History of the Antei Combat Center: Difference between revisions

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{{Eras|djb}}
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{{Construction}}
{{Organization
{{Organization
|name=Antei Combat Centre
|name=Antei Combat Centre
|image=[[File:ACCLogoNew001.jpg|250px]]
|image=[[File:ACCLogoNew001.jpg|250px]]
|founder=TBD
|founder=Mairin Astoris
|leader=[[Combat Master]]
|leader=[[Combat Master]]
|members=
|members=
|headquarters=[[Antei]] - TBD
|headquarters=Arx satellite
|locations=TBD
|locations=
|formed=*Arcona Arena
|formed=*Arcona Arena
*Krath Combat Centre
*Krath Combat Centre
|founded=TBD
|founded=[[10 ABY to 19 ABY#12 ABY|12 ABY]]
|reorganized=TBD
|reorganized=
|fragmented=
|fragmented=
|dissolved=
|dissolved=[[30 ABY to 39 ABY#30 ABY|30 ABY]]
|restored=
|restored=[[30 ABY to 39 ABY#32 ABY|32 ABY]]
|affiliation=[[Dark Jedi Brotherhood]]
|affiliation=[[Dark Jedi Brotherhood]]
|era=[[Dark Jedi Brotherhood Era]]
|era=*[[Rise of the Brotherhood era]]
*[[Exodus era]]
*[[New Order era]]
}}
}}


===  The Beginnings  ===
The history of the [[Antei Combat Center]] is intimately tied with the history of single combat within the [[Dark Jedi Brotherhood]]. The Brotherhood’s past, present and future are shaped by wars, politics and rites of power, but these processes are merely unanswered questions, sanguinary superpositions, until they are collapsed by the final, decisive duel. This is where the Combat Center exists, in the dire clash of wills, of cardinal powers, that ultimately resolves every dilemma. [[Title#Sith Lord|Darth]] [[Sarin]] and [[Omancor Crask]] on [[Antei]], [[Halcyon Taldrya]] and [[Michael Halcyon]] on [[New Tython]], [[Aidan Kincaid]] and [[Timeros Caesus Entar Arconae|Timeros]] on [[Begeren]], [[Muz Ashen]] and [[Jac Cotelin]] on [[starwars:Korriban|Korriban]], [[Darth Pravus]] and [[Solari]] on New Tython. The Center has validated itself every time the heroes and enemies of the Brotherhood have crossed sabers, because it is the Brotherhood’s aspect of conflict and rivalry between two adversaries, manifested through the arts of combat and the will to victory.
The origin of the Antei Combat Centre is knit with a practice of the ancient [[Star Chamber]] that was adopted by the Brotherhood; the Ritual of Certamen. When used correctly, this Rite allowed the ritual combat of two rivals, settling disputes on the justice of the battlefield. In the High Temple of [[Ferran]], a massive structure was built to train the students of the Triumvirate in this sacred art. Training was important, because the Rite itself was always fatal. Disputes were settled unto the death of one combatant. The Three believed that the strongest of their students would survive. Only the most advanced students were trained in the arts, after a test of competency in combat. A few of Ferran’s direct students instructed others and sat as judges in the art of combat. Like the Star Chamber itself, this practice was mostly lost with the obscuration of the Antei System. Yet, the Rite was resurrected, though only partially, through research and fragments of information that seeped into the realms of Brotherhood Lore. Due to its incomplete nature, the Rite existed minimally throughout the Brotherhood, and slowly began to take shape into something the [[Krath]] would perpetuate, if only to break the monotony of their Order.


Under the watchful eye of the [[Grand Master]] and the [[Dark Council]], the Ritual of Certamen was allowed to prosper among the scholar’s Order. Despite their rumored distaste for battle, the Krath began to generate their own ‘warriors’ who excelled at the Rite, finding themselves on a path that fostered a collision between knowledge and power, through combat. Through the discipline of battle and the traditions of the ancient Rite, the ritual was soon adopted into the core of the Brotherhood’s structure – even into the [[Vendetta|Art of Vendetta]].
This might be the heart of the Combat Center, but the society also defines itself by its adaptability, its endurance through great turmoil and its power to reflect the changing forms and tempers of the Brotherhood. The Combat Masters have led the Center through golden ages, eras of atrophy and decay, collapse and resurgence, strife and stability. In the end the Center has always come out strong and bold. As long as there is conflict within the Brotherhood there will be a Center, for what is the Brotherhood without conflict?


===  Krath Combat Centre  ===
Through adaptation and modernization, the [[Krath High Priestess]], Mairin Astoris, ushered the evolution of the Ritual of Certamen into a new era that served the Krath Order. Only a shadow of its former existence, the ritual soon found a home in what was called the Krath Combat Centre. The structure itself was grand, but the technology was still young. Developed by two Dark Jedi named James Lucius '''Entar''' and Cyberguy Quiritatio '''Entar''', the Combat Centre was equipped with a series of “Morph Halls” that mimicked the terrains of planets located in the star maps of the Brotherhood. This was a far cry from the origin of the Ritual of Certamen, and allowed the engagement of conflict on many ‘worlds’ while remaining within the Brotherhood’s home system. Equally seeming to thumb it’s nose at history and tradition, despite the affinity they possessed, the Combat Centre randomly adopted precautions to ensure non-lethal combat, sparring the lives of those defeated in combat. Nevertheless, many Dark Jedi still joined the mists of the Force, losing their lives to the honor of battle, while the most powerful of the Krath prevailed. A time of stability and prosperity ruled over the Combat Centre, despite those lost to the pains of battle, under the Krath High Priestess. It functioned smoothly as a training environment and adequately as an honored place to quell grudges throughout the Brotherhood, until the time of the Exodus.


=== Unification and the Winds of Change  ===
=== Acta Est Fabula ===
Mairin was called into service to assist the Grand Master, [[Firefox|Lord Firefox]], as his Deputy, resigning her position as Combat Master to take her place by his side. Her tenure gave way to a new Combat Master, a Dark Jedi named Timeros. The Heragan tore down the walls of segregation to the Centre and invited all of the Orders of the Brotherhood to take part in their version of the Rite of Certamen. Their pride pushed aside, the Krath welcomed the [[Sith]] and the [[Obelisk]], if only to see them die at their hands. Not known for their combat ability, many of the Krath soon proved worthy adversaries as they forged through the Rite along side their brethren as well as at the end of their blades. A united Centre was born, praising skill, honor and the spilling of blood that surpassed Order and affiliation; prosperity seemed inevitable.
<small>'''ca. 12 ABY to 30 ABY'''</small>


Apart from the Centre, the Brotherhood was seeing its own changes beginning to undulate through the waters of fate. The former Combat Master, Mairin Astoris was indicted by the puppets of the Executive Officer of the [[Emperor's Hammer]] and forced to resign her position along side the Grand Master. The ordeal would prove to be the foundation for what the future would hold for the Combat Centre.
''For a detailed history before 30 ABY, see [[History of the Antei Combat Center pre-30 ABY]]''


Gathering his core staff members, Timeros took what technology and information he could, before fleeing the Emperor’s Hammer’s Territory with the bulk of the Dark Brotherhood, in what history would call [[Exodus|“The Exodus”]]. The madness of those days, however, affected the Combat Master greatly and he soon stepped aside after arriving on Antei. The deconstruction of the Combat Centre on Eos proved taxing on vital parts of its operation. This forced the staff of the Centre, and it’s operations, to take up temporary lodging in the constructed Obelisk Palladium.
{{Quote|You long for your recognition, your glory. You want the universe to know your power, to be counted as the one and not of the many. To rise above all other names, to be the pinnacle, to be the one left standing... that is your desire, your quest.|CM Dalthid, 16 ABY}}


Just before her departure, and at the outset of the Exodus, Mairin Astoris took it upon herself to secure a future for her Order. With the dispatching of the coordinates of the Brotherhood’s new home, Mairin preempted the flight of the Dark Jedi and arrived on [[Antei]]. It is unclear what called her, or even what guided her, but she wrested a stronghold from its inhabitants just beyond the Shadowlands. Barely basking in the light of the planet, apart from the shadows that the Brotherhood chose to attain, the stronghold would prove to be the future of the Combat Centre. However, due to the intentions of the Dark Jedi, and their goal to belay interaction with the inhabitants, Mairin was reprimanded. Despite the isolated location of the structure, the planned renovations of a new Centre were halted.
[[File:DalPostACC.png|thumb|left|180px|Dalthid, legendary Champion and Combat Master]]


The Combat Centre’s existence within the Palladium was short lived. It became abundantly clear that it would not be sufficient for the desires of the membership and served to align a unified Combat Centre under a specific order. Looking to the future of the Brotherhood and a practice that had become a mainstay, DGM [[Jac Cotelin]] authorized the remodelling of the training stronghold that had been secured by Mairin. Though she would be disallowed from any involvement, history has saved a place for her within the Centre’s walls. Many speculate that Cotelin saw the entire timeline somewhere in his mind’s eye and set Mairin on her course to help set his hand upon the future. There is no proof to that fact, but logic may suggest that such a potential asset would be a splendid addition to the résumé of a Deputy Grand Master who sought the Iron Throne.
The art of the duel in the Brotherhood has its roots in the Ritual of Certamen of the [[Triumvirate]] era. The ancient [[Star Chamber]] instituted this ritual combat to the death as a route for their subjects to settle disputes. About three thousand years later, the Brotherhood’s [[Krath (order)|Krath Order]] rediscovered this Rite and remodelled it to their own necessities. In the ritualized non-lethal duels of the Krath Combat Center, the Order of the Scholars recognized that combat imparted as much knowledge about one’s self, one’s opponent and the universe we operate in as any ancient [[starwars:Holocron|holocron]].


