STAR WARS™: The Old Republic™ News

Nar Shaddaa Nightlife Date: June 29 – August 10, 2021 (BEGINS AND ENDS AT 5:00AM PST/12:00PM GMT)
Requirement: None!

Test your luck at the exotic Star Cluster and Club Vertica Casinos with the return of the Nar Shaddaa Nightlife event! Rare and extravagant rewards await high-rollers or those touched by Lady Luck. For those of you wanting a change in scenery, the event has broadened its horizons and is also happening on Mek-Sha. New Daily Missions and a rewards await all those flushed with credits.

FEATURED REWARDS:

• Kingpin’s and Nightlife Socialite Armor Sets
  
• Phrojo Nuray and Gammorean Bodyguard Companions
  
• Vectron Magnus and Kingpin's Rancor Mounts
  
• Kingpin’s Predator Mount
  
• Taxidermy Stronghold Decorations
  
• Cartel Market Certificates
  
• New High Roller Shades
  
• New Replica C1-4W Mini-pet
  
• New Kingpin’s Grigna Mount
  
• New Blast Pad Floor Trap and Frost Floor Trap Stronghold Decorations
  
• ... and more!
  

Bounty Contract Week Date: August 10 - August 17, 2021 (BEGINS AND ENDS AT 5:00AM PST/12:00PM GMT)
Requirement: Level 15+

For a limited time, the Bounty Brokers Association has opened its doors to anyone willing to take on their dangerous contracts, offering an opportunity for both seasoned and rookie hunters to prove their skills and bring crime syndicates and violent gangs to justice!

Each day, you can sign up for one standard Henchman contract and one high profile Kingpin Contract, and each may take you to a separate planet. Complete five standard contracts to unlock Kingpin missions with bigger loot! Head to the fleet now, invite your friends and visit representatives of the Association to get started on your contracts!

FEATURED REWARDS:

• Reputation with the Bounty Brokers Association
  
• Bounty Tracker’s Armor Set and Contract Hunter’s Armor Set
  
• Assassin’s Bowcaster and Elite Tracker’s Bowcaster weapons
  
• Lobelot, Swamp Kell Drake, and Drink Server Probe Mini-pets
  
• BH-7X Custom Hunter Mount
  
• … and more!
  

The All Worlds Ultimate Swoop Rally Date: August 24 - August 31, 2021 (BEGINS AND ENDS AT 5:00AM PST/12:00PM GMT)
Requirement: Levels 20+

In the growing shadow of war, swoop fans across the galaxy descend on Dantooine, Tatooine, and even Onderon for the sport’s biggest spectacle—The All Worlds Ultimate Swoop Rally! They’re packing the stands, eager to take their minds off their troubles and cheer their favorite swoop gangs. The bikers are here to take on dangerous challenge courses, show off their piloting skills, and flaunt their souped-up swoop bikes. The thunder of the engines, the deafening applause from the fans, the wind battering their helmets… there’s no bigger rush for these thrill seekers.

Despite their reputation as wild rebels whose makeshift courses disregard local districting restrictions, swoop gangs aren’t a serious threat to anyone--something all true swoop fans know! They just love adrenaline-pounding speed, sweet jumps, and big explosions, and the All Worlds Ultimate Swoop Rally combines all three in one crowd-pleasing package. The biggest gangs on the circuit — Horizon’s Razor, the Pit Screamers, and the Blatant Beks — are ready to show their fans a great time.

FEATURED REWARDS:

• Swoop Rally Mounts (regular and gold versions)
  
• Swoop Gang Outfits
  
• Promotion Droid Mini-pets
  
• Various Stronghold Decorations
  
• …and more!
  

DISPATCH FOR COMMANDING OFFICERS OF THE IMPERIAL MILITARY

REPORT: MANAAN INVASION
SUBJECT: HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF VULNERABILITIES AND AREAS OF EXPLOITATION

As galaxy-wide resource shortages continue, we can no longer consistently rely on our established suppliers of medical necessities. This includes the trade deal currently in effect between the Sith Empire and Manaan, our sole providers of the healing substance, kolto.

Intelligence suggests that Manaan’s people--the Selkath--believe they can avenge the destruction caused by our bombardment of their homeworld decades ago by only allowing us a meager procurement of kolto, despite Manaan’s overabundance of the resource. This laughable attempt at retribution must be put to an end.

