision of one who could divide his mind between his hands. Fortunately many of the advantages that the young Guardian found he had against Kavar he found he also had against this one, and also a few others. He was still able to make assaults and counters at a faster pace than his opponent. That, combined with the slight advantage in strength he had, which he usually lacked heavily in against Kavar, meant that he could likely force an opening within Revan's defense.

However the pompous Padawan's last attack made it apparent that he was aware of Kai's own disadvantages. His staff-based weapon, and even his lightsaber, left him vulnerable to almost all thrusts and direct assaults upon his center; a weakness that he had trained hard to minimize by seeking to perfect his ability to dodge and parry, but still a weakness… And also, the nature of his more aggressive attacks, which required massive amounts of spinning and counter-spinning, was bound to eventually cause him high levels of disorientation if he was not careful…

Revan found himself much in the same state of mind. Admittedly, he was not used to facing opponents who used double-bladed lightsabers, and only knew of a few within the Order that currently wielded such weapons. And while he had predicted his opponent's strength and precision, the green-eyed Padawan's level of speed had caught the young teenager off guard. He never had a moment to really look for, let alone create an opening, too preoccupied with avoiding the strikes that came at him relentlessly. And in the end he had to rely on a rather crude advantage to obtain the moment he needed to catch his breath.

And Revan despised crudeness…

He silently commended Kai for forcing him into such a position…

Already the brown-eyed Protégé knew that he was at the disadvantage when it came to their levels of skill at melee combat. But he was not worried. He had other skills, ones he knew his opponent lacked...

- - -

With all other eyes within the room focused on the combatants, there were none to notice it when the young white-mane Knight that had silently practiced her forms within an isolated corner of the room had deactivated her lightsaber and joined in their vigil.

Atris watched as she always did, from a distance, away from all others, wanting none of the Padawans' useless bantering to occupy her attention. She had completed her combat exercises with acceptable efficiency, and though she knew she needed to depart to prepare for her lectures, she instead found her attention drawn to the conflict before her.

"Fool…," the young Historian muttered under her breath as she eyed Kai with contempt for his poor decision in choosing to partake in a battle that he had lost the second he had agreed to allow the use of Force powers.

Even while she had been training, the clairvoyant Knight had felt it. Massive levels of energy hung about Lugo's opponent like a thick mist, well cloaked by the level of calmness he maintained.

The currents swirled about him so slowly that the young Historian was not sure that they were moving at all. And he was responsible for it. He was maintaining the energy, keeping it focused about him by sheer power of will.

And if he called upon those energies, if this one known as Revan allowed his power to flow freely about him, it would have been as a hurricane, he the eye of the storm, and even the least Force-Sensitive Padawan present would know of it.

Against the power of such a Force User, all of Kai's skill would be as nothing.

Atris knew how this would end.

"Stupid fool…"

- - -

Both the combatants had quickly recovered from their first encounter, both the wiser for it and both ready to begin again. And while Kai knew already that in terms of stamina and physical strength he held the advantage, not for a moment did he allow himself to think that the outcome of this match was decided. In that moment when his opponent had used the Force against Bandon, the young Guardian had determined that Revan's power lied more beyond physical perception. How much power? He could not say. Enough to fling an average weight teenager more than twenty feet away and slam him into a wall… But, if that was the extent of his abilities, then he wouldn't bare such a pompous title like Protégé now, would he?

As if almost responding to his thought, Revan smiled at him. Sticking his clenched fist and blade out in front of him, he slowly raised his arm higher.

Yet only stillness seemed to meet his exaggerative movements, and Kai focused his sight hard upon the brown eyes looking back at him, unsure of what his opponent was doing, yet certain there was purpose behind his actions.

The awed gasping of the crowd of Padawans caught the raven-haired Jedi's attention, and he turned to learn of their astonishment. And when he found it, he could not help to admit that he was astonished himself, if a bit disheartened by the sense of impending danger that quickly filled him.

All about the arena, dulled vibroblades hung quietly in the air like a circle of spectators, or like a pack of thugs waiting for the command of their leader.

Ten… fifteen… too many for Kai to be comfortable facing all at once…

Slowly, Revan turned about his wrist, and as if signaled, the chorus of blades turned their tips inwards at the arena, all of them pointed directly in Kai's direction.