===  A New Home; Reconstruction of the Centre  ===
The Rite was soon expanded to all three [[Orders of the Brotherhood|Orders]], but it was not until after the [[Exodus]] that the Antei Combat Center acquired its current name. Under a succession of enterprising Combat Masters the Center developed state-of-the-art facilities, both on Antei and on the [[ACC Facility|Abyss space station]], and established itself as the nucleus for [[lightsaber]] combat training in the Brotherhood. The ACC did not just instruct initiates in the [[lightsaber Forms]]. It also drew the Brotherhood’s masters of the martial arts. Timeros, [[Dalthid]], Muz Ashen, Halcyon Rokir. All these legendary champions, and more, left their mark on the martial milieu of the Center, and in turn the Center passed on this experience to the new generation of Dark Jedi warriors.
James Lucius Entar and CyberGuy Quiritatio Entar, along with a host of the Centre staff, instantly began construction with minimal resistance from the locals. Rumored to be one of the temples of Ferran, the chosen Centre structure blended in with its surroundings of indigenous stone that formed an almost cross-like façade, yet it’s interior was vastly more complicated than the two mechanics had envisioned. The ghosts of the passed lingered throughout the whole of the system, and nothing could be more true for Antei itself, and equally, the growing Combat Centre. It’s walls felt alive to many and even the synthetic terrain of the new Morph Halls seemed to breathe with life that existed beyond flesh. Parsing the ancient technology with the new, the Centre became the most technologically advanced facility in the whole of the Brotherhood’s assets. The generation of any type of terrain, weaponry, craft or enemy was easily at the beck and call of programming.


Initial testing and evaluation involved few Dark Jedi in lieu of local contractors to verify the authenticity of the Halls, against the better judgment of the Dark Council. Yet, time and again, they failed to die. Even in cases of the most vicious decapitation, something reanimated their bodies and restored their lives. James and CyberGuy called for the [[Deputy Grand Master]], with the presence of the Oracle strongly suggested.
However, at its heart the Combat Center was born of ritual and convention. As the Brotherhood experienced several violent wars and conflicts, the Center struggled to remain relevant and innovative. The [[GJW X|Invasion of New Tython]], the [[Horizons]] crisis and the opening salvos of the [[Dark Crusade]] drew combatants away from the rigid, formulaic praxis of the ACC. Masters and veterans of warfare chose the bloody battlefield over the lifeless Combat Halls every time, and new recruits no longer saw the value of the ritualized katas and stifling training regimens when they could wet their blades in the blood of real enemies.


With the presence of the most psychotically brilliant [[Oracle]] in Brotherhood history, the dilemma was soon uncovered. It would seem that the very location of the Centre itself was the key, existing beyond the Shadowlands and in direct contrast to the ancients that existed in the darkness. It was true that the practices were derived from the Ritual of Certamen, but it would’ve seemed that something else chose to contradict the nature of the Rite itself. The ability to settle conflict with honor and no real threat to life or power sat well with the Council, yet it was the Oracle who suspected that someday revenge would be sought, his warnings were ignored.
Activity within the ACC facilities declined until, in [[30 ABY to 39 ABY#30 ABY|30 ABY]], [[Grand Master]] Muz finally withdrew [[Dark Council]] funding and the Center was shut down. Pravus, [[Voice of the Brotherhood]] at the time, redirected remaining resources towards a comprehensive restructuring of the Center. He charged the new Combat Master [[Shadow Taldrya]], and subsequently his successor [[Telaris "Mav" Cantor|Telaris Taldrya Cantor]], with recasting the ACC to suit the modern martial needs of the Brotherhood. Pravus was also keen that the future ACC should mesh with his vision for the parent office of the Voice. In the Center’s network of instructors, trainers and operatives he saw an opportunity to surveil the warriors of the [[Clan|Clans]] and [[House|Houses]], to track their martial aptitude and their individual quarrels and rivalries for his own advantage. From now on, Pravus would keep a personal watch on the Combat Masters and their work, to ensure the Center’s reconstruction proceeded towards this more covert purpose.


===  The Antei Combat Centre and the first CM  ===
With Timeros’s resignation and the Combat Centre nearing completion, a [[starwars:Falleen|Falleen]] named Xizor was appointed to the charge of the newly named, Antei Combat Centre, offering his personal touches to the final product as it’s first Combat Master. Under his charge remained five of the original staff members; Lokii, [[Arion Sunrider]], Timeros, [[Trevarus Caerick]] and [[Dalthid]], all eager to begin their duties with the rebirth of the Centre. The door’s of the ACC opened to a new page of history as hundreds of Dark Jedi traveled to Antei to usher in the new era.


=== The Dirge of the Falleen Prince  ===
=== The Center on Trial ===
[[File:Xizor-TSS.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Xizor]]
<small>'''31 ABY'''</small>
The Falleen personally instructed his staff, overseeing them with a teacher’s eye. In addition, he sought the best of his staff to assist the younger members in the ways of the Centre, to train them in battle and the Ritual of Certamen. Finally, Xizor archived every bit of information that pertained to the instruction of combatants and centralized it for the use of future staff members. This solidified the core of Centre operations, and became the foundation from which the ACC would grow.
[[File:Mavvles.jpg|thumb|150px|CM Telaris]]
{{Quote|Why? I surrendered... I didn’t want this! Why did it have to be like this?''"<br />"''It's nothing personal. You're just a means to an end.|Aidan Kincaid and his opponent on Krayiss II}}


The Antei Combat Centre was indeed prosperous under the Falleen Prince – but time can unravel prosperity through change and mindset, even within the most valiant leaders. Xizor’s final days were wrought with frustration and his lack of desire for conformity. Honored throughout the veteran community, the Combat Master was the heaviest of hands; his judgements unforgiving and his resolve just as stern. He was revered by his peers and veteran staff, but eagerly disliked by those who coddled the lines between light and dark; a dual-minded existence that soon took it’s toll as newly assigned staff and members of the Brotherhood found themselves unable to deal with such a strong and unyielding Combat Master.
Within a few months, it was clear that the renovation of the ACC would need to be far more drastic and wide-ranging than initially expected. The project became a significant drain on the Dark Council’s resources, especially in a time of war, and pressure began building, from both upper and lower echelons, for tangible results to be put forward. To placate these detractors, during the closing stages of the Dark Crusade Combat Master Telaris orchestrated a series of duelling trials<ref>[https://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/acc/acc_halls/5 Open Beta Tournament, 2014]</ref> on a number of the captured [[starwars:Sith Worlds|Sith Worlds]].


The murmurs of distaste traveled throughout the Brotherhood, even through the walls of the Centre, forcing the Falleen Prince into an early retirement. Outrage swarmed through the original core of the staff; those who had seen his rise to power and stood behind him along the way as Combat Master Xizor, the first CM of the ACC, stepped down. His name would be emblazon throughout the history of the Centre as a ‘forefather’ to those who honored him as he honored the Combat Centre’s existence and purpose.
The ACC’s advances so far were not counted in new facilities or halls of combat. The Combat Masters saw the reality of modern duels in the Brotherhood, that they occurred far from Antei, Abyss and even Brotherhood space, and they developed the Center’s new networks, systems and technologies accordingly. Telaris’ duelling trials put these developments through their paces as the ACC monitored, overtly and covertly, the various encounters taking place on the Sith Worlds.


