“Submit!!” I yelled.Then Zarock taught me, once again that he was the more experienced fighter.He must have realized that the only things I paralyzed were his arms,not his legs and some how, he was managing to think through the excruciating pain.He launched himself into the air and turned around in mid flight, so that I was now under his weight.If I hung on any further, I would be crushed like a geonosian under an AT-TE.

I leaped off zarock just in time, but again with his superior reflexes, he grabbed my leg and swung me around like a baton.The world suddenly got a lot more unsteady.He threw me across the arena, and I landed hard.

Focus, i said to myself.Remember your training,remember who you fight for!.

My brothers.My clan.Myself.

I stood, strength pulsating through my veins, facing Zarock again, this time I could see the look in his eyes.He was no longer in the ring with a novice but with a worthy opponent.He seemed to take great pleasure from knowing that fact.He sure looked like he was enjoying a nice summer day, when in reality, he probably would enjoy ripping me limb from limb.

“Well done!” tommo called out, through our mini bead comlinks.When I looked up to the observers platform, I could see storm with a rather pleased expression on his face and hydra looking quite annoyed.Probably wondering why it was taking so long to best me.Niknod and broesel both looked quite amused.And suddenly a thought hit me.

The enemy will seize every opportunity to defeat you.

I snapped alert just in time to dodge a punch, but failed to stop another one.It sunk itself deep into my stomach.I roared with pain and I shoved my elbow into Zarocks face as hard as I could.It made a sickening “THUD!” noise.I screwed my eyes shut and was doubled over by the pure pain of the assault.

Come on, get up.You were trained for this.You can fight through pain when any normal man would give up, pain is all in the mind.It does not control you, you control it.

I grunted as I struggled to right myself, and I was stunned to see zarock already upright.I jumped to my feet despite the spasms of pain that echoed throughout my body.I felt my face visibly fall when I saw Zarock standing there, with his head slightly tilted to the side.My vision was blurry, but when it cleared I was surprised at the result.

It was what my training Sergeant would call, “a bloody mess“.

His face was sprayed with blood, his nose was a mishapped wreck and one of his eyes was bruised.His nose looked broken, but through all the pain, and the blood, he grinned at me exposing a mouth short of a few teeth.That’s when I felt pain shoot up my elbow.When I looked down, I saw that 2 of his teeth where embedded like spears into my flesh.

Fierfek, that’s not his blood on his face, its mine.

I got ready for another bout, when suddenly something shiny caught my eye behind Zarock.Mandalorian iron didn’t shine, and even if it did, Zarock wasn’t wearing any armor.Someone or something else was in the arena with us.

Treachery.Immortal has betrayed us,I thought , but then I remembered how honor bound they where, how dedicated they where, and I realized that they where not to blame.I screamed into the my comlink.

“Storm we are not alone here, something is in the arena with us.Possibly hostile”.

Storm off course was listening.They all were.As one single unit, my team leaped into the arena, blasters drawn.

“What is the meaning of this?”,hydra demanded “The ancient rules clearly state that..”.Then he stopped dead.

“Behind you!!”he shouted.

We turned as one, brothers all.Just in time to welcome our new guest.

A figure clad in matte black, with glowing red eyes materialized before us. I wouldn’t have minded its appearance, if i wasn’t staring at the business end of the rifle it was carrying.

Fierfek, this day certainly is educational.

And so it was.

To be continued.