Xan’s eyes watched the clone of Verin closely, his eyes never blinking, his gaze fixed. The two spoke no words, simply breathed steadily as they watched one another.

Ever so gently, Verin shifted the position of his fingers. Xan eased his hand down inches away from his holster, and the lightsaber fixed to the front of it.

A prickle upon the back of his neck, Xan knew Verin would move. The Force Surging, Xan lept as Verin’s lightsaber jumped from its place on his belt and into his hand. It ignited between that position and where Xan once stood, though it found no purchase, only empty space where Xan had been.

A flick of his wrist as he summersaulted through the air, Xan’s own lightsaber ignited as it too lept into his hand. Upon landing, he spun around and faced the Dark Jedi with a determined look.

Verin chuckled a deep, ominus reply in amusement, “This may be more interesting that I had thought.” The clone shifted his stance.

Xan could hear his mother’s voice, “I will bend like the reed.”