===  Full Circle; The Reign of Cyris  ===
Master Aidan Kincaid emerged as the victor of the trials. The data extracted by the Center both validated the project’s progress and provided a roadmap for the future. The prestige of victory and the humiliation of one’s rivals was sufficient motivation for the combatants to put their skills on display, their fighting styles, their intention and determination, their weak spots and triggers. The information gathered also streamed outside of the Center, where a team of lightsaber masters employed by the Dark Council were studying and reviewing the lightsaber Forms favored by the modern Brotherhood.
Teetering on the cliffs of a downward spiral, the Centre quickly shifted it’s eyes, from its departing leader, to what the future would hold. A scholar at heart, the newly appointed Combat Master, [[Cyris Oscura]], began his reign with a focused scrutiny of the Centre’s existence. The ancient Star Chamber had it’s influences throughout the Brotherhood; to some it was a myth, to others their tomes could be equated to life’s blood. Cyris buried himself in the instruction and tomes kept by the Oracle, adapting his mind to all that he could of the Ritual of Certamen. With his learned knowledge, combined with his own perception, the Combat Master spearheaded a grand overhaul of the ACC proper.


The overhaul ignited a rediscovery of the Centre throughout the Brotherhood, calling droves to the complex in record numbers. The staff worked hard, together, as the ACC took on a new face and the waves of prosperity seemed to lap at the foundation of its walls. Not since it was reopened on Antei did the Centre see such a revival, it was virtually unprecedented and, equally, unexpected. Cyris attributed the success of the overhaul to only four individuals, apart from himself; JaM3z Lucius '''Entar''', [[Trevarus Caerick]], [[Arcturus Gadeskin Xyler]] and [[Mejas Doto]]. In addition, Cyris elevated three of the ACC’s veteran staff to pinnacle appointments as a sub-structure to the chain of command. Trevarus Caerick was appointed to the position of Senior Trainer to take charge over the other Trainers and be a liaison to Initiates in the CM’s stead. Dalthid was appointed to the position of Senior Judge with the same responsibilities where the Judges were concerned. Arcturus Xyler, whom already held the position of Senior Judge, was promoted to Deputy Combat Master, the first person to hold the office. Oscura quickly hired more staff to assist in the training of initiates and to oversee the battles of the membership. Some were hired without incident, yet others came with a modicum of warning from the veteran staff. Unable to see what the future would hold, Cyris pressed forward – successfully, for the most part – but his indiscretion and dismissal of those warnings would be the seeds of his downfall.


Time passed as the Centre continued to grow. Even the pangs of the [[Invasion of Antares|Sith War]] drifted into the Centre, solidifying it’s existence through battles, beyond duels and gripes; inevitably creating the ACC as a true institution of combat. To those on the outside, looking in, the Centre was a model of stability and focus; generating hundreds of training scenarios, qualification Rites and various conflicts that crossed all spectrums. The Centre’s ability to adapt and provide for varying levels of requirements became paramount to its operation, easily solidifying it’s status as a Brotherhood asset. However, behind the façade, tension grew. Long-time staff members; veterans to the policies and traditions set from the beginning, became frustrated with the disregard of the newer staff. Most held their tongues, squabbling in private – even unto resignation. Some became outwardly vocal, chiding the Combat Master to take control of the staff, a task that Cyris seemed ill-equipped to do – his indiscretion had come full circle. In the throws of the unseen turmoil, the Combat Master succumbed to a personal injury during a sojourn from Antei. His physical condition dwindled for a time, and the strife throughout the judges and trainers amplified his frustration and absence. Unable to deal with his physical duress, and the squabbling of his staff, Cyris Oscura abruptly resigned his position, vanishing to parts unknown.
=== The Game Has Begun ===
<small>'''32 ABY'''</small>
{{Quote|We are Dark Jedi. We choose our paths and do not stray. What other choice is there?|Timeros}}


===  From Out of Nowhere; The Reign of Gryffon  ===
[[File:Kincaidheadshot.jpg|thumb|left|160px|Aidan Kincaid, Champion]]
Rumors about a struggle for power abounded between factions of the ACC staff after the departure of the Black Hand. In fact, these myths were generously created by the factions themselves, assuming power was being sought from the opposition. Truth be told, neither side sought any power where the rule of the Centre was concerned. Their strife had long been perpetuated over policy and operation of the Centre, not who sat upon the throne of the Brotherhood’s foremost combat training institution.


For quite some time the ACC sat leaderless, but it’s existence pressed on as well as it could. Training was overseen by the Senior staff, positions developed by Cyris Oscura as a ‘pseudo’ chain of command, as well as daily operations – yet, their ‘seniority’ was a fallacy. It was true that they were the most knowledgeable and experienced of the existing staff, but they were not seen or heeded as any type of authority. Some staff members departed, some simply disappeared, but one thing became clear: someone needed to be sought to wrest control of the Centre.
The success of the duelling trials was a prelude to the ACC’s formal relaunching. Even as the campaigns of the Dark Crusade came to a close the Center on Antei reopened its doors. Once again the training halls were filled with the hum of lightsabers, with initiates sent by the [[Shadow Academy]] eager to prove their worth and veterans surging like torrents through their favoured Forms.


As is often done with the Clans of the Brotherhood, an attempt was made to bring a fresh mind into the scenario. Possessing absolutely no experience in the ACC and with a complete lack of understanding concerning practices and policies, Gryffon De'Urtha Cantor came from out of nowhere to be appointed as Cyris Oscura’s successor.
At this time the Brotherhood’s attention was still fixed on the threat of the [[One Sith]]. Darth Ashen’s gaze turned to Begeren, where he sent warriors from the Clans and Houses to secure powerful artifacts and military installations<ref>[https://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/acc/acc_halls/6 Fading Light, Begeren, 2014]</ref>. This is where the reborn ACC made its first mark upon the conflict. The Grand Master and the Voice needed two expert fighters to confront a linchpin of the One Sith, whom they knew to be holed up on Begeren. CM Telaris tracked and monitored the fights that broke out amongst the brethren and against the One Sith. He used the information to select Aidan Kincaid and Timeros Caesus Entar Arconae as the two most capable candidates for this mission.


A wave of shock spread throughout the body of the staff. Gryffon was known, but his affiliation with the Centre had been non-existent. Nevertheless, most of the staff welcomed the change, eager to get back on the path of greatness – until the mind of De’Urtha became known. Through lacklustre adaptations, unexplained absences and an utterly ‘hands-off’ approach to the ruling of the ACC, it became clear that Gryffon’s selection was a grand mistake – rumored as a ‘favor’ to someone in the upper echelon. The title existed with Gryffon, but it seemed that the ‘title’ was his concern, not the Centre itself. However, his sub-par reign did accomplish one feat – it unified the staff. For the first time in ages, the staff became of one mind, subduing the long existing turmoil under the banner of one goal – the removal of Gryffon De’Urtha.
In an ancient palace on Begeren, Kincaid and Timeros encountered [[Darth Necren]]. Their fight with the assassin uncovered that she was serving a treasonous Dark Councillor, but the two Elders were captured before they could discover the name of the traitor. The slaying of Darth Necren, the capture of the Elders and the revelation of Dark Council treachery only went to show how deeply a mere duel can shape the progress of a war and the security of the entire Brotherhood.


In hindsight, many may perceive that as the intent all along; to finally quell the squabbling of an, otherwise exceptional, staff. Whatever the reason, their murmurs grew to a roar as Gryffon De’Urtha was ousted from his position as Combat Master of the ACC. It was a lesson learned and etched into the pages of time; without the support of the staff any CM would fail.


=== Promises of Greatness; The Reign of Mal’ari’carun  ===
=== Civil War ===
Far from the scrutiny of the appointment of De’Urtha, the selection of [[Mal'ari'carun]] came with its own questions. There existed, within the factions of the staff, tenured members who were, once again, overlooked to take the reigns of the Centre. It was uncertain as to why, by many, but a logical point of view would tend to lean toward Mal’ari’carun’s virtual anonymity and neutrality. He served as a Trainer for long enough not to be considered ‘green’, but his influence was minimal at best. Nevertheless, some veterans pledged their loyalty with the hope of the Centre’s revival.
<small>'''32 ABY'''</small>
{{Quote|And they were enemies: they met beside''<br />''The dying embers of an altar-place''<br />''Where had been heaped a mass of holy things|The Final Way|url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0rPsJ1Xn54cbGs1OE00Yk15T28/view}}


Immediately, Alaric sought to renovate the Combat Centre. Overall, his ideas were sound and seemed to be derived from a desire to better the ACC, which was a far cry from his predecessor. The [[starwars:Chiss|Chiss]]’ platform of change came with great waves of promise; the greatness of the ACC being at the forefront of his communication. Sweeping operational adaptations and structural refinements fell upon the Centre, some were accepted whole heartedly and some came with a modicum of struggle – but it seemed that the prosperity of the Centre was, once again, in sight. With the addition of [[Halcyon Rokir]] as the [[Praetor]] to the Combat Master, Alaric attempted to move forward. Activity increased slowly as members began to regain faith in the Centre, but the population of the past would struggle to be a mere glint.
The death-toll imposed by the One Sith menace and the stench of treachery present at the highest levels of Brotherhood hierarchy heralded a period of political instability within the Dark Council. Pravus, ever conscious of the special role the Combat Center had been playing in his bid for power, maintained an aegis of support over Telaris. When Pravus became [[Deputy Grand Master|Shadow Hand]], Telaris stepped into the office the Sith Lord had just vacated.