"You seem to have a talent for avoiding," the young Protégé remarked as if impressed.

Two of the swords swooped through the air towards the young Guardian like birds, but with the deadliness of throwing spears. Fortunately Kai managed to avoid them with relative ease, dodging under the first and jumping back a foot to avoid the second.

However the green-eyed teenager received but a moment's grace before the rest of the entourage joined in, diving at him at varying speeds and angles.

Suddenly Kai found such subtle movements to be insufficient as he was now forced to put his acrobatic abilities to the test. Dodging, spinning, and jumping as fast as he could, the blades came at him relentlessly, all the while their master stood quietly at the far end of the arena, with but his hand held high to indicate this was his doing.

How could he be doing this, Kai wondered as he flipped backwards then dodged to the left, five of the blades barely missing him as they shot by, seven more following behind them. Lifting and pushing stone blocks with the Force was one thing, but creating a barrage of vibroblades was a feat unto its own.

Dodge, dodge, flip, jump! The blades flew by the quick-footed Padawan harmlessly, Kai only being able to avoid being skewered by mere inches with most of the weapons, by mere centimeters with others.

Fortunately for the young Guardian, there were apparent limits to Revan's power. He seemed unable to adjust the courses of the blades one he launched them, having to wait until the swords reached the edge of the arena before turning them about and sending them flying again. As skilled as he was, the young Protégé could only focus in so many directions at once.

But that may yet have proven to be meaningless for young Lugo, as he knew the situation was completely in Revan's favor. Kai had no way of going on the assault while the blades continued to hinder him. He barely had enough time to register the barrage of incoming weapons before moving to avoid them.

And then there was the limit on time that he could feel building within him as the exhaustive maneuvers began to take their toll. Jumping about like a tach on spice was quickly draining what stamina he had, and, based on how calm and comfortable Revan seemed to be as he idly stood by, there was no question of who would give out first if this continued.

He needed to end this, and fast. And in order to do so, he would need to implement a feat of his own. His timing had to be perfect; otherwise his attempt would leave him open for his opponent to skewer him at his leisure.

Kai's gaze focused hard in Revan's direction, and upon the four blades hovering close to him. He needed to wait…

Five blades came at the raven-haired Padawan from different directions, forcing him to jolt left and right and flip backwards in the air.

Just a little while longer, Kai thought to himself, his breathing becoming harder, the heat and numbness building within his tiring limbs. Just a little longer…

Three more blades flew forth at young Lugo. Dodge, dodge, roll! The swords shot by harmlessly, forcing Kai ever closer to his limit…

Just a moment longer… soon… there!

The four blades around Revan flew towards the teenage Guardian, and Kai did not miss a beat. He crouched down low to the ground, his mind focusing the energies of the Force through his body, building the momentum within his legs.

And just as the entourage of weapons were about to reach their mark, Kai jumped into the air.

In another rare moment, Revan found himself caught off guard by his opponent as Lugo's form flew spinning through the air at him, his vibrostaff twirling in his hands as he came in for the strike. His mind too focused on supporting the barrage of hovering blades, the Protégé had no time to call upon the Force to counter, leaving him once again forced to act in desperation.

Just as Kai landed on the ground, spinning about with his weapon following through, Revan leapt away into a roll. In that moment, he lost the ability to focus, and the hovering blades fell from the air, causing several spectating Padawans to jump back in order to avoid the falling weapons, with one or more not moving quick enough and receiving a light knock to the head.

Revan came out of the maneuver kneeling on the ground, his back facing that of his opponent. "So… you do know how to use the Force…"

"In a way," Kai responded between breaths as he turned about to face his adversary. "Pushing, pulling, and lifting others is not my style. I prefer… more supportive Force techniques."

"I see…" A genuine smile crossed Revan's lips as he stood up and turned around. He had hoped to find something interesting in the green-eyed Padawan, but this… this was a true challenge, and that pleased him even more. "A devotion to attacking your opponents with nothing but the weapon in your hands… You would do the Sith proud."

