“You are a meddlesome insect in my path, Jedi! Nothing more!” With a grunt Darth Kerkus easily shoved the Padawan back, making some space between them. “I would crush you myself, but your master is in a splendid position to do it for me!”

Another swing, another block, as Den found himself on the back foot and forced to retreat under a flurry of Kerkus’ relentless blows.

The duel raged on for some time – tiniest flashes lighting up down upon Plo Koon’s weary sole. The crimson blade of the Sith swinging at Den again and again, only to find itself buried in the ground, barely leaving gashes in the thick, leathery skin. All while the Kel Dor himself merely leaned back with a pleased exhale that rumbled the very land beneath the two combatants. Kerkus was stronger, more aggressive, pursuing Den wherever he tried to retreat, but Den was faster, keeping ahead of the Sith by a wide margin with seemingly no effort at all – they were at a standstill.

Den paused to catch his breath, he tried his best not to show it, but as the confrontation dragged on he was getting winded, sloppy... A few more minutes of this and the Sith would surely land a blow on him and from there he’d-

The human shook his head, glancing up to see Master Plo - the massive frame leaning forward and casting them in shadow for a moment. They were only given a split-second to react as a single finger reached down, striking the ground where the two of them had been not a minute ago. And while Den deftly dodged the resulting shockwaves by leaping high into the air, Kerkus was left to tumble down as huge swaths of land creased downwards, under the massive digit’s pressure. Even now, with Plo barely aware of Den, Master and Padawan were seemingly in tune, granting the young man a few seconds of respite – a brief moment to look around and try to think of a plan.

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An absolutely stunning commission  Nesciens and I got from the exceedingly talented  DraxosDragon, featuring Jedi Master Plo Koon from Star Wars.

Absolutely go check  DraxosDragon out though, seriously!

The excerpt above is from a two-parter story Nesciens and I wrote together. Feel free to check it out if you find this premise intriguing.

A Harsh Lession – Part I
A Harsh Lession – Part II