Duel on Korriban

The Duel on Korriban was a duel that occurred in the year 5,000 BBY between Sith Lords Ludo Kressh and Naga Sadow. It took place on the Sith grave-world of Korriban, in the Valley of the Dark Lords, during the Funeral of Marka Ragnos. The duel was unique in that the combatants fought not with lightsabers, but rather with archaic Sith swords. It occurred during the end of the Golden Age of the Sith, and resulted in a draw.

Prelude
"The face of the Sith Empire must not rest in the hands of a backwards thinker such as you do Kressh."

- Naga Sadow, as he prepares to draw his sword.

The reigning Dark Lord of the Sith, the half-breed Marka Ragnos, had recently passed into darkness. In keeping in line with tradition, the Sith people entombed their deceased Dark Lords within opulent tombs in Korriban's Valley of the Dark Lords. A grand procession was held for Ragnos, and Sith warriors carried his decorated sarcophagus through the canyon. One of the more prominent Sith Lords called Ludo Kressh led the procession, and he also presided over Ragnos' funeral.

Just as Kressh began to deliver the eulogy at his deceased Dark Lord's funeral, he was interrupted by the late arrival of his sworn nemesis, the Sith magician Naga Sadow. Now that the reigning Dark Lord was dead, the Sith Empire was bereft of a leader. Both Sadow and Kressh felt that each was more qualified than the other to next assume the mantle of Dark Lord. Neither man was inclined to submit to the other however, and after a heated exchange at the base of the tomb, a vicious duel ensued.

The duel
Ludo removed his headdress and summoned a slave who carried his Sith sword, while Naga Sadow issued taunts and insults. Sadow also brandished his own sword, and a fierce dark-side duel was under way. For much of the battle the Sith Lords remained evenly matched, each fighter's blade radiating with pure dark side energy. Eventually Naga Sadow gained the upper hand by using the Force to dislodge bricks from the tomb wall and assail Kressh with them. Kressh however regained his footing and pressed on, though Sadow gained both higher ground and the advantage in doing so.

Fatigue had set in both combatants, but neither was quite ready to end the duel. The resumed battle was equally as fierce, and when it seemed as though Ludo had lost, he managed to put some ground between he and Sadow. They were about to resume the contest again when they were suddenly interrupted by the spirit of the deceased Dark Lord, Marka Ragnos himself.

Aftermath
"Sith Lords, hear my words, witness our past."

- Marka Ragnos

Naga Sadow was displayed frustration with the interruption of the Dark Lord, and demanded to know the purpose of his visit. Ludo Kressh however, was not so bold. He begged Ragnos' spirit to forgive them for the infighting, saying that it was all done in Ragnos' name. The Dark Lord was oblivious to their rants however, and proceeded to explain to Kressh and Sadow their heritage, and the history of the Sith Empire as it was in Ragnos's day. He also issued them a stern warning, saying:


 * The fate of the Sith Empire hangs in the balance. Choose your course wisely...fight the correct battles...or all else is lost![src]

Ragnos' spirit then returned to the darkness, leaving the Sith Lords to ponder the meaning of his words. Ludo Kressh was willing to make peace with his rival, but Naga Sadow was not so eager. It seemed that they were going to continue their contest; but when a pair of lost hyperspace mappers stumbled upon the secluded grave-world, Sadow and Kressh forgot their personal quarry with each other.

Jori and Gav Daragon were the traveler's names, and when they landed, they were immediately taken into custody by Sith guards. Now with the intruders detained, Kressh, Sadow, and the rest of the Sith Council went off to determine their fate. Kressh was wary of them, and wanted them executed straight away. But Naga Sadow saw that through the Daragons untimely arrival, there was potential for the Sith Empire to expand it's borders. Little did either know that the arrival of these two innocents would mark the beginning of the end of their beloved empire...

Appearances

 * Tales of the Jedi: The Golden Age of the Sith

Notes and references
Párbaj a Korribanon