Such a remark would not have passed with a Master and perhaps most Knights, and by the unsettled murmurings of the crowd, it bothered many of the Padawans. Everyone there knew the Sith were not a subject to joke with or to be taken lightly. All the lectures the students had received on the dangers of the Dark Side and the Jedi who embraced it had made the subject almost a taboo in their minds.

Kai took the taunt for what it was. "As opposed to a Jedi who tries to run his enemies through with a fleet of flying blades…?"

Revan chuckled in good humor as he took a few steps back. "What can I say? I like creativity…"

"I bet…" Kai responded, then raising his weapon to point in his opponent's direction, or rather at his right side. "By the way, it looks as though you did not dodge fast enough…"

Revan had attempted to ignore the sudden rise in numbness in his arm, having thought it the result of his sudden exertion accompanied by his earlier match. But now, looking down upon his limb, he found the sleeve of his robe torn where the vibrostaff has slashed by. Again, he admitted only to being impressed. As he took a more direct look at Kai however, the auburn-haired Padawan's smirk increased. "And it looks as though you did not jump quickly enough…"

A puzzled look crossed Lugo's eyes for a moment, then quickly disappearing as he suddenly noticed the stinging sensation on his cheek. Touching it and looking upon his gloved hand, he found several small drops of blood now stained the gray leather.

Apparently his attempt had not been as perfect as he had formerly thought…

"One for one then…" Kai replied. "Be more careful in the future. All these attacks towards my head… some might think that you're trying to kill me…"

"Careful with the sarcasm," Revan retorted as he brought both his blades before him. "Some might think you're actually enjoying this…"

It surprised Kai that he had to resist the urge to smile.

- - -

Mical was speechless.

More than speechless, he was shocked beyond belief.

When Kai had saved him from Bandon during that incident a few days back, the youngling had thought his elder friend at least capable of defending himself, though he did not think that Kai could actually win against Bandon in a fair fight.

When Lugo had started helping him with his combat training, Mical had only then thought that perhaps Kai might be able to hold is own against someone like Bandon, but he still had not thought him capable of victory.

Now Kai was standing strongly against the Jedi Protégé that had defeated Bandon as if he was a first year Hopeful, and Mical found himself nothing less than wide eyed and struck silent. He could not believe what he had seen in the last fifteen minutes or so; could not even follow it for the most part.

Where once he had thought the young Guardian was at most knowledgeable in the ways of melee and lightsaber combat, he now found Kai fighting like a veteran, using advanced Force techniques to fly through the air and move faster than one thought possible, throwing about dozens of combat forms as he quickly cycled through them with uncanny speed and precision. Shii-Cho, Makashi, bits of Juyo and Ataru: Kai was moving too fast for the young Padawan to recognize them all.

This could not be the same student who had helped him in his training…

"Amazing…" one of the older Padawans muttered in disbelief, then looking behind him at young Mical. "You were training with him?"

"Yeah…" Mical eventually responded with small nods of his head, appearing unsure of his own answer. "I think so…"

The elder boy chuckled lightly at the youngling's response with a few shakes of his head as he turned back towards the arena, making Mical feel a few feet smaller than he actually was.

He did not have time to wallow in his sense of meagerness as round two of the match suddenly began.

- - -

It caught Kai by surprise as Revan made the first move, charging at him with enhanced speed. The raven-haired Padawan was prepared though, and waited to counter the oncoming attack.

The moment the gifted student came in for the strike though, his blades came slashing downward in unison, aimed at his opponent's collarbone. And while Kai could have easily deflected such an attack by vibroblades, his training in combating lightsabers forced him to react differently.

The young Guardian immediately dodged to his right and moved to return the favor, slashing downwards upon his enemy. Yet in the instance he expected to feel the edge of his vibrostaff striking against cloth and sinew, or at least hear the ringing of metal, he found his blade to be cutting nothing but air.

What the-?

Kai's eyes went wide as his survival instinct immediately kicked in then, causing him to jump away in a roll, just as two blades cut through the place where his neck was. Coming out of the maneuver on one knee, the young Guardian looked up to find Revan standing where Kai had not expected him.

How had he…?