Alaric was even able to quell some of the conflict among his staff, to a point. He was quick to appease all sides and sought for a better relationship through the whole of his staff, but his abilities were limited. Despite his ‘promises of greatness’, his fire seemed to die quickly. His sweeping renovations came to an abrupt halt with repeated absences and the ignoring of those under his employ. Even his Praetor was powerless without any idea of the whereabouts of the Combat Master. Random communications, from parts unknown, began to stink of the attitudes of the Chiss’ predecessor. Soon, faith in Alaric’s ability was lost – even to the point of triggering the departure of veterans of the staff, tired of the Chiss’ lack of commitment to the Centre’s existence – an unfortunate scenario that would be a blessing in disguise, in hindsight. A reign that began with promise turned into a failure as the Centre continued to struggle forward.
As the new Voice, Telaris became acutely alert to the schisms forming within the Brotherhood at this time. Instead of selecting a new Combat Master he provisionally assimilated the position into his own direct sphere of authority. When Jac Cotelin and the [[Clan Taldryan|Taldryanite]] fleet besieged Antei, the Voice was in a position to employ the Antei Combat Center’s military assets in his Clanmate’s favor. The coup’s gambit ultimately failed, and the Center’s planetary facilities were all destroyed when Darth Ashen performed his first Rite of Immortality.


===  Without a Trace; The Silent Mutiny of the Senior Staff  ===
This event signalled another temporary disintegration of the ACC structure. Telaris joined Grand Master Jac in his campaign against Darth Ashen, but the rest of the Center’s instructors and operatives became split largely along the lines of Clan or House loyalty. Some sided with Jac, others remained faithful to the ruling Grand Master and a few went with [[Clan Plagueis|Plagueis]] and [[Dromund Kaas#Esoteric|Esoteric]].
The Senior staff took up the reigns, forging ahead despite the absence of their Combat Master. Unlike in the past, they were able to wrest enough control to keep the Centre afloat as the factions slowly began to break apart. Halcyon Rokir watched with his blessing, eyeing the happenings and chiding when necessary. The emerald haired Human kept his distance, but his silence seemed to be a sign of his support. The previous departure of antagonists, those unwilling to honor the traditions of the Centre, proved to allow the remaining staff members to operate with minimal conflict. Alaric maintained his position as Combat Master, but for all intents and purposes, he was merely a figurehead. His occasional communiqué’s and decrees were virtually ignored as the Senior staff tended to daily operations, keeping Alaric informed as they saw fit. It had been a silent mutiny; one that the Brotherhood was seemingly oblivious to as the Centre continued to operate with little difficulty – but the Dark Council soon became aware of the oddity.


===  Making History; The Edict of the Lord Marshal  ===
With the unexplained and unauthorized absence of Mal’ari’carun, coupled with the will of the staff to avoid another leadership drama, the Dark Council burst into the fray with an unprecedented decree. Organizationally, the Combat Centre would fall under the direction of the [[Lord Marshal]], DA [[Mike Halcyon]] (aka: James McKenna), along with the other organizational changes that affected the Brotherhood – but what came with that would make history, at least “history” as it applied to the small community of the ACC staff.


Still seated as Combat Master and MIA, as became the norm, attempts to contact Alaric failed. Infuriated and unwilling to accept the lack of responsibility on the part of the Chiss, DA Michael Halcyon officially announced his leadership of the ACC. He directed all procedural projects through his office, usurped the Combat Master and communicated directly with the Senior staff and quickly attained an assessment of the Centre’s condition, effectively eliminating the need for Alaric. Within a short time, Mal’ari’carun was removed as Combat Master, without so much as an opportunity to resign.
=== The Gray Fang ===
<small>'''32 ABY'''</small>
{{Quote|The crystal, the blade, the warrior: all are intertwined. All are one.|Ferran, Triumvir of the ancient Star Chamber}}


===  Return to Glory?  ===
[[File:MarickGhostKira.jpg|thumb|200px|CM Marick]]
The Chiss’ replacement came quickly, even before a Dark Jedi could finish reading the notice of Alaric’s removal. The next Combat Master of the ACC came from an extremely short list of original staff members, a list of only two that remained from the days of the Krath Combat Centre – Senior Operator and Champion, the [[starwars:Stennes|Stennes]], Dalthid. Immediately, the old man secured an alliance with Halcyon Rokir and entrusted him with remaining in his position. Halcyon accepted and watched Dalthid begin to smash the ACC through the veil of the future.


History can only be told when the events of time have run their course and come to fruition. One cannot tell, with certainty, what the future would hold. Rest assured, Dalthid’s appointment came with praise and revolt, but his history is still in the making...
The Antei Combat Center survived the [[Eleventh Great Jedi War|Civil War]], though not unchanged. When Darth Pravus took the [[Iron Throne]], it was no surprise that he selected Telaris to be his Shadow Hand. In the joint office of Voice and Combat Master the two Sith Lords placed Aidan Kincaid, a Taldryanite [[EL2|Master]] who had distinguished himself several times in the arenas of the ACC. The Center’s rapid recovery after the Civil War demonstrated that it was no longer reliant on physical structures for its operations, but rather on the expertise and ceaseless activity of its trainers and operatives, and its strong links with the office of the Voice and the Shadow Academy. As long as there were instructors brimming with knowledge and initiates willing to learn, masters seeking perfection and Forms defying comprehension, then the ACC would find its place and thrive.


Though Kincaid’s tenure was relatively short, he oversaw two developments of importance to the Center. The first was the publishing of the research completed by the Dark Council’s lightsaber masters<ref>[https://lsg.darkjedibrotherhood.com/page.php Lightsaber Guide, 2015]</ref>. This authoritative compilation of the lightsaber Forms reflected the styles of lightsaber combat favored in the modern Brotherhood. It informed the initiate training programmes developed jointly by the Center and the Shadow Academy and it was an essential tool for the cataloguing of lightsaber practitioners across the Brotherhood. The more the Center understood the ways Brotherhood warriors engaged in combat, the more the Combat Master and, ultimately, the Grand Master gained ways to control them.


[[Category:Antei Combat Centre]]
The second development was the selection of then [[Marick]] [[Arconae]] as Combat Master. Though the head of the ACC once again became independent, the tradition of close relations between the Voice and the Combat Master never ceased. This was a necessity dictated, in great part, by the increasing importance of the Center’s information gathering role. Marick’s focus on revamping the training protocols and resources available to members of the Brotherhood went hand in hand with his work as a [[Inquisitorius#Grand Inquisitor .28Rank XII.29|Grand Inquisitor]], creating the legacy that would lead him to being known as “The Gray Fang.” The appointment also brought some much needed composure to the Center. Marick’s tenure ushered a period of stability and steady growth for the ACC.
 
 
=== Blood Will Beget Blood ===
<small>'''32 to 33 ABY'''</small>
{{Quote|Typical Jedi. Your arrogance will be your downfall.|Andrelious, Combat Master's Champion}}
 
[[File:ACCColosseum.jpg|thumb|left|210px|The ancient arena discovered on Arx’s moon]]
 
The new Combat Master acted quickly to reinforce the ACC’s presence in the Brotherhood, and if there was any suspicion that the Civil War had shaken the Center’s footing, those rumors were soon put to rest. In his first resolution, he filled the Center’s circle of instructors with operatives from across the Clans. This ensured that the ACC had collaborators seeded throughout the Brotherhood. They acted as the Combat Master’s eyes, ears and mouthpiece in their respective Clans, as they kept him abreast of the fighting capabilities of their clanmates and transmitted his combat training reforms to their units.
 
Marick also worked to secure a place for the ACC in the Brotherhood’s future. When he was made Combat Master, Marick was taken to the dark place where, unbeknownst to the rest of the Brotherhood, the Grand Master was building his new imperial capital. On one of the planet’s orbiting moons he discovered the ruins of a colossal arena left by the ancient civilization of that planet. The Combat Master assigned labor and resources to rebuilding the arena and developing training halls in its vicinity. This investment would eventually become the public front of the ACC, and a symbol of its physical presence at the heart of the Brotherhood.
 
In [[30 ABY to 39 ABY#33 ABY|33 ABY]] the Combat Master announced the third major undertaking of his tenure. With the collaboration of the Dark Council and the [[Clan Summit|Clan Summits]], Marick arranged a series of combat skirmishes<ref>[https://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/acc/acc_halls/8 Rivalries, 2015]</ref> on various disparate worlds. Following the precedent set by previous contests, the ACC covertly monitored the duels as they unfolded, collating the data for the benefit of the interested parties. For the Clans, this was an unmissable opportunity to test the spirit of their own fighters and vye for the champion’s title, which ultimately was taken by [[EQ4|Warlord]] Andrelious J. Mimosa-Inahj. For the Center, the duels provided invaluable information on the rivalries and antipathies that existed between Brotherhood members. These warriors went into battle with sabers, blasters and combat talents, but also grudges, feuds, loyalties, ambitions, convictions, impulses. It was the Center that gathered all these threads to the Grand Master’s hand, for him to pull at his will.
 