To counteract the Selkath’s blatant disrespect while substantially bolstering our kolto supply, the Dark Council has authorized an offensive against Manaan. Careful planning is required--in the past, the Selkath have guarded against outside aggression by threatening to destroy all of the kolto on Manaan. This risk, coupled with the planet’s completely aquatic surface and lack of sufficient landing zones, necessitates a more cautious approach than our typical military engagements.



MANAAN’S POLITICAL LANDSCAPE: NEUTRALITY AND ISOLATIONISM

Following the incident that many historians refer to as “the Devastation of Manaan,” the Selkath abandoned their surface structures (the vast majority of which were destroyed by the Empire’s forces) and fully retreated to their underwater accommodations. In addition to physically secluding themselves, the Selkath withdrew from all participation in galactic politics as well.

In the years since the Selkath returned to the surface and resumed trade with both the Republic and the Empire, it has become increasingly evident that Manaan’s native population have few dedicated allies or friends to call upon. Millennia of isolation have heavily influenced the Selkath’s desire to stand alone, as shown by their steadfast commitment to “neutrality.”

If anyone were to attack the Selkath, they would vehemently refuse to call upon foreign associates for help. A foolish move on their part, as our reports indicate that their military strength is woefully insufficient and would be unable to repel an invasion without aid. Their fledgling organization, the "Manaan Special Warfare Group," has proven effective against poorly-armed pirates and would-be thieves, but it cannot possibly pose any threat to the Empire.

Even if the Selkath had a fully-organized military, the Selkath’s number of Force-wielding combatants is shockingly low. A secretive organization known as the “Order of Shasa”--made up of weak and fanatical fools--is all the Selkath have at their disposal. The extremist members of this order are unlikely to ever align themselves with the Selkath’s government or military, even in times of crisis--a harsh consequence earned by not keeping a tight leash on the Force users in one’s ranks.

Against the might of the Sith and the strength of the dark side, the Selkath stand no chance.

POINTS OF INTEREST AND LOCATIONS TO AVOID

Ahto City

Ahto City, or what remains of it, may seem like a tempting prize, but the half-sunken ruins of Manaan’s former capital should be considered strictly off-limits, for now. While there are most certainly technological and military advancements--as well as profits--to be made from scavenging what was left behind in Ahto City, the return on investment is still considerably low.

The possibility of such rewards is still just that--a possibility. Since the “Devastation of Manaan,” Ahto City’s supportive and foundational structures are largely in disrepair. This is unlikely to change, as the city is mostly submerged in Manaan’s treacherous depths, and has been for decades. Time and effort would be better spent toward a more fruitful endeavor, one that would produce guaranteed assets in our war against the Republic.

Mercantile Plaza

The Mercantile Plaza, where the Empire currently conducts the vast majority of our business with the Selkath, should not be used for military staging of any kind, for any reason whatsoever.

Although the Empire enjoys a stable presence in the Plaza, as well as extensive knowledge of both the Selkath’s and the Republic’s movement within it, any aggression on our part in this area will potentially result in Republic casualties. Doing so would open the door to Republic interference, as they would have just cause to respond in kind. Our goal should be keeping the Selkath as isolated in this fight as possible.



Hidden Resources

Reports indicate that prior to the Revanite crisis, the traitor Darth Arkous worked with a Selkath scientist named Gorima in a facility on Manaan’s ocean floor. As far as we can ascertain, the pair worked together in an attempt to create an army of “super soldiers” out of other Selkath.

The facility was obliterated, and Gorima was killed in the destruction. Rank and file military personnel should avoid the area. I have authorized a separate team, reporting directly to me, to investigate the wreckage and salvage any useful data from Arkous and Gorima’s project. Modifying their work into a tool that could enhance the abilities of our soldiers--or even better, control the Selkath’s forces--would send a firm message to anyone who defies the Empire.

Additionally, assets in my spy network have heard whispers of underwater devices on Manaan--purpose unknown--that once belonged to the unaffiliated spy known only as “The Shroud.” Evidence suggests that the equipment has been abandoned for quite some time. If it can be located, our forces should make an effort to retrieve it before Selkath leadership learns of its existence.