Revan once again came charging at him and this time Kai moved on the offensive, dashing to meet his opponent head on. He needed to know how it happened…

As they came within distance of each other, Lugo slashed out in a wide arc: an attack his opponent could have easily blocked and countered. But the auburn-haired teenager did not respond as such, as Kai had hoped. Instead he ducked low, the blade of the vibrostaff cutting so close as to slice the tips of a few strands off his head.

The young Guardian followed through with his momentum, spinning about and prepared to launch another attack.

Yet in that moment where he came back around and saw that Revan was not where he was expected to be, rather than panic, Kai listened to the Force, the streams and currents as it rushed about him, the arena, the students, the entire room. He was not sure what he was listening for, but knew that the answer to how his opponent was managing this feat was there.

At first, he felt nothing particular beyond the rush of the energies about him produced by their match. He listened closer. He needed to find it and quick, otherwise-

There!

And in the moment that Lugo found what he was looking for, he already knew that it was too late.

In desperation, Kai dashed forward as quickly as he could, but it was not fast enough. A vibroblade came slashing low, catching the back his right leg just below his knee, sending numbing pain coursing through the limb and causing him to tumble forward helplessly.

Now wounded and gritting his teeth, the raven-haired Jedi did his best to get away, rolling and turning about on the stone tiles as he placed himself as far and as fast as he could away from where Revan now stood. Smiling...

Attempting to rise to his feet, Kai crumbled back to the ground as the pain coursed through his limb.

"My, that looks painful…" Revan remarked, swinging his left blade back and forth like a pendulum while resting on the other. "That's two for one, by the way… I don't suppose you'll want to go another round?"

Biting down hard, Kai managed to pull himself back to his feet. A massive bloodstain covered the back of his trousers where the blade had cut through, rather cleanly for a dulled weapon. His leg barely managed to support his weight as it was, let alone would he now be able to keep on fighting as he had. By the account of most there, this fight was over.

…

But Kai was smiling…

Revan arched an eyebrow as he noticed his opponent's curious expression. "Did I miss something?"

The green-eyed Padawan did not reply. Instead he brought his vibrostaff before him and fell into stance as best he could.

A heavy chuckle erupted from Revan as he shook his head in disbelief. "I have to hand it to you, Kai, you have impressed me several times during this little skirmish of ours, and that is not an easy thing for me to say. Why don't you just call it a match? You did your best…"

Revan had seen all that he wanted out the match. He had no interest in continuing.

But Kai did not respond, did not even flinch, the determination not leaving his face, and partly also because it hurt like hell to move his leg right then.

Sighing heavily with a nod of his head, the auburn-haired Protégé conceded to his opponent's stubbornness. "As you wish…"

Raising his blades to the ready, Revan charged in for the last strike. Predictably, Kai attacked in the only manner his one good leg would allow: in a wide slash to his left.

Revan once again dodged beneath the attack. And in that moment, the skilled Force Wielder called forth the energies surrounding him, sending them coursing through every cell within his body.

With a speed that caused the world around him seemingly to blur, Revan moved with trained precision around his opponent to place himself in Kai's blind spot.

It should have played out just as it had twice before. Yet instead of finding Kai's exposed back, what Revan discovered was a dulled vibrostaff smashing into the lower half of his ribcage, breaking bone, knocking the air from his lungs, and sending him tumbling away from his supposedly crippled opponent.

A heavy silence filled the room then, accompanied by a lack of movement as neither combatant stirred for several seconds.

Overwhelmed by the magnitude of the technique he had only just succeeded in emulating, Kai barely managed to catch himself with his free hand when he crumbled to the ground as the energies he had pulled forth began to surge beyond his control.

Disoriented and in a world of pain and numbness, Revan struggled as he lifted his head from the ground and brought his legs underneath him, choking on his agonizing breaths as he looked across the arena at his equally drained counterpart.

How had he done it? It should have been impossible for such an average Force User to use such an advanced technique!

"How…" Revan managed to mumble between hard breaths, and loud enough for his opponent to hear.