=== Mercy Exists for No One ===
<small>'''33 ABY'''</small>
 
Within the ACC, Marick’s combat skirmishes were catalyst to changes that were already convulsing the rest of the Brotherhood. In the eyes of the Combat Master each duel was a microcosm of the fears, hopes and tribulations of each Clan. Through this viewport he saw how the Krath and [[Obelisk (order)|Obelisk]] Orders were increasingly shunned, how Iron Throne loyalists were becoming less tolerant of the “Undesirable” [[CS Guide: Species|species]], how the [[Jedi Order|Jedi]] of [[Clan Odan-Urr|Odan-Urr]] and their sympathizers grew more and more defensive. This is the path down which Darth Pravus was taking the Brotherhood, and Marick had to follow if he was to ensure the Center’s continuance.
 
[[File:ACCTrainingCenter.jpg|thumb|230px|A hall of the Combat Training Center on Arx’s moon]]
 
The Center played an indirect but undeniable part in the purges that took place during this period. There was not a lightsaber-wielder in the Brotherhood who did not have a dossier in the classified databases of the ACC. Their styles of combat, aptitudes, foibles, all these were an open book to the Combat Master. Voice [[Evant Taelyan]] and his [[Inquisitorius]] made extensive use of this intelligence to dispatch the enemies of the Iron Throne, be they Krath, Obelisk or Undesirables.
 
At the same time, the training facilities of the Combat Center themselves remained aloof of the unrest, at least in the public eye. While they certainly didn’t provide sanctuary to enemies of the Iron Throne, the Center did not tolerate any distractions from their intended purpose, be it seditious activity or Inquisitorius interference. Combat training and practice was still held as the sacrosanct function of the Combat Halls. Marick continued this policy to maintain the broad permeation of the ACC through the Brotherhood, both in terms of combat training and intelligence gathering. Nonetheless, this arguably lenient attitude towards apostates and Undesirables brought a certain amount of tension between the Combat Master and the Grand Master. The friction would eventually come to a head, but for now it smoldered under the surface of the two Masters’ relationship.
 
Another phenomenon that the combat skirmishes of 33 ABY brought to light were the rising relevance and prestige of non-Force users in the Brotherhood’s martial scene. Not only were they becoming important pieces in the Brotherhood command structure; they were also demonstrating an exceptional aptitude in combat; they could stand toe-to-toe with the Clans’ foremost Force-wielding warriors. The ACC spotted this intriguing trend and adapted accordingly. The Center’s instructors developed combat training programmes for the [[Mercenary (order)|mercenaries]] and [[Loyalist (order)|loyalists]], with a strong emphasis on countering the techniques of Force users, and the instructors and operatives began monitoring with greater interest the martial activities of non-Force users within the Clans. To this purpose the Center also enlisted [https://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/character_sheets/3304 Krin Murphy] as Combat Trainer, the first non-Force wielding weapons specialist on the ACC staff.
 
 
=== Pinnacle of Fame ===
<small>'''33 to 34 ABY'''</small>
{{Quote|Well I’m a little extra crispy right now, but don’t worry ladies — he didn't hit my face.|Turel Sorenn on Antei}}
 
[[File:Turelmain.png|thumb|left|150px|Turel Sorenn, Grand Master’s Champion]]
 
Combat training and surveillance were not the only occupations of the ACC, especially in the turbulent early years of the reign of Darth Pravus. The brethren of the seven Clans all had personal grudges, disputes of honor or doctrine, past offenses to settle or just simple blood lust. Without some kind of outlet, there was a danger these individual urges could spill into widespread hostilities, Clan feuds and wars. The Grand Master’s Invitational Tournament<ref>[https://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/acc/acc_halls/13 Grand Master’s Invitational Tournament, 2015]</ref> was precisely one such outlet. Darth Pravus called for this contest as soon as the new Colosseum and its adjacent facilities were completed on Arx’s satellite. The Tournament saw the top two fighters from each of the seven Clans (and two Dark Councillors) perform in non-lethal duels for the entertainment of the Brotherhood at large.
 
Superficially, the Tournament indulged the age-old recourse of rulers in times of upheaval, part of the “bread and circuses” that kept the populace diverted and contented. But this was also an extraordinary opportunity for the Center’s intelligence gathering mission. The hubris of the Clans had pushed the Brotherhood’s most accomplished warriors to gather in the Colosseum. Each of their duels provided a window into the martial capabilities of their respective Clans, as well as the quality of their pride and resolve. The final duel took place between [[Turel Sorenn]] and Timeros, in the ruins of the [[Dark Hall]] on Antei. The fight, and Turel’s victory, was broadcast live to all the Clans of the Brotherhood.
 
Some say it was the nomination of Turel — Jedi and [[Proconsul]] of Odan-Urr — as victor and Grand Master’s Champion that pushed Pravus over the edge. Though the conclusion of the Tournament was definitely an unpleasant shock for the supporters of the Iron Throne, it is improbable that it precipitated the coming tragedy on New Tython so directly; disappointing as it was, the defeat of Timeros could not perturb the Grand Master’s patient, ambitious and farsighted plans. In [[30 ABY to 39 ABY#34 ABY|34 ABY]] Darth Pravus led the Dark Council and the Iron Legion in an assault of New Tython, the homeworld of the Odan-Urr Jedi. His slaying of the [[CS Guide: Species#Shard|Shard]] Solari and the razing of the planet surface left the Brotherhood in no doubt as to the position and intent of the Iron Throne.
 
The event tested the loyalty of every Dark Council affiliate. Marick himself encountered pressure from both his loyalist Center operatives and his superiors. In the end he was forced to expel all his Odanite instructors, and he declared that any known “Resistance” collaborators who appeared in the Center would be detained as traitors. These drastic actions shattered the trusted neutrality of the Combat Halls. The ACC would never again have the universal reach it had enjoyed since its inception, and its monopoly on martial practice was lost as the Resistance factions likely began forming their own independent combat training centers.
 
 
=== The Blood on Your Hands ===
<small>'''34 ABY'''</small>
{{Quote|We are all monsters, Zakath. Was it not you who told me that in our first War?|Voice Marick Tyris on Dantooine}}
 
[[File:BladeTa'var1.png|thumb|180px|Blade Ta’var, Journeymen’s Champion]]
 
As the chasms riving the Brotherhood deepened, the ACC’s pervading grip on combat training weakened. The instructors who operated in the rebel Clans had formally severed their ties with Marick, and the Combat Halls on Arx’s moon had become too dangerous for those initiates who were in the sights of the Inquisitorius. It was to counter this impending atrophy that the Combat Master commissioned [[Alaris Jinn]], a seasoned combat trainer, to find the two most promising aspiring warriors amongst the brethren for the purpose of a [[Journeymen]]’s duel<ref>[https://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/acc/acc_halls/15 Journeymen’s Tourney, 2016]</ref> in the Colosseum on Arx’s moon.
 
Alaris used the Center’s connections with the Inquisitorius and the Shadow Academy to track the Clans’ up-and-coming Journeymen. Throughout the [[CS Guide: Species#Twi.E2.80.99lek|Twi’lek]] operative’s investigation two names stood out from the rest: [[Blade Ta%27var|Blade Ta’var]] of [[Clan Scholae Palatinae|Scholae Palatinae]] and [[Aul Celsus]] of [[Clan Naga Sadow|Naga Sadow]]. The two [[JM4|Knights]] were invited to fight for the Champion’s title in the Colosseum, under the gaze of the Grand Master, their Clanmates and the rest of the Brotherhood. Blade Ta’var inscribed her victory into the organization’s history as much for the ferocious fight as for her defiance of Darth Pravus, whose scorned demand for her defeated opponent’s death was compounded by the offense of an Undesirable [[CS Guide: Species#Zeltron|Zeltron]] becoming Champion.
 
The Journeymen’s championship proved to the Dark Council that the ACC was still admirably carrying out its intelligence gathering mission, despite the schisms dividing the brethren. The data gathered by Alaris Jinn yielded valuable insights into the competence of Brotherhood Journeymen and the combat training efficacy of the various Clans. At the same time, the Grand Master could no longer ignore the serious insults he had endured from the Center in the past three years. An Odanite Jedi as Grand Master’s Champion, a wilful Undesirable as Journeymen’s Champion and Marick, with his definite links to the fractious Shadow Clan, as Combat Master. Loyalist elements of both the Dark Council and the Center staff were beginning to voice their doubts and discontent.
 