Hrakert Rift

The subaquatic valley known as the Hrakert Rift holds one of the richest deposits of kolto in the entirety of Manaan. Claiming the area for the Empire would undoubtedly solve our medical supply problems, even beyond the end of our war with the Republic--but, until the Empire has established a firm military presence on Manaan, travel to the Hrakert Rift is strictly prohibited.

Should anyone choose to disobey this command, their fate will be decided by the monstrous Firaxan sharks that overrun the Rift.

This report should be taken into consideration in all strategy discussions, effective immediately. That said, all forces are hereby authorized to take the necessary measures to corrupt any relationship or alliance that affords the Selkath resources to wage war against us.

If the collective memory of the Selkath fails to recall the Empire’s last demonstration of power, then new lessons will be visited upon them.

For the Empire.



DARTH XARION, SPHERE OF GALACTIC INFLUENCE

Our Public Test Server (PTS) has re- opened so players can give us initial feedback on the updates we’re making to Combat Styles. For the first round, players were able to test the Jedi Guardian Combat Styles. We are now starting the second round of PTS with the updated Jedi Sentinel Combat Styles. Before we get into the details of how players can access this content, we wanted to share some of the philosophy behind our changes to the Jedi Knight.

In the Jedi Knight’s current state, there is quite a bit to learn and memorize--you need to understand active abilities, passive modifiers, selectable utilities, and how they all work together. Our goal is to make these relationships clearer and easier to understand, while also ensuring that the class retains its identity. PTS for the Jedi Sentinel will follow the same goals.

To achieve these goals, we are identifying key aspects of the Jedi Sentinel, and understanding how players both perceive and utilize the class's abilities. Our focus is to equip the player with knowledge and understanding of these abilities so they can make impactful choices when it comes to ability upgrades and customizations. To make the class feel less encumbered and customization more concise, we are working to reduce the quantity of abilities but ensuring that the class remains distinct and unique.

Similar to the Jedi Guardian, this is a high-level first look at the Jedi Sentinel, there is a limitation on what will be available to play and customize. While you will be able to see the full scope of customization of the Jedi Sentinel in a later PTS, you will only be offered default choices for this initial phase.

The main question we want players to focus on is “does this feel like a Jedi Sentinel?” We want to make sure that the foundation is strong and everything we build on top of that is in line with our goals for Combat Styles and giving players a sense of new but familiar.

Check out our PTS sub-forums for details on how to access PTS and leave feedback.

Other advanced classes will also be available to test on the PTS in the following months, all leading up to the arrival of Legacy of the Sith. Stay tuned for more in-depth details on future PTS opportunities!

Please note that PTS is provided in English only.

Steam PTS
When PTS is available, there will be a new prompt on our storefront page. Clicking the link there will start the process to getting the PTS installed!

Hello SWTOR community! My name is Ashley Ruhl, and I'm the Lead Cinematic Designer on Star Wars: The Old Republic. We're very excited to be celebrating SWTOR's 10th anniversary this year, and I'm here to give a nostalgic retrospective on the world of SWTOR cinematics: a little behind-the-scenes about how we create, where we've been, and where we hope to go in the future.



"Cinematic Designer" is a unique role in games, and the responsibilities vary by project. For SWTOR, a Cinematic Designer is like a director, actor, and editor rolled into one. We take recorded scripts from our narrative team and create them visually. We set stages, place actors, decide where the action starts and stops, and create acting performances from a library of animations. We also work closely with art, visual effects, and audio teams to polish the final look of our scenes.

One of the features of SWTOR’s choice-based cutscenes is that they can play differently if you're a Sith or a smuggler, if you romanced this character or exiled that one. Our conversations are constructed like many alternate realities stacked on top of one another, with conditional settings that play the scene in different directions, but always return you to the main story. The volume and variability of our cutscenes means we can’t create custom animations for every scene. So we use timeline tools, camera editors, and extensive libraries of animations, audio, visual effects, and music. When combined with dialogue and characters, this pipeline has given us the ability to create new stories for years. To make scenes custom to your story, we create conditional cameras that accommodate varying character sizes. Our tallest male character is much taller than our shortest female character, so that's a big difference in camera framing! We use a camera system called "redirects" that programmatically uses different cameras based on a character's body type and group size. Every camera is then edited by a cinematic designer to frame your unique character for the greatest dramatic effect.