Kai, finding himself in much the same fashion as his opponent, barely managing to hold himself up, out of air and strength, caught his breath only long enough to respond in a broken sentence. "A fluke… from watching you…"

If Revan had the capability of laughing right then he would have. The mere thought that this student, who seemed at best capable of maintaining the Force Speed technique for an elongated period, had somehow managed to pull off an ability far beyond his means, even for a single moment, just by watching another's attempts was an astounding feat. The fact that he managed to survive it was just as astounding, regardless that it left him with barely the strength to stay conscious. Force Warp placed such a terrible strain on a person's body, so much so that very few Jedi learned of it, and fewer used it.

It was the luckiest fluke that Revan had ever heard of.

It took within the span of an entire minute for the pair of combatants to manage to get back to their feet. Kai was forced to switch hands as his left arm felt like it was about to come out of its socket, his attack seeming to have caused nearly as much damage on him as it had on his opponent. Revan realized that he was no longer carrying his right blade, apparently having lost his grip on it and most of the feeling left within his arm upon being sent flying by that last attack.

It seemed as though Kai managed to regain a small percentage of his strength first, as he slowly started towards his opponent, limping with every step on his damaged leg. If he sought to end this match, he knew he needed to do it fast. Someone as talented as this egocentric Protégé likely had at least some ability in Force Healing, an ability Kai lacked in totality.

And indeed while Revan had learned how to use the Force as a means of recovery, such techniques required too much time and focus from him, and with his adversary slowly approaching, he could not afford to waste either.

Besides, he had had enough of this. This match had already gone on longer than he had desired, and he certainly had not predicted ending up with broken ribs and blood in his throat.

"Sorry Kai… I wish I did not have to end this in such a pathetic manner…" Revan muttered between coughs as he raised his open palm towards his opponent. "But we rarely get what we wish…"

As with Bandon before him, Kai was suddenly struck with a wave of power meant to send him tumbling off the edge of the arena.

It barely knocked him back two steps...

What the hell!? Revan's eyes went wide with disbelief. That Force Push should have easily done the trick! There was no way the barely conscious Lugo could have deflected it in his condition!

The emerald-eyed Guardian did not question his luck, continuing his slow approach.

More by instinct than by conscious thought did Revan call upon his ability to perceive through the Force then. And in one glance within his opponent's direction, the gifted student saw the reason.

The energies of the Force, which normally flowed like a current through those capable of feeling it, was thrashing about within and around the raven-haired teenager like a wounded beast, erratic and unstable.

Apparently the incredibly lucky Padawan's attempt at using a technique beyond his means had more consequences than simply leaving him broken and drained. With the Force's energies currently out of his control, likely also causing spurts of pain to shoot throughout his body, there was no way for Kai to call upon them for assistance. Nor could anyone affectively use it against him…

Revan attempted to push his adversary out of the arena again, this time with twice the amount of power as before, causing most of the gazing students standing within the attack's direction to be knocked off their feet. It should have sent him flying into the wall! Through the wall!

Lugo was forced four steps back, then continued forward.

Revan persisted, throwing wave upon wave at the Padawan in desperation. Yet Kai endured every one of them, and continued to approach.

Numbness flowing throughout his body, the slightest movements causing spikes of pain to erupt within his chest, the auburn-haired Protégé had no desire to bring his remaining blade to bear again, unsure if he would be able to outlast Kai if it came down to it.

He needed to end this fast!

Pulling at the massive energies that surrounded him, Revan unleashed the power within a constant wave at his opponent.

At first, the attack seemed to knock Lugo back several feet, his boots digging into the platform as he fought against it. And for a moment, it looked as if he would be dragged by the stream of energy all the way off the edge of the arena.

Gritting his teeth and fighting pass the pain in his leg and throughout his body, Kai managed to call up enough of his strength to stab his vibrostaff into the cracks between the stone tiles, halting his progression towards the arena's edge. He would not let it end like this.

At a much slower pace, the determined Padawan started moving forward again.

- - -

The spectating students were watching in awed silence, amazed at the sight of the two combatants throwing the last of their strengths into winning this final match.

Not least among them was the Echani Knight.

How was he doing it? The question ran through Atris' mind again and again, speechless by what she was seeing. He should never have survived the first match. She could not believe he had survived the second one. Against Force Warp, a technique that was well out of even her league, Lugo's abilities should have been as nothing.

Yet he overcame it.

