Ventress glanced at her prey. Meanwhile, the Jedi slowly turned to face her. From beneath his cloak, she caught a glimpse of… a helmet? Armor? Interesting.
"Asajj Ventress, I presume?" the Jedi began in a calm, almost casual voice.
"How do you know my name?" she asked, surprised.
The Jedi raised his hands theatrically.
"A country must know its heroes."
"What do you mean?" Ventress frowned, puzzled by the Jedi's strange manner of speech.
"Just kidding… I'm not going to talk about the weather, am I?"
"And who might you be," she asked coldly, "to speak with such courage?"
"I am Master Yoda. Pleased to meet you."
"That is a lie," she snarled. "Who are you?"
"Well… worth a try," the Jedi shrugged beneath his cloak. "Names aren't really necessary since one of us won't be leaving."
"Surrender, Jedi, and you will die… quickly."
"You might as well suggest I join the Dark Side!" the man said, stamping his foot in exaggerated offense.
Ventress let out a sharp laugh.
"Ha! I like you. So—will you join us?"
"I won't argue, the offer is Hutt tempting," he admitted with a shrug. "But my answer is still no. Red swords are fine, but I'm not a fan of facial tattoos."
"You… Jedi scum!" Ventress hissed, igniting both curved sabers and spinning them into position.
"Well," the voice behind the helmet sighed, "we had a nice talk."
The Jedi dropped his cloak, revealing armored plating beneath. A blue lightsaber ignited in his hand, raised vertically above his head.
Ventress immediately recognized the stance.
**Shii-Cho.**
Long ago, Ky Narec had taught her that same form.
Now Jar'Kai was her essence.
Ventress leapt forward, her twin crimson blades slicing down in a deadly cross strike. But she was forced to retreat as several blaster bolts erupted from the Jedi's weapon, absorbed and deflected by her sabers.
Her eyes narrowed.
*Where did those come from? …His lightsaber is also a blaster?*
The Jedi stepped forward, rotating his weapon into a horizontal guard. Their blades collided with tremendous force, sending vibrations through both of them.
Ventress landed lightly and immediately lunged again.
Dagon Marek lifted his head just in time to see the sole of her boot.
The Dathomirian struck his helmet with a sharp kick. The Jedi fell backward—but twisted midair, landing smoothly on his feet.
Their blades clashed again.
Ventress pressed forward relentlessly—feints, lunges, and slashes flowing together in a deadly rhythm as the tips of her sabers carved figure eights around his armor.
One strike landed—
—and stopped against a faint shimmer.
"A deflector shield?" Ventress growled.
With a violent gesture she ripped debris from the corridor walls. Panels and beams tore free and flew toward the Jedi.
The first piece missed.
The second knocked his legs from beneath him.
The third slammed into his shoulder, sending him rolling across the floor.
Ventress charged—
—but Dagon flicked his hand.
The Force hurled her backward.
She twisted in midair as the debris reversed direction and came flying toward her. One chunk struck her saber hilt, knocking it from her hand and sending it skidding across the floor toward the Jedi.
Snarling, Ventress lunged again.
Dagon parried her furious attacks, clearly straining but holding the line.
"Ha," Ventress laughed softly. "This is going to be more interesting than I expected."
She stepped out of her roll just as the Jedi rushed forward.
"What do you think I've been doing all these years in the Temple?" he replied. "Playing dejarik?"
Her second saber flew back into her hand. Ventress attacked again with wide, vicious strikes.
"My power is far beyond you, insignificant being—"
"I'm very happy for you. No, really."
Dagon sidestepped, aiming a precise low strike at her legs—a textbook **Cho mok**.
Ventress blocked it cleanly and countered with a fast strike toward his head. The red blade scraped across his helmet, cutting a deep groove into the metal.
He stepped back, then leapt forward with a powerful counterstrike.
Ventress held her ground.
"What a pitiful sight," she hissed.
Despite the damage to his armor, the Jedi was good. Not experienced against opponents like her—but he adapted quickly.
Still, it wouldn't save him.
The Dark Side surged through her, strengthening every movement.
From somewhere deeper in the complex came distant explosions.
"Your charges have walked into a trap," Ventress said coldly.
"I've got a few surprises of my own," Dagon replied, parrying another strike.
Their blades locked, hovering inches apart.
"Your movements are slow, Jedi," Ventress whispered. "Predictable."
The helmet tilted slightly.
"You think so?"
Suddenly his stance shifted.
**Soresu.**
Ventress barely avoided the sudden thrust, the blue blade scorching her tunic as she jumped away.
"What?!"
Before her feet fully touched the floor, the Jedi was already advancing. His saber spun in a tight defensive arc, forcing Ventress back.
Fury flared within her.
She rushed forward again, striking with tremendous force. The impact drove the Jedi to one knee—but a blue blade flashed toward her feet, forcing her to retreat.
Again he pressed forward.
Blow after blow came down like hammer strikes.
Ventress realized something too late.
She had been pushed onto the defensive.
Her breathing grew heavier as she deflected strike after strike. The blue blade seemed to be everywhere—spinning, flashing, forming a relentless storm of light.
Finally she changed tactics.
Ventress dropped low and swept his leg.
The strike broke his balance, giving her the opening she wanted.
Her attacks accelerated—Jar'Kai blended with Makashi precision as she aimed for a decisive killing blow.
But Dagon held his ground.
Then suddenly his grip changed.
One hand released the hilt.
The lightsaber shifted—
—and separated.
A second, shorter blade ignited beside the first.
A **shoto**.
Ventress's eyes widened.
The twin blades moved in perfect coordination.
In a single swift exchange, the Jedi broke through her guard.
The strikes were fast—too fast.
Ventress staggered as the blades flashed past her defenses. The duel ended in an instant.
Silence returned to the corridor.
Dagon Marek stood still for a moment, the twin blades humming softly in the dim light. Then he slowly deactivated them.
"Better safe than sorry," he muttered beneath the damaged helmet.
In the distance, the sounds of battle continued to echo through the palace corridors.
And somewhere outside—
his droids were still fighting.