Few games have hundreds of hours of hand-scripted cutscene content, especially starring fully-voiced customizable player characters. For the launch of the game, the cinematics team delivered 8 class stories, as well as cutscenes for side quests, world quests, companion stories, romances, and a few special cinematic moments. One of my favorite memories from launch was a moment on Quesh, when one of our world designers was scripting a quest about blowing up a crane at a venom refinery. There was no cutscene originally assigned to the quest, so the designer approached me, and asked "Instead of playing this out in gameplay, could we make a short cutscene when the crane blows up?" My eyes went wide as I asked, "Can I make it a 'cool guys don't look at explosions' moment??" The resulting scene might be my most screenshotted scene I've ever created for SWTOR, and I was absolutely delighted that the community enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed making it.



After launch, the cinematics team stretched beyond standard stages and into new styles of cinematic presentation. One of our greatest improvements was moving cameras. Our cameras could now track character movement, swing to reaction shots, follow the path of spaceships... the galaxy was ours. This only made us more bold to bend the rules of our tools, most notably in our space battles. Our cinematic stages are static, meaning they can’t change position during a scene. We couldn't attach characters to a ship and have the ship fly through space, but we could, however, move all of space around the ship. So any time you see a scene from the cockpit of your ship, the galaxy is literally revolving around you as we move the stars around a static stage. It’s a lot like a theme park ride!

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how much I love crafting romance scenes in SWTOR. Relationship moments are fantastic opportunities for character performance in cutscenes, getting to know your companions beyond the saber slashing and blaster fire. The wide array of romanceable characters also gives us variety in our acting choices. How Jorgan approaches romance is different than Vette, and we bring that into their physical performance. Carefully choosing the perfect animations for an eye glance, a weight shift, a kiss… really makes these scenes a delight to create. Additionally, with so many kinds of player characters, it’s an incredible design opportunity to build romance scenes that can feel differently based on the character you’re playing, and even have different outcomes! One of my favorite romance scenes, reuniting with a particular Sith Warrior companion on Iokath, plays out in extremely different ways depending on your choices. I enjoyed creating visual emotional payoff for all of those branches, knowing that they each led to a very different kind of story.

Now 10 years later, we have a full cinematic playground where we can build, experiment, and create new solutions. It is a delight to read our writers’ scripts, and think “How can I visually make this scene as epic as it is on the page?” And if I may get a little sappy for a moment, I believe there is magic when your own unique character is the star of a movie. Seeing your character, who is a part of yourself, portrayed as the hero can change your life, because those are the moments that you can see those qualities in yourself.

I’m happy that SWTOR is still going strong after ten years, and that we get to share more of this galaxy with all of you. There’s amazing cinematic story in SWTOR that we’ve had the privilege to tell, and have yet to tell, and it’s exciting to think about what thrilling moments we’ll be making next.

Late again. Jek is going to kill me.

Rass Ordo was only steps away from the entrance to “Cover Fire”, the favored watering hole he and his brother Jekiah had been frequenting for years. When Jekiah wasn’t on assignment, it was a good bet he could be found here at about the same time of day, eating about the same kind of thing, surrounded by about the same kind of people. This was the unofficial cantina of warriors. Real blaster-and-blade types with credits to burn. Everything from the torn posters to the swinging sign, to the thick wood door was the rusty color of dried blood; stained from years of desert winds blowing over the red sand dunes surrounding the settlement. Rass wasn’t born on Geonosis, but he lived here long enough to miss the fiery sunsets and many moons when work took him off-world.

He pulled on the red-tinged brass handle. The heavy oak door couldn’t muffle the rowdy din inside. He swung it open in a piercing, unoiled grind and was enveloped in the spicy tang of cooking food, bitter ale, and the unchecked racket of soldiers on leave.

He stepped inside, squinting into the dim light. The regulars gave a loud cheer. Rass waved back with a big smile. Expecting a deserved dressing-down from his older brother, he quickly picked his way through the tables, nodding, saying hello and slapping a few backs, as he made his way to the familiar corner of the pub. Jekiah was head-down on his personal datapad, his face locked in grim concentration. He looked tired. Rass felt a pang in his chest. Things had changed for Jekiah. A victim of his own competence and leather-chewing stubbornness in the face of impossible odds, Jekiah couldn’t stay hidden from leadership. Shae Vizla, leader of the Mandalorians was hunting down a dangerous rival and promoted Jekiah to Arbiter. His brother was now her voice in all things Mandalorian. A great honor, or as Jekiah himself added, “A great pain in the shebs.”

