Rise of a Legend

Chapter 37

Jeffrey woke up the next morning feeling fully refreshed and determined. He quickly slipped into his armor, ate a quick meal, and raced over to the main room to discuss the terms for his final test. Sabine, Rau, and the Countess were waiting for him.

"You're here early." Rau chuckled.

"I could barely sleep. I had to do some deep meditation just to calm myself down and I hate meditation." Jeffrey replied excitedly. "So anyway, what's my next test?"

The three Mandalorians exchanged nervous glances before the Countess finally spoke up.

"This might come across as harsh to you, so I ask for you to hear me out." The Countess requested. Jeffrey agreed and she continued.

"During the Mandalorian War, there was a secret Mandalorian group formed for the purpose of finding a way to weaken the Jedi. After many experiments, they finally came out with a toxin that weakened the living force in beings. To a non-Force sensitive it could potentially kill them, but if used properly and given the proper dosage, it could weaken  a Force sensitive, Jedi or Sith , to the extent that they would be unable to call upon the Force. It was refined into a gas and their ultimate goal was to release it into the air during a massive battle with who was most likely your mentor, Revan. Obviously their plan failed and it was never used but it has been kept and passed down from generation to generation as a defense against Jedi or Sith." 

The Countess signaled to one of the guards in the room who brought forth a small bottle with some liquid in it. "This is the toxin in liquid form. If you haven't guessed already, your final test will be challenging the most elite Madalorian  in this time era without relying on the Force." The Countess finished her tale as Jeffrey let out a breath that he had been unintentionally holding.

He seemed to be in deep thought for a moment before finally speaking. "Are you absolutely positive that this won't kill me?" Jeffrey asked.

All three Mandalorians nodded. "In fact we even developed an antidote over the years that will return your powers to you in full." Sabine said.

"Alright then, I'll do it." Jeffrey said resolutely.

"Then we shall go to the arena." The Countess stated.

"Whoa, nobody said that you guys had an arena at this place." Jeffrey said shocked.

All the Mandalorians, even the guards, who even through their armor and helmets, were surprised. "Why of course we have an arena. What do you think we do for entertainment?" The Countess smiled with a twinkle in her eyes.

"I don't know, you don't really seem like the type of people that sit down to play a good game of Sabacc." Jeffrey shrugged. "Is this elite warrior gonna be at the arena?" Jeffrey changed the subject.

"Yes and we are keeping him waiting. He has been training and looking forward to this for a few days now." The Countess said and they all walked promptly out of the main room, which was still being repaired thanks to the battle that took place inside of it a few days prior.

When they arrived at the arena, Jeffrey examined the place. It was a large circular space that was  chained in from the top and had thick walls around it on the bottom. Outside of the chains were all the bleachers and they were being filled up swiftly.

"Why is everyone coming to watch?" Jeffrey asked slightly confused.

"This is a big event. There hasn't been a final test in years. Most people give up before they even make it here." Rau explained.

"When do I get to meet my opponent?" Jeffrey inquired.

"When the battle begins." Rau said curtly. "Anyway good luck out there. We will be watching." Rau said before walking away and joining Sabine and the Countess in the grand stands where only the Clan leaders and their families were allowed.

Jeffrey walked over to the gate in front of him, which was designated for challengers. Tristan was patiently waiting. "I've heard about your previous tests. Mother and Sabine think very highly of you." Tristan said as he handed Jeffrey his lightsabers. "You'll probably be needing these." He sheepishly said.

"Thanks Tristan." Jeffrey shook his newly acquired friend's hand. They had become closer during Jeffrey's time on Krownest. (I forget if I mentioned this earlier but Krownest is in the Mandalorian sector of the galaxy and it is where Sabine and her clan live)

Jeffrey walked through the gate and into the arena where he immediately felt all eyes on him. Jeffrey tried to block it out and instead focus on the Countess' voice, which had started initiating the final test. 

"And now the Challenger will drink from the bottle and have his power stripped from him." The Countess said while two guards came up to Jeffrey and offered him the small bottle from earlier. Jeffrey hesitated slightly as he reached for it and unscrewed the top. He felt a strong sense of dread and was really wishing he could talk to Revan or at least meditate before doing this. Instead he took a deep breath, brought the bottle up to his lips, and drank from the bottle.

What will happen next? Find out next time! This chapter was brought to you by the Lunch Kid. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and until next time, Lunch Kid out.