By electing Marick to be the new Voice, Pravus thought to force the [[CS Guide: Species#Hapan|Hapan]]’s hand, to test what bridges he was ready to burn for the sake of the Brotherhood. On [[starwars:Dantooine|Dantooine]] Marick murdered loyal Arconan and old acquaintance [[Zakath|Zakath Agrona]], thus removing the Dark Council’s doubts regarding his commitment to the Iron Throne. At the same time the Grand Master appointed [[Atra Ventus]] as the new Combat Master. This [[CS Guide: Species#Umbaran|Umbaran]] was an experienced Inquisitor and agent of the Combat Center, whose dedication to the order of the Brotherhood was indisputable. Pravus also placed the new Combat Master in Clan Arcona. In one stroke the Dark Lord had validated the loyalty of a master assassin, secured the stability of the ACC and ensured that any links between the Center and the mutinous Arcona worked solely to the Iron Throne’s advantage.
 
 
=== Long to Reign ===
<small>'''34 ABY'''</small>
{{Quote|Ya won’t be skinnin’ this Ryn just yet, boyo!|[[Kordath Bleu d%27Tana]] on the ''Godless Matron''}}
 
[[File:Atra Ventus Battle Armor.png|thumb|left|170px|CM Atra Ventus]]
 
The appointment of Atra as Combat Master may have stabilized the structure of the Dark Council, but the Center was still having to contend with the issue of increasing separation between it and the Clans. As a consummate Inquisitorius operative, Atra had no trouble solidifying and expanding the ACC’s network of informants, double agents and surveillance stations (for these are what the trainers, instructors and dojos still loyal to the Center had largely become). However, Atra knew the flame of the Combat Center was fuelled by more than espionage. A being’s true martial strength and commitment are only revealed in the bloodlet of open confrontation, and the induced isolation of the Clans now made that too sporadic an occurrence. The Combat Master needed a crucible wherein to test the brethren in open combat. He found this opportunity when he visited the ''[[Godless Matron]]'' in the [[Shroud]].
 
The base of operations of the Brotherhood’s [[Herald]] at the time, [[Morgan B. Sorenn]], was a smuggler’s haven and a pirate cove. Though Morgan ultimately worked for the Grand Master, the ''Matron’s'' shanty towns were a law unto themselves, and as such they attracted both Resistance and Inquisitorius types for their secret meetings and shady dealings. Add to this the [[Shroud Syndicate]] gangs looking to test the dominance of their Captain, and Morgan had a tinderbox ready to be lit. The deal she struck with Atra meant that, once she threw the match, she could unleash the restive gangs on the Brotherhood and Resistance intruders. On Atra’s part, the Center was given free run of the monitoring systems in ''[[Godless Matron#The Ball|the Ball]]'', with which they tracked the myriad confrontations that broke out across the ship<ref>[https://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/acc/acc_halls/18 ‘Guests’ of the Matron, 2016]</ref>.
 
The brethren trapped in the ship had no choice but to fight, and in so doing they disclosed their strengths and weaknesses to the ACC’s data gathering operatives. One Taldryanite, Andrelious Mimosa-Inahj, stood out above the rest in fighting prowess, though Atra was not solely interested in martial ability. He took special note of the factors that pushed Andrelious and the other warriors to fight on the ''Matron''. Knowledge of their hopes and fears, as revealed in the heat of battle, was a weapon more deadly than a blaster nozzle at one’s temple in the hands of the Grand Master.
 
 
=== References ===
{{reflist|2}}
 
[[Category:Antei Combat Center]]

Latest revision as of 19:21, 22 October 2021

Rise of the Brotherhood eraExodus era.New Order era.
Antei Combat Centre
General information
Founder(s):

Mairin Astoris

Leader(s):

Combat Master

Headquarters:

Arx satellite

Historical information
Formed from:
  • Arcona Arena
  • Krath Combat Centre
Founding:

12 ABY

Dissolution:

30 ABY

Restoration:

32 ABY

Other information
Affiliation:

Dark Jedi Brotherhood

Era(s):
[ Source ]


The history of the Antei Combat Center is intimately tied with the history of single combat within the Dark Jedi Brotherhood. The Brotherhood’s past, present and future are shaped by wars, politics and rites of power, but these processes are merely unanswered questions, sanguinary superpositions, until they are collapsed by the final, decisive duel. This is where the Combat Center exists, in the dire clash of wills, of cardinal powers, that ultimately resolves every dilemma. Darth Sarin and Omancor Crask on Antei, Halcyon Taldrya and Michael Halcyon on New Tython, Aidan Kincaid and Timeros on Begeren, Muz Ashen and Jac Cotelin on Korriban, Darth Pravus and Solari on New Tython. The Center has validated itself every time the heroes and enemies of the Brotherhood have crossed sabers, because it is the Brotherhood’s aspect of conflict and rivalry between two adversaries, manifested through the arts of combat and the will to victory.

This might be the heart of the Combat Center, but the society also defines itself by its adaptability, its endurance through great turmoil and its power to reflect the changing forms and tempers of the Brotherhood. The Combat Masters have led the Center through golden ages, eras of atrophy and decay, collapse and resurgence, strife and stability. In the end the Center has always come out strong and bold. As long as there is conflict within the Brotherhood there will be a Center, for what is the Brotherhood without conflict?


Acta Est Fabula

ca. 12 ABY to 30 ABY

For a detailed history before 30 ABY, see History of the Antei Combat Center pre-30 ABY


"You long for your recognition, your glory. You want the universe to know your power, to be counted as the one and not of the many. To rise above all other names, to be the pinnacle, to be the one left standing... that is your desire, your quest."
―CM Dalthid, 16 ABY
Dalthid, legendary Champion and Combat Master

The art of the duel in the Brotherhood has its roots in the Ritual of Certamen of the Triumvirate era. The ancient Star Chamber instituted this ritual combat to the death as a route for their subjects to settle disputes. About three thousand years later, the Brotherhood’s Krath Order rediscovered this Rite and remodelled it to their own necessities. In the ritualized non-lethal duels of the Krath Combat Center, the Order of the Scholars recognized that combat imparted as much knowledge about one’s self, one’s opponent and the universe we operate in as any ancient holocron.

The Rite was soon expanded to all three Orders, but it was not until after the Exodus that the Antei Combat Center acquired its current name. Under a succession of enterprising Combat Masters the Center developed state-of-the-art facilities, both on Antei and on the Abyss space station, and established itself as the nucleus for lightsaber combat training in the Brotherhood. The ACC did not just instruct initiates in the lightsaber Forms. It also drew the Brotherhood’s masters of the martial arts. Timeros, Dalthid, Muz Ashen, Halcyon Rokir. All these legendary champions, and more, left their mark on the martial milieu of the Center, and in turn the Center passed on this experience to the new generation of Dark Jedi warriors.

However, at its heart the Combat Center was born of ritual and convention. As the Brotherhood experienced several violent wars and conflicts, the Center struggled to remain relevant and innovative. The Invasion of New Tython, the Horizons crisis and the opening salvos of the Dark Crusade drew combatants away from the rigid, formulaic praxis of the ACC. Masters and veterans of warfare chose the bloody battlefield over the lifeless Combat Halls every time, and new recruits no longer saw the value of the ritualized katas and stifling training regimens when they could wet their blades in the blood of real enemies.

Activity within the ACC facilities declined until, in 30 ABY, Grand Master Muz finally withdrew Dark Council funding and the Center was shut down. Pravus, Voice of the Brotherhood at the time, redirected remaining resources towards a comprehensive restructuring of the Center. He charged the new Combat Master Shadow Taldrya, and subsequently his successor Telaris Taldrya Cantor, with recasting the ACC to suit the modern martial needs of the Brotherhood. Pravus was also keen that the future ACC should mesh with his vision for the parent office of the Voice. In the Center’s network of instructors, trainers and operatives he saw an opportunity to surveil the warriors of the Clans and Houses, to track their martial aptitude and their individual quarrels and rivalries for his own advantage. From now on, Pravus would keep a personal watch on the Combat Masters and their work, to ensure the Center’s reconstruction proceeded towards this more covert purpose.


The Center on Trial

31 ABY

CM Telaris

"Why? I surrendered... I didn’t want this! Why did it have to be like this?"
"It's nothing personal. You're just a means to an end."
―Aidan Kincaid and his opponent on Krayiss II

Within a few months, it was clear that the renovation of the ACC would need to be far more drastic and wide-ranging than initially expected. The project became a significant drain on the Dark Council’s resources, especially in a time of war, and pressure began building, from both upper and lower echelons, for tangible results to be put forward. To placate these detractors, during the closing stages of the Dark Crusade Combat Master Telaris orchestrated a series of duelling trials[1] on a number of the captured Sith Worlds.