Jekiah stayed on Geonosis to run the day-to-day operations, preferring a physical distance from the seat of the Mandalore’s power to help people understand he wasn’t Shae Vizla and had no designs on her title. Rass didn’t think it was necessary, but Jekiah was a loyal soldier and would take a wound or two for the good of the cause. He wasn’t rank and file now, but in this ratty cantina on a dusty planet the patrons gave him the greatest compliment they could muster by conspicuously overlooking his new status and continuing to regard him as one of them.

“No lecture?” Rass asked, his voice raised above the clamor as he sat down. Eyeing the datapad, “That must be bad news.” A glance at the bartender got him two drinks.

“Another one dead. Third one this week.” Jekiah said.

Mandalorians were seldom at peace and today was no exception. Jekiah set his screen down, pulling at his beard, more gray than brown these days. Mandalorians fought. It was a way of life and Rass was proud of that. “You don't sharpen a blade you don’t intend to use.” His brother always said. The drinks were dropped down without ceremony. Rass pushed one over.

“What’s up?”

“Another attack on Clan Shale. This one was barely out of training.” Jekiah handed over the datapad. He couldn’t bring himself to look at the body again.

“Nerak?” Rass didn’t have to ask. Clan Nerak wasn’t shy about making their point with spilled blood. Rass looked at the screen. This was them all right.

“Likely. They don’t know when to back down.”

“What a blasted waste.” Jekiah took a swig to wash down the frustration.

Clan Nerak was young by Mandalorian standards, effective but unremarkable and still finding its identity. So when the former leader mocked an impulsive upstart named Ballag and was killed on the spot, some called it a proper challenge, others called it a murder. Ballag became the head of the clan but his reputation was stained. He had a problem with appearing weak.
Ballag started picking fights and spilling blood to prove his strength. The latest and most daring trouble was with Clan Shale. They were an old and respected clan with the trophies and glory to prove it.

The body on the screen deserved a better death with a better enemy.

“What do you expect with Ballag running them?” Rass said. “He’s going to run Nerak into the ground if he keeps this up.” He scoffed. He didn’t like Ballag. Too stubborn to lead, too stupid to see it.

“I’ve spoken to Arla Shale.” Jekiah said. “Fought with her during that raid on Darvannis. She’s solid but won’t let her people be treated like this. It won’t end without a lot more bodies. With Mandalore gone, we need to stand as one.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Call them in. It’s time to talk.”

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“A duel?” Arla asked, her lined and scarred face betraying no emotion. Without a moment of consideration, she nodded to Jekiah. “As the Arbiter decides.” No hint of fear in her eyes, only steely certainty.

Ballag hesitated. He stood a head taller than everyone. His eyes were an uncanny yellow and flicked from Jekiah to Arla, the tiniest hint of unease in his gaze. Arla was experienced- maybe not faster, maybe not stronger, but Ballag would have to be a blind to consider her an easy target. Arla arched an eyebrow at the pause.

“Agreed.” He said, his chest puffing out. Rass felt the need to roll his eyes but controlled himself. The matter would be ended. Maybe. Rass trusted Jekiah, but he wasn’t sure this would work. Too much had happened, and the cuts were too deep.

“Good.” Jekiah nodded. “But before I make it official, there’s one more condition.” His eyes were like two chips of obsidian. “If you’re defeated,” he began slowly, watching each leader, “You and your clan will be destroyed. No quarter, no exceptions.”

“What!” Ballag and Rass exclaimed at once. Rass stepped towards Jekiah, his voice incredulous.

“Jek-?”

Jekiah’s look stopped Rass cold. This wasn’t his brother. No friendly face from a thousand memories of wrestling in the training yard or stealing a ride on an unattended speeder parked behind the marketplace. This was the Arbiter of the Mandalorians. His word was law.

“You can’t destroy a whole clan over this!” Ballag persisted. This was a reasonable outcry, but at this moment it sounded weak.

“Agree to this duel or end your dispute.” Jekiah said.

“I agree.” said Arla. She remained impassive, but there was something on her face. A wariness and something else- amusement? Something passed between Jekiah and her. Rass couldn’t tell what.