He had used it! It had only been for a single moment, but it was a moment that should never have happened! And the fact that the acceleration and surges of Force Energy throughout his body had not finished him off only added to the Historian's disbelief.

And now, against all that she understood about the Force, Kai was somehow managing to overcome the constant wave of power that should have sent him flying through the air!?

Atris did not understand.

- - -

They were both reaching their limit: gritting their teeth and straining their eyes as they threw all they had left at each other.

Kai pushed with an unyielding determination pass a leg that was begging him to collapse and an oncoming wall of power trying to throw him back, attempting to take the last few steps towards his opponent. Revan focused with an unbending will, refusing to give into the strain and agony caused by his aching form and from commanding the Force without pause.

Neither willing to give in to their suffering, or each other.

The crowd was on edge, none having the faintest idea of who would make that final attack.

Only two more steps and they would be in range to strike.

Only two more steps and they would throw every last inch of their strengths at each other.

Only two more steps…

Only one more step…

"Enough!"

The voice rang out within the room, cutting through the climactic moment as if someone had detonated a grenade within the area. And even Kai and Revan, who but a moment earlier were completely focused and ready to fight to their last breaths, were forced to give it recognition, prematurely ending their path against each other, and turning their eyes about to place the new commanding presence within the room.

Master Quatra glared with dangerous eyes at the pair of teenagers, who both seemed suddenly stricken with all the weight of their injuries, as she walked into the training grounds; eyes that almost every student within that room felt with a deep chill.

"All of you, get back to your exercises," Quatra proclaimed, looking about the crowded Padawans. "I will br overseeing the rest of the day's training."

As before, the bystanders were quick to follow the commands of the Jedi Master, making sure to keep quiet their mumbles of disappointment at being unable to see the end of the most exciting event they had witnessed after years of repetitive training sessions and study.

"Argh…" Kai fought against crying aloud as his right leg finally gave out in a wave of pain, forcing him down on one knee.

"Mical," Quatra called outwards as she turned upon the youngling, who stood alone in silence now apart from all the students who had returned to their training, "please help Lugo get to the assigned healer at-"

The teacher's expression became full of surprise as she took in all that her eyes fell upon. "Where did you get that?"

Mical, at first confused by the Master's words, followed her gaze to where it fell, upon the double-bladed lightsaber he held at his side. A sensation familiar to one who is caught by their mother with their hand stuck in a sweet jar filled the youngling then, causing him to drop the weapon and step back from it as if only realizing what he had been holding. "I… uh, I'm sorry, Master Quatra! I…it…"

"It's mine," Lugo finally interjected once having centered himself enough, bringing the young Master's and child's eyes back upon him. "It is my lightsaber, Master Quatra. Master Kavar assigned it to me back on Coruscant. You can confirm it with him, if you wish."

"Is that so…" Quatra calmly responded, finding she did not question the boy's words so much, considering what Kavar had told her of his combat prowess. Still, she did not think it wise to assign such a weapon to any Padawan, but kept such irrelevant thoughts to herself, as another matter greatly concerned her now. "Mical, please be quick about it."

"Yes Master Quatra," the youngling replied with a deep nod. He then rapidly picked the lightsaber back off the ground and ran up the stairs of the stone platform to his friend's side, holding the weapon out for him to take. "Here Kai..."

But the young Guardian did not even seem to notice the boy. Instead his gaze was upon the other individual occupying the arena, his eyes barren of emotion. A look that Revan returned.

As much as Kai did not like this conceited, manipulative Padawan, what he felt right then was a sense of curiosity and intrigue. There was something… compelling about this prodigy named Revan, as though he held an unseen power even greater than that which he wielded with the Force.

But again, that could only have been the young Guardian's imagination.

If nothing else, Kai could admit to having a sense of respect for the guy.

Tossing the vibrostaff upon the ground with a loud, metallic echo, Kai took his lightsaber back from the youngling, sheathed it back beneath his robe, and placed his hand firmly on Mical's shoulder as the child wrapped his arm around his waist, helping take as much weight off his right side as possible. Together, they slowly limped off of the stone platform and headed for the exit. Just as they threatened to pass her by though, Quatra reached out and placed her hand upon Kai's left shoulder.