The ACC’s advances so far were not counted in new facilities or halls of combat. The Combat Masters saw the reality of modern duels in the Brotherhood, that they occurred far from Antei, Abyss and even Brotherhood space, and they developed the Center’s new networks, systems and technologies accordingly. Telaris’ duelling trials put these developments through their paces as the ACC monitored, overtly and covertly, the various encounters taking place on the Sith Worlds.

Master Aidan Kincaid emerged as the victor of the trials. The data extracted by the Center both validated the project’s progress and provided a roadmap for the future. The prestige of victory and the humiliation of one’s rivals was sufficient motivation for the combatants to put their skills on display, their fighting styles, their intention and determination, their weak spots and triggers. The information gathered also streamed outside of the Center, where a team of lightsaber masters employed by the Dark Council were studying and reviewing the lightsaber Forms favored by the modern Brotherhood.


The Game Has Begun

32 ABY


"We are Dark Jedi. We choose our paths and do not stray. What other choice is there?"
―Timeros
Aidan Kincaid, Champion

The success of the duelling trials was a prelude to the ACC’s formal relaunching. Even as the campaigns of the Dark Crusade came to a close the Center on Antei reopened its doors. Once again the training halls were filled with the hum of lightsabers, with initiates sent by the Shadow Academy eager to prove their worth and veterans surging like torrents through their favoured Forms.

At this time the Brotherhood’s attention was still fixed on the threat of the One Sith. Darth Ashen’s gaze turned to Begeren, where he sent warriors from the Clans and Houses to secure powerful artifacts and military installations[2]. This is where the reborn ACC made its first mark upon the conflict. The Grand Master and the Voice needed two expert fighters to confront a linchpin of the One Sith, whom they knew to be holed up on Begeren. CM Telaris tracked and monitored the fights that broke out amongst the brethren and against the One Sith. He used the information to select Aidan Kincaid and Timeros Caesus Entar Arconae as the two most capable candidates for this mission.

In an ancient palace on Begeren, Kincaid and Timeros encountered Darth Necren. Their fight with the assassin uncovered that she was serving a treasonous Dark Councillor, but the two Elders were captured before they could discover the name of the traitor. The slaying of Darth Necren, the capture of the Elders and the revelation of Dark Council treachery only went to show how deeply a mere duel can shape the progress of a war and the security of the entire Brotherhood.


Civil War

32 ABY


"And they were enemies: they met beside
The dying embers of an altar-place
Where had been heaped a mass of holy things"
―The Final Way[src]

The death-toll imposed by the One Sith menace and the stench of treachery present at the highest levels of Brotherhood hierarchy heralded a period of political instability within the Dark Council. Pravus, ever conscious of the special role the Combat Center had been playing in his bid for power, maintained an aegis of support over Telaris. When Pravus became Shadow Hand, Telaris stepped into the office the Sith Lord had just vacated.

As the new Voice, Telaris became acutely alert to the schisms forming within the Brotherhood at this time. Instead of selecting a new Combat Master he provisionally assimilated the position into his own direct sphere of authority. When Jac Cotelin and the Taldryanite fleet besieged Antei, the Voice was in a position to employ the Antei Combat Center’s military assets in his Clanmate’s favor. The coup’s gambit ultimately failed, and the Center’s planetary facilities were all destroyed when Darth Ashen performed his first Rite of Immortality.

This event signalled another temporary disintegration of the ACC structure. Telaris joined Grand Master Jac in his campaign against Darth Ashen, but the rest of the Center’s instructors and operatives became split largely along the lines of Clan or House loyalty. Some sided with Jac, others remained faithful to the ruling Grand Master and a few went with Plagueis and Esoteric.


The Gray Fang

32 ABY


"The crystal, the blade, the warrior: all are intertwined. All are one."
―Ferran, Triumvir of the ancient Star Chamber
CM Marick

The Antei Combat Center survived the Civil War, though not unchanged. When Darth Pravus took the Iron Throne, it was no surprise that he selected Telaris to be his Shadow Hand. In the joint office of Voice and Combat Master the two Sith Lords placed Aidan Kincaid, a Taldryanite Master who had distinguished himself several times in the arenas of the ACC. The Center’s rapid recovery after the Civil War demonstrated that it was no longer reliant on physical structures for its operations, but rather on the expertise and ceaseless activity of its trainers and operatives, and its strong links with the office of the Voice and the Shadow Academy. As long as there were instructors brimming with knowledge and initiates willing to learn, masters seeking perfection and Forms defying comprehension, then the ACC would find its place and thrive.

Though Kincaid’s tenure was relatively short, he oversaw two developments of importance to the Center. The first was the publishing of the research completed by the Dark Council’s lightsaber masters[3]. This authoritative compilation of the lightsaber Forms reflected the styles of lightsaber combat favored in the modern Brotherhood. It informed the initiate training programmes developed jointly by the Center and the Shadow Academy and it was an essential tool for the cataloguing of lightsaber practitioners across the Brotherhood. The more the Center understood the ways Brotherhood warriors engaged in combat, the more the Combat Master and, ultimately, the Grand Master gained ways to control them.

The second development was the selection of then Marick Arconae as Combat Master. Though the head of the ACC once again became independent, the tradition of close relations between the Voice and the Combat Master never ceased. This was a necessity dictated, in great part, by the increasing importance of the Center’s information gathering role. Marick’s focus on revamping the training protocols and resources available to members of the Brotherhood went hand in hand with his work as a Grand Inquisitor, creating the legacy that would lead him to being known as “The Gray Fang.” The appointment also brought some much needed composure to the Center. Marick’s tenure ushered a period of stability and steady growth for the ACC.


Blood Will Beget Blood

32 to 33 ABY


"Typical Jedi. Your arrogance will be your downfall."
―Andrelious, Combat Master's Champion
The ancient arena discovered on Arx’s moon

The new Combat Master acted quickly to reinforce the ACC’s presence in the Brotherhood, and if there was any suspicion that the Civil War had shaken the Center’s footing, those rumors were soon put to rest. In his first resolution, he filled the Center’s circle of instructors with operatives from across the Clans. This ensured that the ACC had collaborators seeded throughout the Brotherhood. They acted as the Combat Master’s eyes, ears and mouthpiece in their respective Clans, as they kept him abreast of the fighting capabilities of their clanmates and transmitted his combat training reforms to their units.

Marick also worked to secure a place for the ACC in the Brotherhood’s future. When he was made Combat Master, Marick was taken to the dark place where, unbeknownst to the rest of the Brotherhood, the Grand Master was building his new imperial capital. On one of the planet’s orbiting moons he discovered the ruins of a colossal arena left by the ancient civilization of that planet. The Combat Master assigned labor and resources to rebuilding the arena and developing training halls in its vicinity. This investment would eventually become the public front of the ACC, and a symbol of its physical presence at the heart of the Brotherhood.

In 33 ABY the Combat Master announced the third major undertaking of his tenure. With the collaboration of the Dark Council and the Clan Summits, Marick arranged a series of combat skirmishes[4] on various disparate worlds. Following the precedent set by previous contests, the ACC covertly monitored the duels as they unfolded, collating the data for the benefit of the interested parties. For the Clans, this was an unmissable opportunity to test the spirit of their own fighters and vye for the champion’s title, which ultimately was taken by Warlord Andrelious J. Mimosa-Inahj. For the Center, the duels provided invaluable information on the rivalries and antipathies that existed between Brotherhood members. These warriors went into battle with sabers, blasters and combat talents, but also grudges, feuds, loyalties, ambitions, convictions, impulses. It was the Center that gathered all these threads to the Grand Master’s hand, for him to pull at his will.

Mercy Exists for No One

33 ABY

Within the ACC, Marick’s combat skirmishes were catalyst to changes that were already convulsing the rest of the Brotherhood. In the eyes of the Combat Master each duel was a microcosm of the fears, hopes and tribulations of each Clan. Through this viewport he saw how the Krath and Obelisk Orders were increasingly shunned, how Iron Throne loyalists were becoming less tolerant of the “Undesirable” species, how the Jedi of Odan-Urr and their sympathizers grew more and more defensive. This is the path down which Darth Pravus was taking the Brotherhood, and Marick had to follow if he was to ensure the Center’s continuance.

A hall of the Combat Training Center on Arx’s moon

The Center played an indirect but undeniable part in the purges that took place during this period. There was not a lightsaber-wielder in the Brotherhood who did not have a dossier in the classified databases of the ACC. Their styles of combat, aptitudes, foibles, all these were an open book to the Combat Master. Voice Evant Taelyan and his Inquisitorius made extensive use of this intelligence to dispatch the enemies of the Iron Throne, be they Krath, Obelisk or Undesirables.