That whisper of something on her face enraged Ballag. Spots of red began to appear. He glared death at her.

“Well?” Jekiah’s face was iron.

The young man clenched his fists and sneered. “Haar’chak!” He cursed. “Agreed!” He turned and stormed out. Arla nodded to Jekiah and followed, the door booming shut behind them.

“The clans won’t like this. Not one bit. What have you done?”

Jekiah leveled him unflinching glare. “Made a decision.”

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The arena. As far from the grand halls of Alderaan and the greasy lights of Nar Shaddaa as any place could be. There was little distracting decoration set against the brutal stone. It wasn’t a place of entertainment like the Hutts’ foul death pits. It was a place of settling disputes between warriors.

The floor of the arena was a mixture of packed dirt, red sand and gravel that scraped off skin and snagged the feet of any who lost focus. It was a good place to fight and a suitable place to die. After centuries, the grey walls stood stoic to the sounds of battle. There were no seats for those who came to witness, no accommodation for any to be at ease in this place. When others fought, you stood. The assembled were calling out, clashing weapons against armor in a chaotic revery as they waited for the contest to begin.

A single horn sounded. An instrument of bone taken from an ancient beast to signal the start of a contest of honor. The crowd responded in kind with a thunderous howl. Jekiah Ordo, Arbiter of the Mandalorians appeared on the outer edge. The faint shimmer of a shield wall rose high into the air to ensure no witnesses were harmed or tempted to interfere. In the arena, all judgments were final.

Jekiah began to walk. The clamor began to fade with each step. When he reached the center, he paused to survey the crowd. They were as silent as the stone. They disapprove, Rass thought, watching the proceedings from high up in the stands. More than that, they were angry. Word had, of course, got out that more blood would spill when the victor of this contest was decided. Not since Mandalore the Vindicated, a generation ago, had ordered the end of Clan Cadera for their refusal to heed his call had such ruthless measures been taken. Rass had spoken to his brother many times over the last few days, but Jekiah would not yield. The leaders of these two clans would fight, the winner would walk away and the loser and all who followed them would die. Jekiah stood unmoving in the center. He nodded.

Ballag of Clan Nerak and Arla Shale from Clan Shale entered from opposite sides. Ballag wore trophies on his belt, skins, furs, and bones of monsters he had faced. He had a vicious, bladed buckler at his wrist and an ugly scattergun resting on his shoulder. He tilted his head to the crowd, raising his arms in premature victory. Arla had no adornments, save the worn finish on her armor and the long rifle with a sharpened bayonet attached at its tip. Her gaze never strayed from her opponent.

A clash of metal sounded among the witnesses. The noise grew louder and louder as everyone struck the ground, a chest plate or two weapons together. They would honor the combatants if not the man who put them there.

Mandalorians from the featured clans were there at opposite sides. There was far more at stake than this single match. Rass noticed that some of Clan Nerak were not present. Maybe they lacked confidence in their leader and tried to make a break for it. Cowards. They either supported who led them or they picked a new leader.

Jekiah raised his open hand. The chaotic clashing subsided. A flash of blue fire from his jetpack and he rose high into the air, his hand still open. Every eye was on him. He a looked at Ballag who nodded, beat his chest, and yelled a war cry. He looked at Arla, who swung her rifle forward and nodded. Jekiah closed his fist.

Ballag launched himself forward, his jetpack blazing. Arla sidestepped but he swung his buckler out and slashed across her chest plate and up over her helmet, knocking her down. A small splatter disappeared into the red sand. The crowd cheered. First blood. That was his intention, Rass thought. His life- his entire clan- on the line and he plays to the crowd? Ballag had raised his hands again as Rass watched Arla struggle to stand. The attack had done more damage than it seemed. Leaning heavily on her rifle, she braced herself once again. Ballag charged; this time he connected, throwing her back, almost knocking her off her feet once again. Landing, he leveled his scattergun, but she batted it aside with her rifle just as it fired in a deafening blast. Arla continued the swing of her weapon in a quick arc, and jammed her rifle butt into Ballag’s helmet, snapping his head back. She swung her bayonet back but Ballag ducked under the attack. Dropping his scattergun, he smoothly drew out a long, serrated knife holstered at his leg. He raised it between them, the blade swaying back and forth like a snake.