"The Council is scheduled for a meeting tomorrow morning," Quatra quietly whispered to the Padawan. "I will need to speak with you before then. Come to my chambers tonight after the healer has fixed your leg."

Not in much of a position physically or otherwise to question what she needed to speak to him about, Kai simply nodded in acceptance. As he and Mical made their way out of the training grounds, however, he had a feeling that he had just done something very wrong.

Quatra watched as the pair disappeared beyond her sight, her own feelings wreathed with uncertainty; Uncertainties that would need to be cleared before tomorrow's meeting.

"Revan…" the young Master called out with frustration, having dealt with this unique Padawan's ability to rouse trouble in the past. Slowly she turned back towards the arena, "I assume you will also being needing the healer's…"

She found the auburn-haired student standing silently on the arena, his head lowered and eyes closed, drawing upon the energies around him in order to heal his battered form. And within the span of a minute, every broken rib, every bruise and laceration, was healed, and Revan stood as firmly as he did when he first stood upon the stone platform, albeit drained of most of his physical energy.

"Sorry, Master Quatra," Revan muttered, rubbing the sores out of his right arm. "You seemed to have caught us in the midst of a little dispute."

"You've been warned about acting out in the past, Padawan," Quatra firmly stated at the teenager, who seemed to be taking the matter completely in stride.

"Disputes are two ways, Lady Quatra. And Kai is quite the debater." Revan made a point of making note of a rip in the robe's fabric of his right arm. "Master Kavar certainly has taught him his fair share of tricks. Then again, he has quite a few of his own… doesn't he…?"

Quatra refrained from responding to the boy's remarks, through voice or expression, as the Protégé student's words hinted on knowledge that she had no desire to share or confirm.

Could he know about it? If he did, what intentions could he have towards Kai? What had been his intentions in combating him?

The young Master did not know, and realized it better not to pursue answers. Not now… She had too many concerns as it was, and desired not to add this particular student as one of them.

"You are not to engage him in combat training again, Revan," the dark-haired woman stated firmly as the teenager casually walked off the side of the arena towards her.

"As you wish," Revan responded without argument, calmly sending his remaining weapon to a nearby stand. It was enough what he had seen already.

This Padawan, Kai Lugo, he was something interesting. Something unique, and that pleased the young Protégé. Just as interesting was the fact that the young Guardian seemed completely unaware of it. And Revan had a suspicion why that was…

"If you will excuse me, Master Zhar will be expecting me soon…"

Again, Master Quatra watched in silence as another student disappeared beyond her sight, leaving her just as unsure as before.

- - -

She had walked out no sooner than Master Quatra had entered the training grounds and called an end to the match, and now stood quietly within the empty hallway with nothing but her thoughts to accompany her as she leaned against the wall with her arms crossed and her face lowered.

A few minutes ago, Kai had exited with his young friend helping him walk. As they passed her by, her Guardian looked at her for just a moment. His voice silent, his expression steady, his gaze... There was something within his eyes that she did not understand… that unnerved her like nothing else she had known…

They quickly passed her by without a word.

Atris had attempted to ignore it before, had attempted to act as if it did not matter. But then it had screamed out from him like a horrible wail that still ringed ever slightly within her ears. And then he somehow managed to perform a technique well beyond his means, and survive attacks he should not have, and stand against a foe he usually could not have.

Could it have been because of… whatever that presence was? Was it responsible for why he had accomplished what he had? How could that be? What was that sensation that rippled from him, screaming so loud that it nearly overwhelmed her this time?

At that moment, another Padawan appeared from the entrance to the training grounds. It was the student that Kai had been fighting against. Revan, if she recalled correctly…

Even now she could feel the Force about him, within him, its energies enwrapping him like a cloak that he wore with such ease.

With such power, he could have easily have thrown Kai off of the arena as he had done with the student before him. Why hadn't he?

"You…"

Revan, surprised to hear someone calling out to him, looked about to find the young Echani Knight approaching him, glaring at him with accusation.

"Why did you fight him?" Atris asked without hesitance. "You could have ended that match before it even began. Why didn't you?"