At the same time, the training facilities of the Combat Center themselves remained aloof of the unrest, at least in the public eye. While they certainly didn’t provide sanctuary to enemies of the Iron Throne, the Center did not tolerate any distractions from their intended purpose, be it seditious activity or Inquisitorius interference. Combat training and practice was still held as the sacrosanct function of the Combat Halls. Marick continued this policy to maintain the broad permeation of the ACC through the Brotherhood, both in terms of combat training and intelligence gathering. Nonetheless, this arguably lenient attitude towards apostates and Undesirables brought a certain amount of tension between the Combat Master and the Grand Master. The friction would eventually come to a head, but for now it smoldered under the surface of the two Masters’ relationship.

Another phenomenon that the combat skirmishes of 33 ABY brought to light were the rising relevance and prestige of non-Force users in the Brotherhood’s martial scene. Not only were they becoming important pieces in the Brotherhood command structure; they were also demonstrating an exceptional aptitude in combat; they could stand toe-to-toe with the Clans’ foremost Force-wielding warriors. The ACC spotted this intriguing trend and adapted accordingly. The Center’s instructors developed combat training programmes for the mercenaries and loyalists, with a strong emphasis on countering the techniques of Force users, and the instructors and operatives began monitoring with greater interest the martial activities of non-Force users within the Clans. To this purpose the Center also enlisted Krin Murphy as Combat Trainer, the first non-Force wielding weapons specialist on the ACC staff.


Pinnacle of Fame

33 to 34 ABY


"Well I’m a little extra crispy right now, but don’t worry ladies — he didn't hit my face."
―Turel Sorenn on Antei
Turel Sorenn, Grand Master’s Champion

Combat training and surveillance were not the only occupations of the ACC, especially in the turbulent early years of the reign of Darth Pravus. The brethren of the seven Clans all had personal grudges, disputes of honor or doctrine, past offenses to settle or just simple blood lust. Without some kind of outlet, there was a danger these individual urges could spill into widespread hostilities, Clan feuds and wars. The Grand Master’s Invitational Tournament[5] was precisely one such outlet. Darth Pravus called for this contest as soon as the new Colosseum and its adjacent facilities were completed on Arx’s satellite. The Tournament saw the top two fighters from each of the seven Clans (and two Dark Councillors) perform in non-lethal duels for the entertainment of the Brotherhood at large.

Superficially, the Tournament indulged the age-old recourse of rulers in times of upheaval, part of the “bread and circuses” that kept the populace diverted and contented. But this was also an extraordinary opportunity for the Center’s intelligence gathering mission. The hubris of the Clans had pushed the Brotherhood’s most accomplished warriors to gather in the Colosseum. Each of their duels provided a window into the martial capabilities of their respective Clans, as well as the quality of their pride and resolve. The final duel took place between Turel Sorenn and Timeros, in the ruins of the Dark Hall on Antei. The fight, and Turel’s victory, was broadcast live to all the Clans of the Brotherhood.

Some say it was the nomination of Turel — Jedi and Proconsul of Odan-Urr — as victor and Grand Master’s Champion that pushed Pravus over the edge. Though the conclusion of the Tournament was definitely an unpleasant shock for the supporters of the Iron Throne, it is improbable that it precipitated the coming tragedy on New Tython so directly; disappointing as it was, the defeat of Timeros could not perturb the Grand Master’s patient, ambitious and farsighted plans. In 34 ABY Darth Pravus led the Dark Council and the Iron Legion in an assault of New Tython, the homeworld of the Odan-Urr Jedi. His slaying of the Shard Solari and the razing of the planet surface left the Brotherhood in no doubt as to the position and intent of the Iron Throne.

The event tested the loyalty of every Dark Council affiliate. Marick himself encountered pressure from both his loyalist Center operatives and his superiors. In the end he was forced to expel all his Odanite instructors, and he declared that any known “Resistance” collaborators who appeared in the Center would be detained as traitors. These drastic actions shattered the trusted neutrality of the Combat Halls. The ACC would never again have the universal reach it had enjoyed since its inception, and its monopoly on martial practice was lost as the Resistance factions likely began forming their own independent combat training centers.


The Blood on Your Hands

34 ABY


"We are all monsters, Zakath. Was it not you who told me that in our first War?"
―Voice Marick Tyris on Dantooine
Blade Ta’var, Journeymen’s Champion

As the chasms riving the Brotherhood deepened, the ACC’s pervading grip on combat training weakened. The instructors who operated in the rebel Clans had formally severed their ties with Marick, and the Combat Halls on Arx’s moon had become too dangerous for those initiates who were in the sights of the Inquisitorius. It was to counter this impending atrophy that the Combat Master commissioned Alaris Jinn, a seasoned combat trainer, to find the two most promising aspiring warriors amongst the brethren for the purpose of a Journeymen’s duel[6] in the Colosseum on Arx’s moon.

Alaris used the Center’s connections with the Inquisitorius and the Shadow Academy to track the Clans’ up-and-coming Journeymen. Throughout the Twi’lek operative’s investigation two names stood out from the rest: Blade Ta’var of Scholae Palatinae and Aul Celsus of Naga Sadow. The two Knights were invited to fight for the Champion’s title in the Colosseum, under the gaze of the Grand Master, their Clanmates and the rest of the Brotherhood. Blade Ta’var inscribed her victory into the organization’s history as much for the ferocious fight as for her defiance of Darth Pravus, whose scorned demand for her defeated opponent’s death was compounded by the offense of an Undesirable Zeltron becoming Champion.

The Journeymen’s championship proved to the Dark Council that the ACC was still admirably carrying out its intelligence gathering mission, despite the schisms dividing the brethren. The data gathered by Alaris Jinn yielded valuable insights into the competence of Brotherhood Journeymen and the combat training efficacy of the various Clans. At the same time, the Grand Master could no longer ignore the serious insults he had endured from the Center in the past three years. An Odanite Jedi as Grand Master’s Champion, a wilful Undesirable as Journeymen’s Champion and Marick, with his definite links to the fractious Shadow Clan, as Combat Master. Loyalist elements of both the Dark Council and the Center staff were beginning to voice their doubts and discontent.

By electing Marick to be the new Voice, Pravus thought to force the Hapan’s hand, to test what bridges he was ready to burn for the sake of the Brotherhood. On Dantooine Marick murdered loyal Arconan and old acquaintance Zakath Agrona, thus removing the Dark Council’s doubts regarding his commitment to the Iron Throne. At the same time the Grand Master appointed Atra Ventus as the new Combat Master. This Umbaran was an experienced Inquisitor and agent of the Combat Center, whose dedication to the order of the Brotherhood was indisputable. Pravus also placed the new Combat Master in Clan Arcona. In one stroke the Dark Lord had validated the loyalty of a master assassin, secured the stability of the ACC and ensured that any links between the Center and the mutinous Arcona worked solely to the Iron Throne’s advantage.


Long to Reign

34 ABY


"Ya won’t be skinnin’ this Ryn just yet, boyo!"
Kordath Bleu d'Tana on the Godless Matron
CM Atra Ventus

The appointment of Atra as Combat Master may have stabilized the structure of the Dark Council, but the Center was still having to contend with the issue of increasing separation between it and the Clans. As a consummate Inquisitorius operative, Atra had no trouble solidifying and expanding the ACC’s network of informants, double agents and surveillance stations (for these are what the trainers, instructors and dojos still loyal to the Center had largely become). However, Atra knew the flame of the Combat Center was fuelled by more than espionage. A being’s true martial strength and commitment are only revealed in the bloodlet of open confrontation, and the induced isolation of the Clans now made that too sporadic an occurrence. The Combat Master needed a crucible wherein to test the brethren in open combat. He found this opportunity when he visited the Godless Matron in the Shroud.

The base of operations of the Brotherhood’s Herald at the time, Morgan B. Sorenn, was a smuggler’s haven and a pirate cove. Though Morgan ultimately worked for the Grand Master, the Matron’s shanty towns were a law unto themselves, and as such they attracted both Resistance and Inquisitorius types for their secret meetings and shady dealings. Add to this the Shroud Syndicate gangs looking to test the dominance of their Captain, and Morgan had a tinderbox ready to be lit. The deal she struck with Atra meant that, once she threw the match, she could unleash the restive gangs on the Brotherhood and Resistance intruders. On Atra’s part, the Center was given free run of the monitoring systems in the Ball, with which they tracked the myriad confrontations that broke out across the ship[7].

The brethren trapped in the ship had no choice but to fight, and in so doing they disclosed their strengths and weaknesses to the ACC’s data gathering operatives. One Taldryanite, Andrelious Mimosa-Inahj, stood out above the rest in fighting prowess, though Atra was not solely interested in martial ability. He took special note of the factors that pushed Andrelious and the other warriors to fight on the Matron. Knowledge of their hopes and fears, as revealed in the heat of battle, was a weapon more deadly than a blaster nozzle at one’s temple in the hands of the Grand Master.


References