Ballag was unmatched in melee combat, relying on his strength and speed. He pressed forward with wild swings and short jabs. Arla barely turning each attack aside, using her long rifle as a staff. The ringing of metal on metal was the only thing that rose above the crowd’s noise. Arla was fighting defensively, never wasting energy, never moving a hair’s width further than she had to. She was frustrating Ballag, but her measured defense wouldn’t win this fight.

Another deflection. Ballag cursed and took a step back, spinning the dagger in his hand. Arla held her rifle in front of her. She sported a half dozen cuts across her arms and torso and was beginning to sway on her feet. Ballag let out a bark and spun his dagger once more, drawing her eye. He lunged, sparking his jetpack at the last second and twisting around to catch her with his buckler instead. Blood flew and Arla sank to the ground, one hand on her neck the other on her rifle for support. The crowd surged forward, pressed against the shield. A low rhythmic chant began as Ballag flew high into the air, crying out in victory. Arla gripped the rifle tightly, leaning heavily on it, but couldn’t pull herself to her feet. Rass looked to his brother, his heart racing. Jekiah watched from his hovering perch, his fist still closed.

Ballag reversed his grip on his dagger for a killing blow. Another spark from his jetpack and he streaked towards Arla, his weapon flashing.

With barely an arms-length between them, Arla swung her rifle around- its butt already firmly planted in the ground- and drove the bayonet point into Ballag’s chest, the tip bursting through his shoulder. Ballag cried out, blood rushing out of his mouth. Not a killing blow, but more than enough to end this. Arla caught his dagger as it dropped from nerveless fingers. His mouth opened and closed a few times in shock. Arla stood, no hint of her previous weakness. The wounds at her neck and elsewhere were bloody, but far less serious than they appeared. Ballag grasped at her rifle, but his strength was gone.

Arla raised Ballag’s own dagger high into the air, reversing her grip. The crowd grew silent. She eyed her own clan for several heartbeats. She nodded before turning her gaze on Clan Nerak who sat in silence across the arena. Some were stricken, some were angry, some accepted their fate and waited. She lowered the dagger to Ballag’s throat. Its serrated edge pressing against his exposed skin. He flinched, his eyes gleamed with hate and fear. Jekiah flew closer but said nothing.

“A draw.” Arla said, quietly.

Jekiah landed beside her. Those witnesses close enough to hear began to murmur. “A draw, Arbiter.” She repeated, louder this time.

More of the crowd began to rumble. Jekiah regarded her and the helpless Ballag for a moment.

“A draw is declared!” Jekiah announced, his voice carried to every corner. Cries went up. Rass couldn’t tell if they were angry or shocked. Probably both. Jekiah turned towards Ballag, who was losing a lot of blood. “Do we have agreement?”

Ballag gritted his teeth a few times. The fight continued to drain out of him, mixing with the widening red pool. He nodded.

“This duel is over.” He raised his fist and opened it for all to see.

Arla tossed the dagger away before turning back towards her clan. The clash of weapons on metal was deafening.

Ballag grasped for his dagger with numb fingers. Clan Nerak stood silent.

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No sidewalk chats, today. Rass was going to make it.

He rounded the corner and Jekiah was standing outside the pub, looking at his datapad.

“Jek?”

He looked up. “Rass. On time. Huh. Should I be worried?” Jekiah said. His eyes were bright. A rare but welcome sight.

“No traffic. Any news?”

“Clan Nerak found a new leader.”

“You don’t say?” Rass smirked. “And Clan Shale?”

“Going strong.” Jekiah nodded. “Arla is a fine warrior. You know I fought with her a ways back.”

“You mentioned that, yeah.” Rass smiled before stepping closer, his voice lowering. “You took a real risk, Jek.”

Jekiah nodded, his eyes darkening. Rass patted him on the shoulder. “Let’s head in.”

“Rass- “Jekiah stopped him, his hand on the door. “I thought we could try the place up the street. Change things up.”

“What? Why?” Rass pulled on the door.

“Rass.” The tone was soft, but he held the door closed. “Let’s leave them to their dinner.” Jekiah took his hand off the door, the red dust falling and swirling around them both. “C’mon. It’s on me.”

The familiar muffled sounds from inside were loud and comforting, but Rass let go of the door and the two brothers walked up the street in silence.