"I'm sorry… am I supposed to know you?" Revan looked upon her with squinting eyes, as though he were trying to place her face. "Ah… that's right… you're the Jedi Knight that he is assisting. Atris, correct?"

"I feel the energy that you wield, Padawan," the young Historian continued as if though not hearing his words. "You could have defeated him without raising a hand."

"Yes, you are correct," Revan conceded in a matter-of-fact tone.

Atris glared became dark with irritation, finding she liked being toyed with by this Padawan even less than she did by Kai. "Then why-"

"-You know why..."

The words became stuck within the young girl's throat as she was thrown back by the response she had received.

"You know what you felt…" Revan's eyes became sharp and serious, catching the Echani off guard. "You know why he is being trained as he is; why he has been passed from hand to hand, from Master to Master, never allowed to stay among a certain group or with a certain teacher for too long; why Master Quatra, who must have been several leagues away from the Enclave, came back so quickly only to stop us... to stop him…"

The young Historian felt the twinges of fear and uncertainty as the clairvoyant's students words forced her to think upon thoughts and matters she had done her best to avoid ever since Lugo had been taken in by the Order.

Yes, she had noticed it; noticed how differently the Masters treated Kai from the rest of the Padawans and Initiates; how they either seemed overly defensive of him or against him; how they often seemed to look upon him with curiosity and confusion, then turn away when he looks upon them; how he seemed to connect so easily with that child who hid away in the Archives; how even she…

Immediately closing her eyes and lowering her head to prevent herself from completing that last thought, Atris abruptly turned away from the Padawan and walked off in a fast pace. She had a lecture to plan. She had had enough of this. She wanted none of this!

Revan softly smiled with intrigued, watching the Echani as she left him to his own.

Perhaps he should watch her more closely as well…

- - -

"Are you certain of this?" Vrook responded after hearing news that he found hard to believe.

"Yes, Master Vrook," responded Reiko Vynn, Vrook's assigned Padawan and loyal student, a teenage boy with copper-colored hair and dark-blue eyes. "I was present when it happened. He emulated the Force Warp technique during the match. It left him severely weakened, but he succeeded in using it nonetheless."

"I see…" The elderly Master took the news with a sense of cynicism. How could a mediocre student of Lugo's level possibly perform such a technique? "And the youngling boy that he has been training…?"

"His combat abilities continue to improve, at a faster rate than most others. He is also participating more with his fellow students. As for his connection to the one from Coruscant, they seem to have formed a sort of… sibling relationship with each other."

A very grim look crossed the aged man's face, as though this bothered him more than all else. Though Reiko was unsure of why, he knew that this more than anything else about the one named Kai Lugo was important to his Master.

"And… what of the others…"

Reiko arched an eyebrow. "Others, Master?"

"The other students."

Taking a moment to think back upon the scene, Reiko eventually shook his head. "Beyond the incident with Bandon, no one in particular responded to him uniquely. They seemed more attentive to his match with Revan than upon him personally."

"Revan…" Vrook muttered the name under his breath. If there was anyone he did not want near Kai Lugo, it was that particular Padawan. The mere fact that he had initiated his match with Lugo suggested that he perhaps knew something already.

"Master Vrook," Reiko called out, bringing the elderly man out from his thoughts. "Shall I continue my vigil over him, sir?"

"Yes… yes, my apprentice. Continue to watch him. Be ever mindful of what he does and whom he interacts with as always. And report back to me any strange happenings you notice."

With that, Vrook turned to leave his student, having many matters to think upon and to prepare for the Council meeting tomorrow.

"Master Vrook," the young Padawan called out to his teacher before he disappeared from the room. "Forgive me, but this student… is he truly dangerous?"

"That he most certainly is, my young Padawan," Vrook immediately replied without turning to face his student. "He himself is perhaps unaware of it now, but he represents a danger far greater than even most Masters realize… Do not be fooled by what you've seen thus far, Reiko Vynn. If left uncheck, he has the potential of destroying everything our Order stands for."

Reiko knew better than to question his Master's words. If his teacher labeled this Padawan as a danger, then that was what he was. "I understand, Master Vrook. I will continue to watch him as you have instructed."

"Serve the Jedi well, my apprentice," Vrook called as he left, "Serve me well…"